New Zealand Delphinium (29 Photos): Planting A Perennial Delphinium And Caring For The Plant, Sowing The Giant Delphinium, Especially The Varieties

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 05:33

Many gardeners have heard of the New Zealand delphinium. The flower is striking in size and spectacular appearance. The culture is used to decorate flower beds, fill decorative flowerpots, dilute dense greenery of shrubs with the tenderness of large flowers.

Description

Delphinium is a strong, straight stem covered with numerous flowers. The New Zealand species differs from others in its solid height (up to two meters) and large inflorescences. The variety is perennial.

The cone-shaped part of the plant, densely decorated with flowers, can reach 70 cm. The lower part of the crop is covered with greenery. The leaves are pointed, juicy green in color.

Each flower can reach as much as 9 cm in diameter, consists of numerous petals arranged in 4-6 rows. Flowers can be double or semi-double. Sometimes their number can go up to 20.

Unblown buds have a greenish tint. Then it changes to another. The flowering phase delights the gardener with amazing colors . Depending on the variety, the petals can be purple, light and dark pink, sky blue, white, crimson, and so on. Usually the color is monochromatic, but there are also two-tone options. For example, a combination of blue and white or lilac with cornflower blue looks spectacular.

Flowers appear in the last days of June. The flowering period is about a month . The elimination of dead buds stimulates a second wave starting at the end of summer . In addition to the spectacular appearance, the advantage of all "New Zealanders" is resistance to cold and disease.

Varieties

New Zealand flowers are hybrids. This group consists of different varieties, which allows the gardener to choose any one according to his taste. Let's take a look at some of the popular options.

Dusky maidens

This variety is distinguished by large double flowers of a dusty pink hue. Each flower has a dark center, which makes the plant even more spectacular . The diameter of the flowers is about 7 cm. The culture grows up to 180 cm. The foliage is dense. The inflorescences are dense, reaching 80 cm in size.

The Queen of Spades

This super-large delphinium from the "Giant" series boasts strong peduncles and huge flowers (about 8 cm). The color is lilac with a pinkish tint. The eyes are light. The plant reaches 2 meters in height. The culture begins to bloom in the year of sowing.

New Zealand dwarf

This is a mixture that allows you to grow a whole collection of multi-colored delphiniums from one bag of seeds. Blue, crimson, pink, blue double flowers 3-7 cm in size will decorate any garden. As the name implies, the plant has a small height (50-70 cm). However, this does not prevent him from being extremely attractive. The foliage is dense, dark green. Flowering occurs in the second year after sowing.

Lime

This species got its name for a reason. White lush flowers with an olive center, indeed, resemble the fruit of the same name in color. Tall variety (up to 200 cm). It grows and develops quickly, not picky about care.

The bride's bouquet

This hybrid has a purple-pink color. Giant double flowers captivate with their tenderness and evoke romantic associations. You don't have to wait long for flowering it happens in the first year . The height of the plant is about two meters.

Azure

A charming two-meter flower of a sky-blue shade will take its rightful place in any garden. The diameter of the opened bud is about 8 centimeters. The greens are dark, lush. A very beautiful variety.

Purple Flame

Expressive purple with blue color creates the feeling that the flower shimmers in the rays of the sun. Crimped petals enhance the effect. The plant grows up to two meters, develops rapidly, blooms immediately.

White knight

It is impossible not to include a variety with snow-white flowers in the review. Super-double huge flowers resemble a light fluffy cloud. The growth of the culture is 200 cm. The foliage has a rich green tone.

Landing

The most reliable method of propagating a crop is using seeds. It is recommended to keep the seed in the refrigerator before sowing. Sowing is usually done in spring - at the end of March . In this case, the seedlings are grown at home. It is permissible to sow seeds directly on the site , this procedure is carried out in July or autumn.

It is better to disinfect self-collected seeds by soaking in a solution of potassium permanganate. Then they are washed in water and dried. Purchased seeds do not need processing.

The soil must be sterile, moist, breathable . It could be light soil from the store. A mixture of peat, garden soil and humus is also suitable (it needs to be ignited). Seeds are laid out on the surface (2 pieces per 1 sq. Cm). Then they are sprinkled with a thin layer of vermiculite (0.3-0.5 cm).

After that, it is irrigated with warm boiled water. The plantings are covered and placed in a cool place. The recommended temperature is 10-15 degrees Celsius. To improve germination, you can place future plants in the refrigerator for a week . Then the planting is carried out to a warm and lighted place.

Seedlings appear in 2-3 weeks at + 18.21 ° С. The critical maximum is + 25 ° С . Seedlings should be ventilated and moistened in a timely manner (by spraying). After 6-8 weeks, the seedlings will get stronger. When the first leaves are visible (several on each plant), the seedlings dive.

Individual containers should be small (maximum 300 milliliters). Young plants need moderate watering, gradual hardening. In May, they begin to accustom them to outdoor conditions, briefly taking them out into the fresh air.

Flowers are placed in open ground in late May - early June. During this period, the root system is already developed, and the plant is easily removed from the container. Should be observed the distance between specimens is 0.5-0.8 m . Before planting in the garden, the plants are fed.

Delphinium seedlings prefer loose, nutritious soils with humus, in which moisture does not stagnate. It is desirable that the composition of the soil is similar to that in which the seeds germinated. If you cannot fully prepare the soil, you should at least add a complex mineral fertilizer to it.

The site must be sunny, light shade is possible. It is advisable to choose a place protected from strong gusts of wind.

Care

When the shoots reach 15 cm, top dressing is done. Use complex mineral preparations . Fit and liquid organic fertilizers.

At a height of 25 cm, the flowers are thinned out. 5 shoots should be left on each plant . This allows for larger buds. It also provides high-quality air circulation and strengthens the immune system.

When the flowers become half a meter, it is advisable to tie them up. As a support, you can take the rods by digging them in side by side. One support element is not enough. Each plant should be supported by 3 of these. Fix them with strips of fabric. Next time, the "New Zealanders" are tied up at the level of a meter height.

Watering is carried out once a week . Each instance has 3 liters of water. After irrigating the soil, it is loosened next to the plant to a depth of about 5 cm.

The budding period for the culture is very important. At this time, it is necessary not only to water the plant abundantly (but in moderation). And it is also necessary to enrich the soil phosphorus-potassium preparations (this is the second feeding). Take 20 g of fertilizer per bucket of water . The resulting solution is watered with flowers, allocating 1 liter to each copy. This ensures a lush, beautiful bloom.

The third top dressing occurs at the end of flowering. This period is most suitable for collecting seed. Use drugs with potassium and phosphorus . Withered buds are cut off. And you should also slightly reduce watering.

Sheared plants give new shoots. At the end of summer, they will again delight the gardener with luxurious flowers. During this period, the amount of moisture entering the soil increases again.

In the period between the first and second waves of flowering, a reproduction procedure can be carried out. Here they use the method of dividing the bush . This allows you to get new specimens and rejuvenate donor plants.

Only 3 year old and older flowers are used. They are carefully dug up and divided into parts. In doing so, it is important not to damage the kidneys. Places of cuts are treated with wood powder. Future flowers are planted in the ground. Rejuvenation is carried out every 3 years.

At the end of autumn, the stems of the hybrids are cut almost to the root. It is recommended to leave about 25 cm . In order to preserve the health of the flowers, the places of the cuts are covered with clay. You can use a putty designed for garden work.

Usually the culture tolerates cold weather. Therefore, it is not necessary to build a winter shelter. However, if you are in the northern region, you can play it safe. Just cover the plants with spruce branches.

It should be noted that despite the external tenderness and beauty, the New Zealand delphinium can be called poisonous. Therefore, it is important to observe safety measures: every time you touch the culture, you should wash your hands thoroughly.

Diseases and pests

Very often the flowers get sick with powdery mildew. The disease is fungal in nature. The symptom is a light coating, which then turns brown. It is important to regularly carefully examine the culture and take action at the first alarm signals. Treatment consists in spraying with "Fundazol", "Topaz" is also effective.

If the gardener noticed black spots on the stems going up from the bottom, then we can conclude about another common disease - this is how black spot appears. In the initial stages, treatment is successful. Damaged plants are sprayed with tetracycline solution. Take 1 tablet for 1 liter of water.

Sometimes the culture is attacked by insects. Slug and Delphinium Fly Fighting using insecticides . The first are also scared off by bleach (containers with it are placed next to the flowers).

Aphids can be a carrier of a dangerous virus. When the culture is damaged, annular spotting appears. The foliage turns yellow and falls off. If such a nuisance occurs, it will not be possible to cope with it. To prevent damage to other plants, the infected specimens are destroyed.

For preventive purposes, the remaining hybrids are processed by Karbofos.