The lack of sea blue in the flower palette of any front garden can more than offset the flower planted there with the proud name "Delphinium". Despite the exotic name, the delphinium has a fairly complaisant temperament in order not to give its owner extra trouble: it can long grow in the same place without transplantation, actively and very beautifully blooms, does not require complex care, and most importantly - easily withstands even very frosty winter. We will talk about the rules of planting and caring for the delphinium today.
How to plant a delphinium?
We will make a reservation at once, that there are a lot of delphinium varieties, and some of them can have their own peculiarities at landing. But for most species of this plant, the conditions for a safe landing are as follows:
- Delphinium refers to quite light-loving plants, but at the same time, it can suffer from sunburn. Therefore, the place for its landing should be taken away in well-lit areas, which in the very heat are still in the shade. It should be remembered that in winter, the greatest danger to the delphinium is not frost (it easily withstands a drop in temperature to -40 degrees), and thaws, during which its roots can be pierced. Therefore, one more requirement for the selection of a site - the snow on it should be kept as long as possible.
- Soil delphinium prefers loose and fertile, with alkaline or slightly acidic pH. Achieving the level of acidity required by the delphinium can be achieved by applying peat, humus or compost to the soil. If the soil on the site is too acidic, slaked lime will help reduce the acidity level.
- The delphinium is usually planted in the spring, but the preparation for planting begins in the autumn with digging the soil in the selected area. At the same time, necessary fertilizers are introduced into the soil: manure, mineral complex, peat or sand. In the spring, the site needs to be re-digged and plotted in it 40x40x40 cm in pitches, leaving a distance of 60 cm between them. In the case of an autumn planting of the dolphinium, fertilizers are introduced directly into the felling holes, which are prepared 2-3 weeks before the delphinium is landed. In autumn, the delphinium is planted no later than September, so that before the onset of stable frosts, it will grow stronger and take root.
How to care for a delphinium?
As already mentioned above, the delphinium does not require from its owners either complex care or expensive fertilizers. To ensure that it blossoms for a long time and fully retains its decorative quality throughout its life, it is necessary to periodically perform the following operations:
- Watering the delphinium should be deep and plentiful, while you must ensure that water does not fall on the leaves - this is fraught with the appearance of gray rot . At the same time, during periods of active vegetation and flowering, watering should be carried out more often, and after the end of flowering, it should be minimized. The next abundant watering of the delphinium is carried out before the onset of frost to ensure its safe wintering.
- Top dressing of the delphinium should be repeated three times per season: in the spring, before budding and immediately after flowering. Since the beginning of August, the plant is not needed to feed the plant so as not to provoke active growth of greenery.
- The next day after watering, the soil around the delphiniums is loosened, while weeding out the weeds , which contributes to a better supply of roots with oxygen and nutrients.
How to prepare a delphinium for the winter?
Preparation of the delphinium for winter includes pruning after flowering, deep watering, loosening and mulching of soil with a thick layer of peat. Young bushes of the delphinium can also be covered with lapnika for the winter, while cutting them at a height of at least 15-20 cm from the ground so that the hollow stems can not reach the root roots and cause them to rot.