Annual delphinium - field, wild, large-flowered

Annual Delphinium - a flower having a long stem. A large number of flowers grow on it. The color of the flowers is the most diverse: purple, blue, pink, etc. The plant belongs to the Lyutikov family. It has approximately 400 varieties. Delphiniums are annual and perennial. Florists love them for their bright and lush flowering and are often used to decorate the garden. If you follow the rules of care, then the plant begins to bloom in the summer from the end of June for one month.

Annual delphinium or field wildlife

Delphinium, or field larkspur, is used for medicinal purposes, as it has useful properties. It is found in the fields, in weeds and stale lands.

What does the delphinium look like?

The origin and appearance of annual plants

The name of the flower received, perhaps, for its similarity with the body of a dolphin. The stem has a paniculate-branched appearance. The length of the plant is 15-50 cm. The leaves have dissections into narrow segments. Dissections can be double or triple. Flowers are irregular in shape. Petals are painted in blue, pink or white. The fruit is a leaflet with gray seeds. Flowering occurs from early summer to autumn.

In Russia, distributed in the steppe and forest-steppe zones: Kazakhstan, Siberia and the Urals, in the Crimea. The delphinium in Kerch is especially widespread. It is grown as ornamental plants in squares and gardens.

Delphinium is a poisonous plant. It contains poisonous elatin, edeldeen, etc. They strike in three directions: nervous, digestive and cardiac systems. Some herbivores cannot avoid meeting the plant and they die.

Wild delphinium

Wild delphinium grows in the Northern Hemisphere and in the mountains of Africa. Most species come from Southeast Asia. The stem is 10 cm high. Inflorescences consist of 3-15 cm. Many varieties are melliferous.

Description of annual delphiniums

The annual species of this crop is a herbaceous plant that can grow very quickly. The rhizome is short. Straight stems have an empty cavity inside. They grow to 1 m. On the stem are large inflorescences in a pyramidal shape. There are many flowers and they are like hyacinths. Leaves are located on pubescent stems. They are narrow in shape of a bluish or greenish color.

Annual delphinium

Flowers in diameter grow up to 3-5 cm. The sepals have a bright color: pink, lilac, yellow, red and white. There are 5 of them. They have the shape of an elongated oval. The one at the very top is longer than the others and has a curved shape similar to a spur. In this regard, the plant is also often called fern.

Types and varieties of annual plants

There are two main types of plants that are annuals: field delphinium and Ajax delphinium. These species have their own varieties.

Field delphinium

Tall bush, which reaches a length of 1.5-2 m. The field delphinium has dense inflorescences. Their color can be pink, blue, purple, red and white. The structure of the buds can be simple and terry.

Based on this species, the following varieties were obtained:

• frosted sky: flowers are small in size, their color is bright blue, and in the middle they are white;
• qis rose: inflorescences have a delicate pink color;
• qis dark blue: inflorescences have a blue color.

Ajax species is a low plant, which grows up to 1 m in length. The leaves sit tight and they are very dissected. The buds may be red, pink, purple or white. Bloom in June until the first frost.

Field delphinium

Perennial species

Among perennial species, one can distinguish:

• The delphinium is large-flowered: its height reaches 80 cm, the flowers are wide, have an average size. They are collected in racemose plants. The most popular variety is butterfly.
• Delphinium Pacific Black Night: grows up to 200 cm. Semi-double flowers with a diameter of 5-6 cm. Their color is dark purple.
• Delphinium Black Knight: perennial, tall. Is a new variety. Terry and semi-double buds. Their color may be black dark blue.
• Delphinium Galahad: height up to 120 cm, semi-double flowers of white color. The variety is also new;
• Medzhik: height is 100 cm, flowers are white-pink.
• The Scottish group has very beautiful terry buds. They come in various shades. There are approximately 60 petals. They can grow up to one and a half meters.

Growing annual dolphiniums

An annual plant is propagated using seeds. There are some nuances in this process. During storage, the seed germination rate drops. In this regard, it is worth planting them immediately after collection. It is also possible to store them in the refrigerator at low temperatures. For seedlings to sprout evenly, proper sowing is necessary.

Seed cultivation

For annuals, seed growth is the only way to propagate. Planting material before planting is required to prepare:

1. A strong solution of manganese or fungicide is prepared and the seed is soaked in it for half an hour.
2. Then they are washed under tap water.
3. Soak the seeds for a day in a solution of a growth stimulator.
4. The seeds are dried.

It is also required to prepare the soil for seeds. To do this, mix the following parts:

• garden land - 2 parts;
• peat - 1 part;
• sand - 1 part;
• humus - 2 parts;
• turf land - 1 part.

After mixing, the substrate is pierced in the oven at a temperature of +200 ° C for 15-20 minutes. This is done in order to disinfect the ground.

Shoots appear after about 2-3 weeks at a temperature of +18 ° C.

When to plant seeds for seedlings

The question arises when to plant an annual delphinium on seedlings when grown from seeds. Growing seedlings is slow, so the process must be carried out as soon as possible. The process begins in late January - early February.

Landing place

The plant feels best in a sunny place. However, it is afraid of drafts. The land must be loose, drained and fertile. The best option is fertile sandstone and loam. Acidity must be neutral. The soil must be well fertilized with humus or peat mixed with sand.

Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. Around them produce compaction of the earth. Then make watering and cover the seedlings with a plastic or glass jar. Then they must be regularly ventilated and watered. After a week, the banks are removed, and fertilizing is introduced into the plant. If necessary, tie it up.

Step-by-step landing process

The landing process includes the following steps:

1. Prepared soil is poured into seedling boxes and slightly compacted. The drainage must be of good quality so that it is well permeable to moisture.
2. Seeds are laid on the surface of the earth and slightly pressed.
3. Top soil with a thickness of not more than 3 mm.
4. Spraying produce moisture to the soil.
5. Crops are covered with a dark opaque film. Delphinium rises better in complete darkness.
6. To harden the crops, the container with them is placed in a cool place. The temperature can be from -15 to +15 ° C. In such conditions, crops are kept for two weeks.
7. Then the crops are placed in a cool and well-lit place.
8. When shoots appear, the film is removed.

Then the seedlings are dived. Tanks for each plant should be no more than 300 ml.

Delphinium seedlings

Care Rules

For seedlings to grow strong and healthy, they need proper care. In the room where the seedlings are located, the temperature should be +16, +20 ° C. When 3-4 leaves appear, seedlings are dived.

Watering mode

Watering should be moderate. The soil must not be allowed to dry out, but at the same time moisture stagnation is unacceptable. Excessive moisture can provoke diseases such as the black leg and various kinds of rot.

Top dressing

Seedlings are fed with mineral fertilizers after 4-5 weeks. Before planting flowers in open ground, they need to be hardened. To do this, the boxes are placed on the balcony or placed on the windowsill.

Delphinium-like flowers

The delphinium has spike-shaped inflorescences. They are tall and have different shades. There are other similar flowers similar to delphinium. The main similarity is in the high peduncles, on which numerous flowers are located. Buds have various shapes and sizes.

Delphinium-like flowers:

• Levkoy: a herbaceous plant. Its height is from 20 to 80 cm. The stems are smooth with a pile. Terry flowers of white, pink, and purple grow on the top of the stem.
• Lupine: perennial herb. Peduncles straight, growing in length up to 1 meter.
• Physostegia: perennial growing in North America. The flowers are white, dairy, purple or pink. Inflorescences reach 30 cm.
• Ixia: perennial from South America. The flowers are white, yellow, orange or pink.

Lupine and delphinium: what is the difference

What is the difference between lupine and delphinium:

• lupine belongs to the legume family, and delphinium belongs to buttercups;
• in lupine, the leaves have a dusty complex shape, and in delphinium, they are far-sighted;
• inflorescences form a branched brush in the delphinium, and in the lupine - whorled.

What does lupine look like?

New Zealand Delphinium

The New Zealand Delphinium has a strong and straight stem. It is densely covered with flowers. Its height reaches two meters, and the inflorescences are very large. The New Zealand species is a perennial.

The upper part is in the shape of a cone. It is densely covered with flowers. Bottom of the plant are the leaves. The leaf plates are pointed, saturated green.

In diameter, the flowers reach 9 cm. Petals are located in 4-6 rows. Flowers are double and semi-double. Some varieties may have up to 20 pieces.

Buds that have not blossomed have a green color. Colors come in many varieties: purple, pink, blue and white. As a rule, the color has one tone, however, two-tone species are found. It looks very beautiful blue with white.

Flowering begins in late June. Flowers delight for one month. This species is resistant to colds and diseases.

The New Zealand species is a hybrid. It includes various varieties. The most famous of them:

• Dusky maidens: large terry pink color. The flower has a dark center, which makes the flower unique. The diameter of the flowers is 7 cm. The length of the plant is 180 cm, the inflorescences are dense.
• Millennium: purple, pink, lilac and blue flowers, diameter up to 9 cm.
• The Queen of Spades: this is the Delphinium from the Giant series. Peduncles and flowers are very large. They reach a diameter of about 8 cm. The flowers are lilac with a pinkish tinge. The length of the plant is 2 m.
• Green twist: length 140-160 cm. Has double flowers white colors. The uniqueness of the variety lies in the fact that the petals have yellow pale strokes, and there is also a green eye in the center. It grows in any conditions, but requires regular watering.

Delphinium New Zealand

• New Zealand dwarf: small double flowers. They come in blue, raspberry, pink and blue. Their diameter is 3-7 cm. Height is 50-70 cm. Foliage has a dark green hue.
• Lime: lush white flowers. In the center they have an olive tint. The variety grows to 200 cm in length. It grows very fast.
• Bridal bouquet: has a purple-pink color. The flowers are gigantic and terry. They have a pale pink color. Plant height reaches 2 meters.
• Azure: the flower reaches two meters in length. Flowers have a blue color. The diameter of the buds is 8 cm. The greenery grows magnificent.
• Purple flame: has a purple color with a blue tint. Corrugated flowers. It grows to 2 meters.
• White knight: double flowers, pale white, length - 200 cm, foliage bright green.

Delphinium Astolat

Delphinium astolat belongs to the Pacific species. The height reaches 15 cm. The diameter of terry flowers is 5 cm. It blooms with lilac-pink flowers. It has high frost resistance. Flowering occurs from June to July. When pruning faded flowers, blooming is possible by fall.

What does dolphinium astolat look like?

Delphinium is an amazing flower that can be annual and perennial. There are various varieties of this plant. They vary in height, size, shape and color of flowers, which allows you to choose the right flower for almost any garden or site.