The flowers of this plant are unusually sweet. Perhaps that is why it is so widespread, having been known for a long time as a catchment, or aquilegia. Growing from the seeds of these flowers is a fairly simple process. They are bred everywhere, in multiple plantings or on flower beds, or to create borders. The name "catchment" is given to them because they can store rainwater.
Aquilegia has other names, one of them is very beautiful: it was once called an elven slipper due to the peculiar shape of a flower. As a garden culture, flowers have been grown since the 13th century. Great importance was given to their landings when decorating English gardens.
If you look at the directory, then the flowers are characterized as perennial herbaceous plants from the ranunculus family. The genus has a little more than 100 species. Of these, about 30 grows in Russia. If you need an undemanding and capricious flower, then this is an aquilegia. Growing from seeds will allow you to plant a variety of varieties on the site.
What does Aquilegia look like and what does it like
This plant reaches a height of 0.6 to 1 meter. It has beautiful openwork leaves with a bluish-gray bloom and small, original-shaped flowers on long peduncles. Their colors can be different depending on the variety: blue, yellow, white, purple, almost black, pink. They can be terry or non-terry. The fruit is a pod containing a large number of small black seeds.
Aquilegia refers to winter-hardy plants. They grow better on moist, fertile soils and love top dressing and partial shade. In the summer they need to be fed twice. Under the bush, you need to pour fertile soil every year. On heavy soils, aquilegia grows worse. On too sunny places, the flowers fade.
Aquilegia seeding
How to grow aquilegia from seeds on your site? When do its seeds ripen? Usually the time of their ripening is August - early September. In this case, the pod dries and the seeds spill out onto the ground. Under good weather conditions, a new aquilegia can grow from them self-seeding.
Growing from varietal flower seeds is complicated by the fact that with close planting, various varieties of this plant can become dusty. Therefore, self-seeding in the cultivation of varietal aquilegia is undesirable. If you want to get pure varietal seeds, you do not need to allow close planting of different varieties, or you need to use ready-made seeds. If you want to sow your seeds, do not miss the time to ripen them.
Aquilegia seeds can be sown in spring and autumn. When sown in autumn, their germination is higher. Therefore, in the spring sowing, in order to better ascend aquilegia, its seeds must be stratified. To do this, they are placed in a refrigerator at a temperature of 5 to 7 degrees and kept there for a month. Scarification of seeds is also recommended. To do this, before sowing them carefully, trying not to damage the core of the seed, rub with sandpaper. Paper for this purpose must be taken fine.
During spring planting, seeds should be sown in March. The container for planting aquilegia should be deep enough, since it has a long rod root. The earth needs to be taken loose and fertile. Seeds do not need to be buried. They are scattered on the surface of the soil and slightly pressed into it. Then, everything is well sprayed with water and covered with glass or a transparent film. Light and warmth is what aquilegia loves. Growing from seeds should therefore be carried out in good light and at a temperature of at least 15 degrees. But direct sunlight should be avoided. When the seedlings emerge, the glass or film is removed.
When 2 leaves (real) appear, make a pick in separate pots. At the end of May, when frost has passed, plants can be planted on a bed for growing. For a permanent place, it is recommended to plant seedlings of aquilegia in August. Plants are placed at intervals of 20 to 40 cm, depending on the size of the bush of this variety.
During autumn planting, seeds are sown in late autumn directly to the bed, after digging and loosening the ground. The sowing place must be fenced, and for the winter cover with leaves or spruce branches so that the seeds do not freeze in adverse weather.
Aquilegia is quite unpretentious, so it is easy to grow it. I wish you success in this pleasant undertaking!