Annual delphinium - field, wild, large-flowered

Annual delphinium is a flower with a long stem. A large number of flowers grow on it. The color of the flowers is very diverse: purple, blue, pink, etc. The plant belongs to the Buttercup family. It has about 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.

Delphinium annual or field larkspur

Delphinium, or field larkspur, is used for medicinal purposes, as it has beneficial properties. It is found in fields, in weedy places and fallow lands.

What does a delphinium look like

The origin and appearance of annual plants

The flower got its name, possibly, for its resemblance to the body of a dolphin. The stem has a paniculate-branched appearance. The length of the plant is 15-50 cm. The leaves are dissected into narrow slices. Dissections can be double or triple. Flowers are irregular. The petals are colored blue, pink or white. The fruit is a leaflet bearing gray seeds. Flowering occurs from early summer to autumn.

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

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

Delphinium wild

Delphinium wild grows in the Northern Hemisphere and in the mountains of Africa. Most of the species originate from Southeast Asia. The stem is from 10 cm high. The inflorescences consist of 3-15 cm. Many varieties are melliferous.

Description of annual delphiniums

The annual species of this culture is a herb that can grow very quickly. The rhizome is short. Straight stems have an empty cavity inside. They grow up to 1 m. On the stem there are large pyramidal inflorescences. There are many flowers and they look like hyacinths. The leaves are located on pubescent stems. They are narrow-shaped, bluish or greenish in color.

Annual delphinium

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

Types and varieties of annual plants

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

Field delphinium

A tall bush that reaches a length of 1.5-2 m. Field delphinium has dense inflorescences.Their colors 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 are blue in color.

Ajax species is a short plant that grows up to 1 m in length. The leaves are tight and they are strongly dissected. The buds can be red, pink, purple, or white. Bloom in June before the first frost.

Field delphinium

Perennial species

Perennial species include:

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

Growing annual delphiniums

An annual plant propagates using seeds. There are some nuances in this process. During the storage period, the germination rate of seeds 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, correct sowing is necessary.

Growing from seeds

For an annual, growing from seeds is the only way to reproduce. Before planting, planting material must be prepared:

1. A strong solution of manganese or fungicide is prepared and the seed is soaked in it for half an hour.
2. They are then rinsed under tap water.
3. The seeds are soaked for a day in a growth stimulant solution.
4. The seeds are dried.

You also need to prepare the soil for the seeds. To do this, mix the following parts:

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

Seedlings appear in about 2-3 weeks at temperatures from +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 should be carried out as early as possible. The process begins in late January - early February.

Landing place

The plant thrives best in a sunny location. However, it is afraid of drafts. The land should be loose, drained and fertile. The best option is fertile sandstone and loam. The acidity should 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. The earth is compacted around them. Then they water and cover the seedlings with a plastic or glass jar. Further, they must be regularly ventilated and watered. After a week, the jars are removed, and the plant is fed. If necessary, tie it up.

Step-by-step planting process

The planting process includes the following steps:

1. The prepared soil is poured into seedling boxes and slightly compacted. The drainage must be of high quality so that it allows moisture to pass through well.
2. The seeds are placed on the surface of the ground and pressed lightly.
3. Top soil is poured with a thickness of no more than 3 mm.
4. The pulverizer is used to moisten the soil.
5. Crops are covered with a dark opaque film. Delphinium grows better in complete darkness.
6. For hardening crops, a 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. The containers 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. The room where the seedlings are located should be at a temperature of +16, +20 ° C. When 3-4 leaves appear, the seedlings dive.

Watering mode

Watering should be moderate. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, but at the same time moisture stagnation is unacceptable. Excessive moisture can provoke diseases such as 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. For this, the boxes are taken out onto the balcony or placed on the windowsill.

Delphinium-like flowers

The delphinium has spike-shaped inflorescences. They are tall and come in various shades. There are other similar flowers similar to the delphinium. The main similarity lies in the tall peduncles on which there are numerous flowers. The buds come in various shapes and sizes.

Delphinium-like flowers:

• Levkoy: herbaceous plant. Its height is from 20 to 80 cm. Stems are smooth with pile. At the top of the stem grow double flowers, white, pink, purple.
• Lupine: A perennial herb. Peduncles are straight, growing up to 1 meter in length.
• Physostegia: A perennial native to North America. The flowers are white, milky, lilac or pink. Inflorescences reach 30 cm.
• Ixia: A 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 pollen-complex shape, and in delphinium, they are far-sighted;
• inflorescences form a branched brush in delphinium, and in lupine - whorled.

What does lupine look like?

Delphinium New Zealand

Delphinium New Zealand 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 cone-shaped. It is densely covered with flowers. Leaves are located at the bottom of the plant. The leaf plates are pointed, rich green color.

The flowers reach 9 cm in diameter. The petals are arranged in 4-6 rows. Flowers are double and semi-double. Some varieties may have up to 20 of them.

The buds that have not blossomed are green. The colors are very diverse: purple, pink, blue and white. As a rule, the color has one tone, however, there are two-tone species. Blue and white looks very nice.

Flowering begins in late June. Flowers delight for one month. This species is resistant to cold weather and disease.

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

• Dusky maidens: large double 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: flowers are purple, pink, lilac and blue, up to 9 cm in diameter.
• The Queen of Spades: this delphinium from the Giant series. Peduncles and flowers are very large.They reach about 8 cm in diameter. The flowers are purple with a pinkish tinge. Plant length 2 m.
• Green twist: length 140-160 cm. It has white double flowers. The uniqueness of the variety lies in the fact that there are pale yellow strokes on the petals, 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, crimson, pink and light blue. Their diameter is 3-7 cm. Height is 50-70 cm. The foliage has a dark green tint.
• Lime: lush white flowers. In the center, they have an olive shade. The variety grows up to 200 cm in length. It grows very quickly.
• The bride's bouquet: has a purple-pink color. The flowers are giant and double. They are pale pink in color. Plant height reaches 2 meters.
• Azure: the flower reaches two meters in length. The flowers are blue. The diameter of the buds is 8 cm. The greenery grows luxuriantly.
• Purple Flame: Has a purple color with a blue tint. The flowers are corrugated. Grows up to 2 meters.
• White knight: double flowers, pale white, length - 200 cm, bright green foliage.

Delphinium Astolat

Delphinium astolat belongs to the Pacific species. The height reaches 15 cm. The diameter of the double flowers is 5 cm. It blooms with lilac-pink flowers. Has high frost resistance. Flowering occurs from June to July. When pruning faded flowers, it is possible to re-bloom by autumn.

What does delphinium astolat look like?

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