Aquilegia hybrid: features of varieties and tips for growing

Aquilegia hybrid has many names: catchment, columbina, eagle. It is a herbaceous perennial of the Buttercup family. The plant is attractive because of its inflorescences of the original shape and variety of flowers, as well as the openwork grass at the foot. In nature, there are about 120 species, and those that can be grown at home, only 35.

In the Middle Ages, the catchment was praised as a magical plant that protects against witchcraft and possesses mystical magic. He was often depicted in paintings, which meant the presence of the Holy Spirit, mentioned in the literature. In the wild, aquilegia can be seen in Siberia, Lake Baikal, the Far East and the Caucasus. It grows mainly in forest glades and meadows, on rocky slopes. In some regions, this flower is listed in the Red Book.

Columbina is a fairly tall plant with a good branched taproot, which goes 60 cm deep into the ground. The plant can reach a height of 1 meter. Erect, leafy stem branches strongly at the top. All the main foliage is located at the bottom of the pedicel and has the shape of a trefoil.

On one pedicel, which is a panicle, there can be up to 12 flowers. In some varieties, spurs are in the buds themselves, nectar accumulates in them. Flowering begins in the second year of plant growth in May or June and lasts a month. But for some varieties, it can last until late autumn.

Reproduction can be done in three ways.

• Seeds. When the flower has bloomed, many fruits with seeds ripen in it, in which black seeds ripen. After collecting them, you can sow seeds throughout the year, since they do not lose their germination capacity during this time. If you want to sow seeds right away, just moisten the soil and scatter the seeds, gently pressing into the soil. In the spring, after the snow melts, sprouts will appear. You can plant them in a flower bed. Growing from seed is considered the best for aquilegia.

• Division of the bush. Pick a plant that is over 2 years old. Start dividing in June or August. To do this, cut the entire ground part of the plant to 5 cm. Carefully dig out the bush without damaging the deepened root. Rinse it and divide it so that each split part has a piece from the central root with lateral shoots and a few new buds. Plant in a shaded area and water as it dries.

• Cutting is best done in early spring. Until the catchment does not let the leaves go, cut out the shoot with a piece of root, treat it with a special stimulant and plant it in the ground with sand. For a greenhouse effect and protection from drafts, cover the cutting with a jar. Do not shoot for 10 days. Then you can slightly open it for air. And after a month, the jar can be removed, since the root system has become stronger. The plant can be planted in a stationary growth site.

This flower is unpretentious to care for, resistant to drought and indifferent to regular watering. Abundant watering can provoke a decrease in flowering. Use a watering can to simulate rain as the soil dries. The elongated root will find moisture at depth.If you want the aquilegia to have large flowers, then by all means plant it in partial shade. If you decide to plant in the sun, then you will shorten the flowering period, and the flower will become small.

For this, humus or other organic and mineral additives are suitable. Watering with fertilizers must be carried out directly under the root, without affecting the leaves. Sprinkle fresh, fertile soil under each bush every year. The main requirements for good growth and flowering are frequent weeding and plowing of the land. These methods promote air access to the root system and disinfect the soil from pests.

If you do not want the stand of the catchment to thicken, do not allow self-seeding. Remove flowers after flowering. To collect the seeds, bandage the ripe fruits with gauze until they are completely dry. The optimal life of the bush is up to 5 years. After that, the flowering loses its large size, and the foliage will not be so saturated. The roots grow and protrude through the soil, so they can freeze in winter. To prevent this, in the fall it is necessary to sprinkle them with peat or leaves with soil. This will protect the root system from frost.

The catchment area has a special structure, so it does not tolerate transplanting well. The plant may die. But if it is still necessary, try to do it in early autumn, before the onset of frost, so that the root in the new place will adapt and get stronger.

The flower of this plant is depicted on the coat of arms of Colorado, since the birthplace of this plant is the USA. The flower is very branchy, reaches 70 cm in height, half a meter in width. Triple dissected leaves - large, have a green-gray tint. The inflorescence is medium in size, the diameter of the flower is about 6 cm. It begins to bloom in mid-summer and continues for about 40 days until frost. The shade of the flower is pale lilac. The plant is distinguished not only by long flowering, but also by increased frost resistance up to -40 degrees.

Derived hybrid from conventional aquilegia. It has very lush, velvety flowers. The variety of double shades: red-yellow, blue-white, lilac-white make this variety very popular. The height of the flowering bush reaches 60 cm. An unpretentious and frost-resistant species.

This species has dark green leaves and white-red flowers. Reaches a height of 50 cm. Flowering begins in mid-summer.

Spring Magic Rose and Ivory - this variety is popular in the decoration of lawns and flower beds. Planting in partial shade promotes the growth of large red-white flowers up to 5 cm in size. Easy maintenance consists in the constant hilling of the earth and in watering as the soil dries up. Fertilize preferably 2 times a year. Has a light aroma. Flowering begins in early summer. The frost-resistant plant reaches a small height of up to 30 cm. It is resistant to pests and fungal diseases.

This plant is considered decorative, therefore it is susceptible to some diseases and pest attacks. Powdery mildew and rust are among the most common diseases. Infection with spider mites, aphids, leaf miners is also possible. Powdery mildew can occur from lack of sun. Its symptoms are the appearance of white bloom on the leaves, after which they turn yellow and fall off. At the first sign, you can stop the disease by tearing off all infected leaves and providing access to the sun.

If brown spots appear on the leaves or curled leaves, immediately spray the plant with disinfectants. With excess moisture, the root can rot.If your plant is affected by gray mold, the first signs will be watery spots on the foliage. To do this, you can treat the flower with a manganese solution or any fungicide. The most dangerous can be the attack of caterpillars, they can eat the plant in just a couple of days. To do this, carry out preventive disinfection with foundation and periodically inspect the bush.

This plant has medicinal properties and is used in alternative medicine. It is a widely used herb for treatment in many countries. In oriental medicine, it is used to treat female diseases, cardiovascular ailments and bronchial asthma. In Tibetan medicine, the seeds and flowers of the catchment are believed to heal eye diseases, burns, and septic ailments. And the leaves help with pneumonia, jaundice and gastroenteritis. It is used as a sedative and diuretic.

Aquilegia will become an effective accent of any flower bed. The variety of colors will find approval from any gardener. Remember that the plant is poisonous, keep children away from it. Follow all the care measures, and then the catchment will become an exquisite decoration for your garden.

For interesting varieties of Aquilegia, see below.