For many years I tried to acquire good varietal delphiniums of foreign selection. But all attempts to find them in Russia were unsuccessful. One could only dream of pink or fully terry delphiniums.

Perennial delphiniums, which grew from the seeds of the English company "Unwins", often had flowers with one layer of petals (or their flowers were of non-uniform color), which reduced both the size of the flower and its decorative effect. Many grown delphiniums had a loose ear. To get a good decorative delphinium, many seedlings had to be grown, from which a large number of plants were then rejected. As a result, there was a lot of work, but the result did not suit me.

And finally, my search was crowned with success: I received from New Zealand the seeds of varietal delphiniums from the company of the New Zealand breeder Terry Dowdeswell, specialized in delphiniums. Instructions were included with the seeds. English language. Comparing its text with the instructions on the packets of delphinium seeds sold in Russia, I understood why our flower growers often fail when growing these plants. I give the main points from this instruction for sowing seeds of delphiniums, which I tested on my own experience.

Growing delphinium from seeds

I store delphinium seeds before sowing in the refrigerator (at positive temperature) for no longer than one year. I do not soak the seeds before planting!

For sowing delphinium seeds, I use small sterile containers with a transparent lid, filling them with live or steamed earth (I leave a distance of 1 cm to the top edge of the container). I spill the earth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (foundazol or the drug "Maxim") from " black leg»; while growing seedlings of delphiniums, I shed the soil with such a solution weekly. On the surface of the spilled earth, I evenly spread the seeds (at a distance of at least two centimeters from each other), press the seeds into the ground, sprinkle with dry earth (a layer of 7-10 mm). I close the lid, wrap the container with polyethylene and put it in the refrigerator (not in the freezer, with a temperature of +3 - +5 degrees). After two weeks, I take the container out of the refrigerator and, having removed the polyethylene, put it in a bright and moderately warm (+ 20 degrees) place.

Some delphinium seeds can germinate even in the refrigerator 10-12 days after sowing - then I remove the polyethylene from the container and, without opening the lid, put it on a bright window. When growing seedlings of delphiniums, I illuminate the seedlings with a lamp, since there is not enough light on the window, and the plants are stretched from this.

I expose the shoots of the white delphinium to a bright window when the first germinated seed appears. The germinating seeds of the white delphinium are illuminated better than the seeds of delphiniums of other colors.

I grow hatched delphinium seeds in a container with a closed lid until the plants fit under the lid. Once a day, I lift the lid of the container for a short time (so that the leaves of the seedlings do not dry out) and air the plants. I water the seedlings of the delphinium carefully, with a small stream, using a medical disposable syringe.

I grow delphinium seedlings on a window with a temperature not higher than 20 degrees Celsius.

Once every 2 weeks I fertilize the plants with a solution of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (the concentration is half that for adult plants) with the addition of Epin (2 ampoules per 10 liters of water) or zircon (1 ampule per 10 liters of water).

I dive seedlings of delphiniums into small pots when the plants have 2-3 true leaves. When picking, I take the plant only by the cotyledon leaves and bury it in the ground to the point of growth of real leaves. After picking, I grow plants at a temperature not higher than + 20 degrees; I make sure that the earth in the pots does not dry out.

In spring, seedlings of delphiniums are planted in the ground after the end of frost. I shade it from the sun, water it in a timely manner, fertilize it and carefully protect young plants from slugs (they can eat all the young leaves, and then the plants will die). I fight slugs with the help of metaldehyde, scattering it around the plants.

New Zealand delphiniums in Russia

The very first shown flowering New Zealand delphiniums made a splash at the permanent exhibition of amateur flower growers in Kazan. Their level was an order of magnitude higher than the level of delphiniums grown from English seeds. And some plants turned out to be completely double (had 21 petals on each flower). New Zealand delphiniums belong to the group of Elatum hybrids, reach a height of 160-200 cm. They are characterized by a dense arrangement of flowers on a peduncle-ear 60-80 cm long.

These plants tolerate winter well and spring frosts. It rained almost daily in June 2004, so it was not possible to preventive treatment delphiniums from powdery mildew - everything was immediately washed away by rain. And at the same time, only two plants fell ill, which stood in dense plantings near the unventilated blank wall of the house. But, cut off at the root, these delphiniums did not die, but bloomed in the fall.

In the third year, I divided the overgrown New Zealand delphiniums and planted them for breeding. beautiful varieties. After digging up each delphinium, I washed the rhizome from the ground, split it to a hollow middle, and then cut into divisions with two or three peduncles, around which several large buds had already formed. Each division had enough roots. I cleaned the old hollow flower stalks from rotten parts.

All parts of the delphinium are poisonous, so when working with it, you should be careful, wash your hands thoroughly after work, and do not touch your face and eyes with your hands.

Delphiniums grow in one place for many years, have a large number of roots and greatly impoverish the soil. Therefore, before planting the divided bushes for each plant, I prepared pits by mixing garden soil with living earth, sand, rotted compost and Kemira fertilizer. He planted bushes, shed the earth well to a great depth and shaded the delphiniums from the sun. New plantings have taken root well.

Selection of delphiniums

In addition to vegetative propagation, which did not a large number plants, I tried to grow New Zealand delphiniums from seeds that were collected from mother plants. The second generation of delphiniums retained their color purity and gamut, but seedlings different from their parents also appeared.

Seeds of New Zealand delphiniums planted in the ground before winter tended to split more strongly, so I grow these delphiniums from seeds only at home, through seedlings.

The third generation of New Zealand delphiniums (grown from seeds of the second generation) had a stronger splitting. Therefore, I no longer began to grow seedlings of the third generation - I collect seeds only from queen cells.

When I posted photos of New Zealand delphinium seedlings on my website, I began to be asked questions about the names of their varieties. But in order for a delphinium seedling to become a variety and get a name, it must be registered accordingly. On the Internet, I found in England the organization responsible for registering delphiniums, the registration form and the cost of the registration fee. Everything seems to be simple. And the registration fee is low. I just can’t find a special English album in Russia for the time being. color codes(R.H.S. Color Chart), issued and supplemented in different years by the English Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.).

The color of the delphinium (as well as the color of the flower of any plant) must be described according to this album (of any year of release), and next to the color description, the year of release of the album used and the code of this color must be put down. In the latest issue (2001) R.H.S. Color Chart expanded to 808 colors, codes from 1A to 202D.

Therefore, I decided to register these varieties in Russia for the time being (at the State Commission for the Registration of Varietal Plants), although this requires more documents and is more expensive than in England. I decided to give names to varieties of delphiniums in honor of the heroes of English literature and in honor of people dear to me. The photographs below show the flowers of these delphiniums.

Variety "Lady Rovena (Lady Rovena)" - this is the name of my wife, who received her name in honor of the main character of the novel by W. Scott "Ivanhoe". Light pink color ok with darker pink edging on each petal; completely terry. Flower size 7-9 cm.

Variety "Aivengo (Aivengo)" - named after the protagonist of the novel of the same name. sky blue flower with pink tint in the depth of each petal, at the point of attachment to the trunk; completely terry. Flower size 7 cm.

Variety "Prince Arthur-2003 (Prince Arthur-2003)" - named after my grandson and the year of his birth. Dark pink flower, fully double. Flower size 7-9 cm.

Variety "Doctor Nina (Doctor Nina)" - named after a wonderful doctor and my mother. Semi-double flower of light pink-milky color, with light staminodes in the third row of the flower; staminodes with stripes in the middle of a light pink-milky color. Flower size 7 cm.

Variety "Sean Connery (Sean Connery)" - named after my favorite actor. Dark purple-blue flower with a dark lilac wide stripe in the center of the petal; all three rows of petals are the same length. Fully terry. Flower size 8 cm.

I hope that very soon the names of these varieties of delphiniums will appear in State Register varietal plants of Russia. As I was told in the State Commission, varietal delphiniums in Russia have not been registered for a long time.

This year I am purchasing newest variety delphinium "Coral Sunset", which is considered coral pink in color. It is interesting to try to cross this delphinium with New Zealand delphiniums and get a new beautiful variety.

Growing perennial delphiniums

Delphiniums grow on well-cultivated and fertilized soil (slightly acidic or neutral reaction) without stagnant water and close-lying groundwater.

When planting delphiniums for each bush, I prepare a separate hole measuring 40x40x40cm. The distance between plants should be at least 50cm. The planting site should be sunny and protected from the wind, as the plants are very fragile and break easily.

So that the delphiniums do not break in the wind and rain, I attach each peduncle of the plant (in 3-4 places along its entire length) with plastic holder rings to a pin at least 2 meters high, stuck nearby into the ground. To do this, you can use another similar device; better to paint it green.

I plant delphiniums in spring (at the end of April) or in autumn - from late August to mid-September. AT landing pit I add compost, humus, ash, mineral fertilizer "Kemira" granulated. After planting, the plant is abundantly watered until rooting.

For lush flowering in spring, I fertilize delphiniums with nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer with a predominance of phosphorus and potassium.

In the first year, I cover young delphiniums for the winter. You can cover the plants with spruce branches or a small layer of earth, and put a film on top, securing its edges (so that the wind does not blow away).

In one place, delphiniums can grow up to 10 years. But if at the age of 4-6 years the center of the plant rots, and the bush falls apart, then in the spring I divide it and plant it. When dividing on a bush, I leave no more than 2-3 last year's trunks, around which young shoots grow.

In spring, I form large delphinium bushes, leaving 2-4 peduncles. I break out the rest of the shoots, because when more the shoots of the delphinium, its flowers become smaller, their color is less saturated; and in double delphiniums, flowers can grow semi-double.

Broken non-hollow shoots no shorter than 10-15 cm can be used on cuttings for vegetative propagation of the delphinium. Before planting, I keep the cuttings for 2-3 hours in a heteroauxin solution, and then plant them in a peat-sand mixture and cover with glass or plastic jar. I make sure that the ground under the jar does not dry out. After 1.5 months, the delphinium cuttings take root.

Delphinium pests

Unfortunately, this beautiful and majestic plant has pests - delphinium fly, slugs, nematodes, aphids.

main pest- delphinium fly - in mid-May lays eggs at the base of plant stems. This insect hibernates in the form of a chrysalis, therefore, when transplanting a delphinium, I examine its roots, add "Bazudin" to the landing hole. If insects are found on plants, I spill them in mid-May with karbofos or fufanon.

Delphiniums are prone to disease powdery mildew and viral infections(although newer varieties are already immune to these diseases). There is no need to wait for the plants to get sick - it is better to do prophylaxis with a solution of foundationazole, the drug "Maxim", iodine solution (5 g per bucket of water) or the antibiotic "Tetracycline" (1 tablet per 1 liter of water). I process delphiniums three times with a weekly interval, and in rainy weather and more often.

When using delphiniums for cutting to extend the freshness of flowers, I turn the cut peduncle upside down, carefully pour water into its hollow trunk and then clog it with a piece of cotton wool. In this form, I put the delphinium peduncle in a high vase.

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Delphinium (Latin delphinium) is a beautiful tall flower native to New Zealand. It is also called the New Zealand delphinium hybrid. They were created with the help of selection by Terry Dowdswell. This flower grows up to two meters, and the flower itself consists of 21 petals. The flowers themselves are large with a diameter of 8-9 cm, and the petals are semi-double or double.

• Types of New Zealand delphinium
• Soil preparation and site selection for the New Zealand delphinium
• Buying seeds and preparing New Zealand delphinium seeds for planting
• Planting New Zealand delphinium seeds in the ground
• New Zealand delphinium care
• Landing a New Zealand delphinium on permanent place and flower care
  • Delphinium New Zealand - 15 centimeters
  • Delphinium New Zealand - 25-30 centimeters
  • Delphinium New Zealand - 50 centimeters
• New Zealand delphinium care during flowering
• Disease and pests of the New Zealand delphinium
  • Types of New Zealand delphinium diseases and their control
  • Types of pests of the New Zealand delphinium and their control
• New Zealand delphinium care after flowering
  • The division of the New Zealand delphinium by the vegetative method
  • New Zealand delphinium care winter period
• Making a flower bed with a New Zealand delphinium, photo

Breeding this flower is very painstaking and it will take a lot of patience and effort to produce beautiful flowers. Delphinium was bred by crossing perennials and can grow in a permanent place for up to 10 years. Then you can divide the bush and plant it in different places.

Delphinium New Zealand giant hybrid is the most common species. It has excellent properties:

• Cold resistance.
• Perennial up to 10 years.
• Disease resistance.
• It can be used to form bouquets.

Delphiniums can have a variety of colors and shades. The middle of the flower can be black, and white, and even striped. Most popular varieties New Zealand delphiniums:

• Blue Lace- double flowers blue with purple veins.
• Royal Aspirations - cornflower blue.
• Green Twist - snow white with green veins.
• Sunny Skies - pale blue with a lilac tint.
• Misty Mauves - lilac with double, slightly ruffled petals.
• Deep Sweethearts - dark pink flowers with an unusual striped or bright white eye.
• Morning Lights - multi-colored petals from blue-lilac.
• Dusky Maiden - pink flowers are very voluminous.

You will have to work hard to find a site. First of all, you need to decide on a place, it should be very sunny, without drafts, and the soil should dry out well.

The land must be:

• 1 part of garden soil,
• 1 part peat
• 1 part compost
• 0.5 parts of coarse sand.

Garden soil, compost and sand are easy to get, and peat can be bought at any garden store. But the preparation of the land does not end there. In order for the earth to acquire the desired looseness and moisture capacity, you will still need to add perlite. It is added in the ratio of 10 kg of earth and 1 tbsp. substances. We also need to destroy weed seeds and fungal spores, for this you just need to warm the ground in a water bath for 40-50 minutes.

Perennial delphinium can be propagated from seeds. You can also use cuttings, dividing the bush or buds.

The cost of seeds is very high, so it is profitable to buy through a joint purchase, now there are a lot of active forums that deal with a joint purchase from New Zealand.

If you have the opportunity to collect New Zealand delphinium seeds from flowers, you are much more fortunate. In June, you need to mark the most beautiful flower stalks and pinch the top of them. These bushes are not treated with chemicals, and when the seed pods begin to ripen, you need to wrap the bottom with a newspaper, like a glass for seeds, and tie the newspapers at the bottom with a rope. The seed pods will ripen from top to bottom and when the pods open they will fall right into the newspaper. In cloudy weather, it is better to cover the flower with seeds from the rain. From one bush you can get about 200 seeds (1 g). After receiving the seeds, they must be placed in the refrigerator for 3 days or stored there until planting.

To increase the germination of seeds, you must first go through the disinfection procedure, for this they are placed in gauze, and then dipped in a highly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds are washed running water, after that it will be necessary to soak the seeds in a solution of epin. At the final stage, the seeds are dried and laid out so that they do not stick together.

The next step will be soil preparation (stratification):

• take a piece of cotton fabric light color, rectangular shape and evenly place the seeds along the fabric,
• gently fold it on both sides and roll it into a roll, making sure that the seeds do not move,
• prepare containers in which your seed rolls will be stored. Pour water at the bottom, put the rolls. The water should cover them by about half,
• place the containers in the refrigerator or on the veranda in winter.

After a week, check the seeds, if they are swollen, then they are ready for planting.

• Sow seeds in late March - early April. Delphinium is sown in special containers that need to be filled with our soil. Sowing density 2 seeds per 1 square. cm.
• Then you need to tamp a little.
• Seeds are planted superficially. In order not to confuse where what varieties and when you landed, it is worth signing the containers.
• Many people have a problem - the seeds are black and it is not clear how to sow, this problem is solved simply - they sprinkle the prepared soil river sand and sown with seeds, and in order for the seeds to hold firmly on the surface - when watering, you need to cover them with earth 3-4 mm.
• When you are done with planting the seeds, you will need to water them with boiled water at room temperature.

Germination largely depends on lighting, in the dark the seeds germinate better and faster. Therefore, the seedlings need to be covered with a black film and placed in the sun. Periodically, the containers are cleaned in a cool place 10-15 ° C.

The film is removed as soon as the first shoots appear, somewhere in 1-1.5 weeks, and the rest may take up to a month. A place for further growth is chosen very lit, but cool.

New Zealand delphinium seedling care

• Seedling care consists in constant spraying and airing of the plant, as soon as our New Zealand delphinium seedlings get stronger and a few leaves appear, they can be planted in pots of 300 milliliters, the temperature should be within 20 ° C.
• Watering should be scattered, without a clear stream, and constant. An excess of moisture should not be allowed - this can lead to a disease - a black leg, from which plants can die. Starting in May, it is necessary to adapt seedlings to fresh air and sunbeams.
• You need to fertilize the delphinium twice - during planting in pots and at the time of planting in a permanent place. The interval between fertilizers should be about two weeks. Agricol or solute can be used as a fertilizer.
• To understand whether the seedlings are ready for transplanting to a permanent place, you need to inspect earthen clod, the roots should completely braid it and it should be easily removed from the container or pot.

Growing New Zealand delphinium seedlings in the open field is an easier process. Before planting, you need to prepare holes 50 cm deep, and pour 0.5 buckets of sand there so that it winters well. We mix the excavated earth with peat and compost and fill the seedling to the place where the root forms.

When the plant reaches 15 cm in height, you can feed it with fertilizer. We take 1 bucket of manure and dilute it with 10 liters of water. The solution should be enough to water 5 bushes. The next procedure is to prevent weed rotting by mulching the ground around the plant. Peat is ideal for this.

It is already possible to start thinning the plant to get larger and more beautiful inflorescences, and this will also help better air passage and improve its resistance to diseases. No more than 4-5 shoots should remain on one bush. When thinning, you need to carefully examine the plant, leave the strongest stems, and cut off the thin and weak ones.

Rooting cuttings

The resulting cuttings can be tried to root. To do this, the place of the cut is treated with coal, and then crushed with a tablet, in a month you will have roots. And after 14 days after the appearance of the roots, you can plant in open ground.

You will already need a support for flowers. Rods are suitable for this, they are needed so that the plants hold well and do not break. You will need 3 two-meter-high rods to tie 1 delphinium bush. For ties, it is best to use shreds of fabric. The next garter plants when they reach a meter height.

New Zealand delphiniums are very fond of water. When the plant is actively growing, it consumes more than 50 liters of water. Where the climate is warm, in hot weather, flowers are watered once a week. One flower requires about 3 liters of water. Flowers are very fond of when they have fluffy ground, so after watering, you need to loosen the ground around the bush, deepening by about 5 cm.

When flowers bloom they need more water and fertilizing. Phosphate-potassium fertilizers are ideal in a ratio of 20 g of the substance per bucket of water. One bush needs 1 liter of fertilizer. Thanks to this procedure, you will get very beautiful flowers and maximize long flowering.

The biggest concern for New Zealand hybrid delphiniums is proper care behind them. However, no matter how hard you try, plants sometimes get sick and pests can start on them, and then you need to act very quickly.

• powdery mildew

It's gray white coating, and the leaves themselves become brown-brown.
Treatment: spray with a 0.5% solution of Bordeaux liquid, foundationazole or Topaz.

• Fusarium or stem wilt

Brown watery spots appear and soon the plant dies.
Treatment: affected shoots are cut off and thrown away, but it is better to burn.

• black spots

Cover the flower from top to bottom along the stem. You can treat only in a non-running state.
Treatment: 1 tab. tetracycline is dissolved in 1 liter of water. And spray the plant, repeat until it is completely cured.

• ring spot

The leaves are starting to turn yellow. Treatment is useless, only the destruction of damaged processes. For prevention, you can treat with actellik or karbofos.

• Delphinium fly (phorbia)

A very dangerous insect for the New Zealand delphinium, which lays its eggs on the flower, and when they hatch, they begin to eat the flower.
Treated with insecticides. It is also useful to add dry mustard, wood ash and ground pepper.

• Slugs

Slugs eat young plants, and during the night they can destroy all seedlings. We put lime next to the plant, it will scare them away. You can set traps for slugs. Spread the cabbage leaves, and in the morning collect and throw out or destroy the creeping slugs.

The aphid loves delphinium leaves very much. Prevention should be carried out in the spring - sprayed with tobacco or treated with laundry soap.

After the flower has faded, you need to cut off all the inflorescences, of course, if you do not need seeds. After pruning, new shoots will begin to grow. If everything is done correctly, they will bloom again closer to autumn.

In the period between flowering, it is possible to carry out the division of bushes of 3-4 years of age. To begin with, the bush is dug up and carefully, without affecting the kidneys, we divide it into parts with a sharp knife. The places where we cut need to be processed wood ash. And plant them separately. And after the flowers of the hybrids wither again, when their leaves dry up, you need to cut all the stems at a level of 30 cm, and the sections of the stems are covered with clay, these procedures will protect the roots from decay.

Cut to 30 cm from the ground.
New Zealand delphiniums are very hardy, regardless of age. Before winter, they are covered with straw or spruce branches.

Plant them in the background. The delphinium looks elegantly along walls and fences, which gives it additional protection from the wind. Looks very good if made from delphinium hedge or disguise an ugly barn with it.

It is very convenient to use these flowers for making bouquets, they can stand cut from 5-10 days. If you change the water daily and trim them, they will last much longer.

A flower bed can be made from them single landings, and you can do from them the background for a flower bed. They look picturesque with a rose, a lily or a beautiful yucca.

The New Zealand delphinium is familiar to almost all gardeners. This plant is striking in its beauty and luxury. The flower is often used in landscape design. With its help, flower beds are made, decorative flowerpots are made. The article will tell about what a culture is, what types and varieties of it are most common, and how to grow a New Zealand delphinium.

The New Zealand delphinium is distinguished by high shoots and large inflorescences that cover almost the entire stem. The diameter of the opened bud is 9-10 centimeters. The brush can reach a height of 70 centimeters. Flowers are simple, double and semi-double. It all depends on the cultivar. The classic look has 5 petals. There is a spur on the top petal. Because of what the plant is often called spur. There are pink, white, violet, red, cornflower blue and purple specimens. There are also varieties of black, burgundy and brown tone. The middle is usually white, black or striped. The bud is green in color. But after full disclosure, it changes color. A faint greenish stripe is visible in the middle.

The height of the bush is about 2 meters. The bottom of the culture is abundantly covered with greenery. The foliage is dissected, painted in a bright green tone. In one place, the perennial delphinium grows from 5 to 8 years. The bush blooms at the end of June and pleases with its attractiveness until the beginning of August. After cutting off faded brushes, re-flowering is observed, which begins in August or September.

AT wild nature you can meet the New Zealand terry delphinium in America and Europe. The culture is widespread in Africa and Asia. The plant quickly adapts to any conditions. The main thing is that the climate is relatively warm and the soil is light. So it is realistic to grow this crop in almost all regions of the country.

Crop varieties and their characteristics

Today, thanks to the work of breeders on the shelves of flower shops are presented different varieties delphinium. So you can easily choose the most suitable variety for decoration. personal plot, winter garden or greenhouses. There are many types of this culture.
The most common hybrids of New Zealand delphiniums, which are distinguished by larger inflorescences. Hybrid forms are often chosen for growing not only professional gardeners, as well as newcomers.

Delphinium New Zealand giant is considered the standard of quality. After all, it has the following characteristics:

1. High frost resistance.
2. Long flowering.
3. Unpretentiousness in content.
4. Decorative.
5. Durability. At good care the flower will delight with its beauty for about 10 years.
6. Having immunity to many diseases.
7. The ability to use when creating bouquet compositions.

When choosing a spur variety, it makes sense for a beginner to pay attention to the following varieties:

But professional flower growers most often choose such varieties of New Zealand delphiniums as Sunny Skies (pale blue bud with a lilac tint), Royal Aspirations (cornflower blue color), Deep Sweethearts (dark pink flowers with a bright white or striped eye). The multi-colored Morning Lights, snow-white Green Twist and lilac Misty Mauves are also popular.

How to grow a New Zealand delphinium in a summer cottage?

To on garden plot the delphinium plant flaunted, it must be properly planted and taken care of in a certain way. It is important to understand how a flower reproduces, when to sow delphiniums for seedlings, what conditions to create for good growth. Beginners, due to lack of knowledge and experience, sometimes have difficulty growing spurs.

Flower propagation methods

Such luxury flower, like the delphinium, is unpretentious. Tolerates seasonal frosts systematic care does not require. Does not need shelter for the winter. It is propagated by dividing the bush. The event takes place in the spring. The bush is divided into parts, each of which should have a pair of healthy branches. The cut parts are immediately planted in a permanent place of growth. But this method is rarely used by gardeners. Much more popular is the method of growing from seeds. You can buy seed in any specialized store.

Sowing delphinium for seedlings

New Zealand delphiniums amaze with their beauty and unusualness. The plant looks like a giant, as it reaches a height of 2 m. A powerful stem is covered with large double flowers of various colors. Due to durability and decorative qualities significantly different from other delphinium varieties.

Out of 2 m in height, the brush has a length of 65-70 cm. An opened bud in diameter reaches 11 cm. Depending on the variety, the flowers are ordinary, double and semi-double. The bottom of the delphinium is abundantly covered with greenery. Dissected leaves are colored in saturated green color. In the same place, the delphinium can grow from 6 to 9 years.

Flowering begins at the end of June and continues until mid-August. During this period, faded brushes are cut off. Thus, they stimulate the re-blooming of the New Zealand delphinium.

Culture varieties

New Zealand delphiniums are considered the most popular, as they have many perennial varieties:

1. Peak lady. The plant is valued for its large velvety flowers of black and crimson hue. Due to the strong corrugation, they look elegant and gentle at the same time.
2. Giant Lime. Unlike other representatives of the New Zealand group, Lime grows up to 2.5 m in height. The flowers are fully double with a yellow-green stripe in the middle. It does not require special care.
3. Azure. The flowers of the plant are colored blue tones. It is considered a favorite variety because it blooms twice a season.
4. Dusky Maiden. Delphinium is tall. The flowers are delicate, large in diameter and painted in pink. The buds have a brown or black eye.
5. The bride's bouquet. A plant with super-double flowers that look good on lush greenery.

Varieties of the New Zealand delphinium are represented by plants with a height of 1 to 2.5 m. All have large double and voluminous flowers. Some bloom twice a season.

Plant propagation methods

The successful growth of a delphinium on a land plot depends on the method of planting and care. The gardener must know such points as the time of sowing seeds, growth conditions, watering and more. Growing is not such a complicated procedure, if you give it time.

How to grow a flower in a summer cottage?

Despite the luxury and sophistication, the flower is unpretentious. Able to endure winter frosts without needing shelter. The breeding method is the division of the bush, which is carried out in the spring. The parts into which the plant is divided should have 2-3 healthy branches.

Dividing the bush is not the most popular method of propagation. Most often, flower growers resort to planting seeds. Moreover, the material is harvested at home, if there is an opportunity and desire.

Seed preparation and processing

Before planting in the soil, a disinfection procedure must be carried out. Seeds are distributed over gauze and dipped in a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. This is followed by the washing process. planting material in clean water. After soaking in "Epin" they are dried.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

A small container is filled with soil, slightly trampling it down. After the seeds are distributed over the surface, they are covered with soil by 3-4 cm. The soil is sprayed warm water, and the container is covered with a black film. In the dark, the seeds will sprout faster and they can be transplanted.

Soil preparation

The soil is a mixture of compost, peat, earth and sand. Perlite added to the soil makes it loose. To 10 parts of soil, one part of the substance is taken. Before falling asleep in containers, the soil is heated in the oven in order to destroy weed seeds and fungal spores.

Transplanting seedlings to a permanent place

To determine if it is time to plant a plant in a permanent place, inspect the root. It should wrap around the entire earthen clod in a pot.

The sprouts are easily removed from the container, while the roots remain safe and sound.

Further flower care

After transplanting to a permanent place, they begin to care for the flower.

Rules for watering and feeding

The giant needs regular hydration. It is not necessary to water the plant too often and abundantly, as a black leg can attack the plantings, and then they will die. Watering should be moderate.

As soon as the plant reaches a height of 15 cm, the first feeding is carried out.

Manure is diluted with water, the plant is watered, after which the soil is loosened and weeds are removed.

pruning

Thinning is subject to delphiniums that have reached 25 cm in height. The purpose of the procedure is to obtain larger inflorescences with an intense color. On average, no more than 5 branches are left on one bush. Pruning promotes air circulation, increasing the giant's resistance to plant diseases.

Thin and weak stems near the soil surface are subject to pruning. The cut is processed with an activated carbon tablet, ground into powder. If a heel remains on the cut branches, they are rooted.

Methods for controlling diseases and pests

In the middle of summer, the delphinium is affected by powdery mildew. If urgent measures are not taken, the aerial part will die in a few days. The giant is treated with Topaz or Fundazol.

Gardeners have to treat the plant for black spot. For this, a Tetracycline tablet is diluted in 1 liter of water. The solution is sprayed with hibiscus. Instances in the unopened form of the disease are amenable to treatment.

cultivation new zealand delphinium- a difficult occupation that requires certain knowledge and minimal experience. If the process is approached with great responsibility, even a beginner will be pleased with the plant with large and beautiful flowers. Creating optimal conditions of detention and care will do their job.

Delphinium (larkspur or spur) is a herbaceous ornamental flowering plant belonging to the Buttercup family. To date, there are over 400 varieties of delphinium. It can be annual and perennial plants. Homeland of growth - Southeast Asia, China and the tropical zone of Africa. The most famous for their originality and beauty are the New Zealand delphiniums, the fashion for growing which has come down to our flower growers.

A little about the biology of delphiniums

Growing a New Zealand delphinium is a painstaking process that requires patience and effort. The selection of a site for landing must be approached with full responsibility. The place for planting this plant should be well lit, without winds, drafts and stagnant water. New Zealand delphiniums can grow in one place up to 5-6 years. After this period, the bushes are divided and seated separately.

The most unpleasant disease of the delphinium is powdery mildew. In the fight against it, they use chemicals. Having rendered this unusual flower proper care and attention, you can achieve repeated flowering. The first period of release of flower buds begins in June, the second, less long - at the end of summer and early autumn.

The first hybrids of this garden pet were obtained by crossing perennial plants. The most popular and beautiful are delphiniums of Scottish, New Zealand and Marfin selection.

Where to buy New Zealand delphinium seeds?

Considering that the cost of seeds of these hybrids is very high, it became expedient to arrange a joint venture, which stands for Joint Purchase. To date, there are several active forums dealing with the organization of the JV from New Zealand. Thus, it is possible to purchase seeds from Terry Dowdeswell, who managed to establish the production of these hybrids. This is very convenient today for many flower growers who want to grow beautiful and unusual flowers on their site, while the cost of purchasing planting material will be much lower.

The most popular and beautiful are the newly bred varieties of delphiniums from this distant country. These are tall plants reaching two meters in height. They produce large double and semi-double flowers up to 8-9 cm in diameter. Some species have corrugated flowers.

One of the most colorful plants of this group is the New Zealand Giant Delphinium.

All hybrids of this group are characterized by frost resistance, durability, resistance to various diseases. Their landing is made for a further cut. This business is profitable for those who sell flowers. You can look at the catalog of all varieties of New Zealand delphiniums on the website of Galina Nikitina, where a joint venture for the purchase of seeds is also held. The joint venture will reduce the cost of the desired product.

How to grow a delphinium from seeds?

cultivation perennial delphinium from seeds is not only exciting, but also profitable. After all, the seeds for planting this plant are not cheap. In addition, the New Zealand delphinium can be propagated not only with the help of seeds, but also with cuttings, dividing the bush and buds.

Planting with seeds is the most reliable and effective method. It is worth remembering that it is not recommended to store seeds in a warm room, their germination is lost. Freshly harvested seeds are sown immediately, or sent for storage in the refrigerator.

Seed preparation

Before disembarkation, they undergo a disinfection procedure. They are placed in gauze, then dipped in a highly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. Some growers use a fungicidal solution. Then the seeds right in the gauze should be washed under running water. The next step will be their soaking in Epin's solution (2 drops of the substance are diluted with 1 liter of water). After that, the seeds are dried, preventing them from sticking together.

Soil preparation

Next, you need to prepare a soil mixture of garden soil, peat and compost one part at a time, adding half a part of coarse sand. In order to make the earth looser and more moisture-intensive, you need to add perlite. For ten liters of soil, one glass of the substance is added. To destroy weed seeds and fungal spores, the soil mixture is heated in a water bath for 40-50 minutes.

Sowing

Landing of the delphinium is carried out in small containers, which are filled with soil, slightly trampling down. Seeds are planted superficially. In order not to get confused, where is which variety, each container with seedlings must be signed with the date of sowing. So that the seeds do not float to the surface during the first moistening, they are sprinkled thin layer soil 3-4 mm. Immediately after sowing, the seeds are sprayed with boiled water at room temperature. Since the germination of seeds in the dark increases, the seedlings are covered first with a transparent container, then with black polyethylene.

Crop care

To speed up germination, seed containers are exposed closer to sunlight.

The subsequent care of crops is to ensure a stable temperature regime within 10-15 degrees. You can increase germination by placing a container with seedlings in the refrigerator for several days. Plants quite successfully tolerate a drop in temperature to -5 degrees. After 1-2 weeks, the planted hybrids are again put on sunny place. Thanks to this stratification, after 2 weeks the first shoots will appear. It is very important not to miss this moment and immediately remove the film.

Seedling Care

Further care for seedlings consists in regular spraying and airing. As soon as the seedlings get stronger, and several leaves appear on it, they are planted in separate pots with a volume of three hundred milliliters.

The temperature of the plant should be within 20 degrees. At the same time, the earth should be light, breathable and loose.

Watering hybrids should be moderate and regular. An excess of moisture can lead to the appearance of the "black leg" disease, from which all plantings can die. Optimize your pet care to prevent this from happening.

In May, the seedlings gradually adapt to fresh air and sunlight.

Delphinium fertilizer is carried out twice until planting in open ground. The break between feedings is two weeks. Agricola or Mortar are used as dressings.

Landing on a permanent place and caring for plants

Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out after root system plants will be completely entwined with an earthen ball. Seedlings are easily removed from landing capacity without damage to the roots.

After the plants reach 15 cm in height, the first feeding is carried out in the open field. One bucket of manure is diluted with 10 buckets of water. Ready solution you can water five bushes. Then loosening of the earth is carried out with the removal of weeds. After that, the ground around the plants is mulched with a small layer of peat.

Thinning bushes

When the plants reach 25-30 cm, they are thinned out. This procedure is carried out in order to obtain larger and more beautiful inflorescences. No more than 4-5 shoots should remain on one bush. In addition, thinning improves air circulation and increases plant resistance to various diseases.

In the process of thinning, stronger and healthier stems are left, thin and weak ones are cut off near the ground. By the way, you can try to root cut cuttings with a heel. The cut sites are treated with charcoal, then with a powdered heteroauxin tablet. The treated shoots are dipped in a mixture of sand and peat, then covered with polyethylene. If everything is done correctly, in a month the shoots should take root. 14 days after rooting, they are planted in open ground. This cultivation delphinium occurs with the help of cuttings.

Tie to supports

As soon as the plants reach half a meter in height, they will need to build a support. Two-meter-high rods are dug in next to the bushes. Near each plant should be 3 rods. Then the hybrids are tied to the constructed support with patches. The next garter is carried out when the plants reach a height of 1 m.

Care during the flowering period

New Zealand delphiniums, like other varieties, are very fond of moisture. During the period active growth one plant can “drink” over 50 liters of water. In regions with a warm climate and hot summers, flowers are watered once a week, pouring 3 liters of water under one bush. After each watering, a procedure for loosening the soil around the bush with a depth of up to five centimeters follows.

Delphinium requires special care during the release of flower buds. At the moment, the plant is abundantly watered and fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (20 g of the substance is diluted with a bucket of water). 1 liter of the finished solution is applied to one bush. Such measures will achieve a beautiful and abundant flowering. Therefore, timely care is important here, which will achieve maximum decorative effect.

Diseases of the New Zealand delphiniums

Delphiniums can be affected by powdery mildew. Most often this happens in the middle of summer. Signs of this fungal disease is a white coating that turns brown over time. Measures must be taken immediately, otherwise the entire terrestrial part of the plants will die in a short time. To do this, the hybrids are sprayed with foundationazole or Topaz.

The appearance of black spotting is evidenced by black spots spreading from bottom to top along the stem of the flower. It is possible to cure affected instances only in an unstarted form. One tablet of tetracycline is diluted in 1 liter of water. The finished solution is carried out by repeated spraying of damaged plants.

With the appearance of ring spotting, the leaves of the delphinium turn yellow. In this case, the fight viral disease useless. Affected specimens are destroyed. The carrier of this disease is aphids. For preventive purposes, plantings are sprayed with actellik or karbofos.

Pests

A particularly dangerous insect that lays eggs in flower buds plants, delphinium fly, and also slugs.

To kill the fly, the flowers are treated with insecticidal preparations. To get rid of slugs, plants expose containers with bleach, which repels them.

Care after flowering

After the end of the flowering period, the inflorescences are to be cut. Seeds are also collected at this time. After cutting, new stems will appear on the bushes. Closer to autumn, the delphiniums will bloom again if they are given the right care.

Between flowering, the division of bushes of 3-4 years of age is carried out. The bush is carefully dug up and divided into parts so as not to affect the growth buds. For this you need to take sharp knife. Places of cuts are treated with wood powder. Delenki are seated separately. This cultivation of delphiniums also refers to the vegetative method.

After the hybrids fade and their leaves dry out, the stems are cut, leaving 30 cm above ground level. Sections are recommended to cover with clay. This will prevent water from entering through the hole to the root system in autumn-winter period, which is fraught with rotting of the roots.

Wintering New Zealand delphiniums

Regardless of age, all New Zealand delphiniums are hardy. In winter with little snow, plants are covered with straw or spruce branches. These flowers are very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, which can lead to their death. This can be avoided by filling the bottom of the hole in the process of planting half a bucket of sand.

Growing delphiniums with the help of seeds is a troublesome business, but worth it. Moreover, there will be no problems with the purchase of seeds, thanks to the current joint venture system. Create optimal conditions and give the plants proper care, as a reward you will receive amazing beauty that you can admire in summer and autumn.