Content
- 1 Description of New Zealand delphinium
- 2 Varieties of New Zealand delphiniums
- 2.1 Delphinium New Zealand Cobalt Dreams
- 2.2 Delphinium New Zealand Pagan Parples
- 2.3 Delphinium New Zealand Green Twist
- 2.4 Delphinium New Zealand New Millennium Mini Stars
- 2.5 Delphinium New Zealand Black Eyed Angels
- 2.6 Delphinium New Zealand Sweethearts
- 2.7 Delphinium New Zealand Giant
- 2.8 Delphinium New Zealand Blue Lace
- 2.9 Delphinium New Zealand Double Innocence
- 3 How to grow New Zealand delphinium from seeds
- 4 Planting and caring for New Zealand delphinium in open ground
- 5 Reproduction
- 6 Diseases and pests
- 7 Conclusion
- 8 Reviews of New Zealand delphinium
Delphinium New Zealand is a very beautiful perennial plant that can become the pride of any summer cottage. There are many varieties of delphinium, but in order to successfully grow a flower, you need to know the rules for caring for it.
Description of New Zealand delphinium
New Zealand delphinium is a beautiful perennial plant that reaches about 2 m in height and can grow in one place for up to 8 years.Delphinium consists of a tall, dense stem, which is covered with numerous shoots, bright green dissected foliage and large inflorescences collected in racemes up to 70 cm high.
The easiest way to recognize a perennial is by its flowers; they usually consist of 5 petals each, colored white, red, cornflower blue, purple and violet. The shade of flowers depends on the variety of New Zealand delphinium, but the diameter of an individual bud is almost 10 cm. The second name for delphinium is spur, because there are spurs on its upper petals. The plant blooms at the end of June and until the beginning of August, and if you cut off the brushes that have finished flowering in time, then by September the perennial will bloom again.
Under natural conditions, the plant grows in Europe and America. New Zealand delphinium is cultivated all over the world; it grows well in all countries with warm climates.
Varieties of New Zealand delphiniums
Breeders have developed dozens of varieties of tall New Zealand delphinium. They differ from each other mainly in shades of color and height, and the rules of care are the same for almost any variety.
Delphinium New Zealand Cobalt Dreams
The Cobalt Dreams variety is one of the artificially bred subspecies of perennial. The flowers of the plant are dark blue with a white center and look very attractive in landscape design. The perennial can be grown in almost any climatic conditions; with proper care, Cobalt Dreams tolerates cold well and remains healthy and decorative.
Delphinium New Zealand Pagan Parples
The Pagan Parples variety can reach from 170 to 190 cm in height and has large double flowers.The color of Pagan Parples is deep purple, the plant looks impressive both in single and in group plantings. The rules for caring for PaganParples are standard - the plant tolerates cold and poor soil well, but requires regular watering.
Delphinium New Zealand Green Twist
The perennial plant grows to an average height of 140-160 cm and bears white double flowers in early summer. A characteristic feature of the Green Twist variety is the presence of dim yellow strokes on the petals and a green “eye” in the center of the inflorescence. The variety continues to bloom until September. White New Zealand delphinium Green Twist is resistant to any growing conditions, but requires regular watering.
Delphinium New Zealand New Millennium Mini Stars
The delphinium variety New Millennium Mini Stars is usually sold in the form of a flower mixture that includes 4 colors - purple, dark pink, lilac and blue. New Millennium Mini Stars is a New Zealand dwarf delphinium, since the height of powerful peduncles usually does not exceed 70 cm, and this is very little for a delphinium. The flowers of the variety are large, the diameter of each can be up to 9 cm.
Delphinium New Zealand Black Eyed Angels
A very unusual variety of delphinium is Black Eyed Angels, or “black-eyed angels”, if translated literally. The name well conveys the appearance of the perennial - the plant's large flowers are white with an anthracite-black core.
The average height of Black Eyed Angels is about 120 cm, the stems of the perennial are dense, the flowers are densely arranged and can open up to 8 cm in diameter.
Delphinium New Zealand Sweethearts
The Sweethearts variety, awarded a prize from the Royal English Horticultural Society, reaches a height of 180-200 cm and is distinguished by abundant and dense flowering. The flowers of Delphinium Sweethearts are large, pink, and have white or striped eyes in the middle.
The Sweethearts variety decoratively decorates any area and looks good in single flower beds and large compositions. Growing conditions for the flower should be the same as for most delphiniums - the plant loves moisture, tolerates winter cold well, but needs shelter.
Delphinium New Zealand Giant
Delphinium Giant is a whole series of varieties of tall and powerful plants with huge double inflorescences. Giant delphiniums reach 2 m in height and bloom profusely and for a long time. The following plant varieties can be distinguished:
- Lime — bears white flowers with a green-yellow stripe in the middle of each petal, sprouts quickly after sowing, grows above 2 m;
- Giant Azure - a tall perennial up to 2 m or more in height, blooms in early or mid-summer with large double flowers of azure-blue color, the inflorescences of the variety are very dense;
- Giant Nochka - a tall, very strong and hardy variety up to 2 m tall, distinguished by dark purple dense inflorescences covering the entire stem, with a white eye in the middle of each flower.
All delphiniums of the Giant series are united by unpretentiousness in care and quiet growth in almost any conditions. In moderately frosty winters, the perennial does not even need to be covered in the area; the cold will not harm its health.
Delphinium New Zealand Blue Lace
The Blue Lace variety has very beautiful and large double flowers of a soft lilac hue with expressive blue closer to the edges of the petals and a yellow core. The perennial grows up to 1.5 m and higher, blooms very profusely and colorfully, and a pleasant aroma emanates from the flowers. The variety has high frost resistance and is generally unpretentious to growing conditions, so it can easily take root in any area.
Delphinium New Zealand Double Innocence
The Double Innocent variety belongs to the New Millennium series of varieties and is distinguished by white, double, large flowers up to 4 cm in diameter each. The flowers of the plant are collected in inflorescences and usually appear in July, while the flowering period lasts a long time, since new flower stalks appear on the stems of the perennial to replace the fading ones.
The Dumble Innocence variety has high winter hardiness and can tolerate winter cold even without additional shelter.
How to grow New Zealand delphinium from seeds
The tall New Zealand delphinium is usually grown from seeds. If such a perennial has never grown on the site before, you need to buy seed. And if the perennial is already present, seeds can be collected from existing plants after flowering has finished.
- Before planting in the ground, it is advisable to soak purchased or collected seeds, this will increase their germination rate from 67% to 80%. To soak the seeds, place them in damp gauze and put them in the refrigerator for a week, regularly checking the gauze and re-moistening it if necessary.
- When the seeds swell, they can be sown in seedling boxes - holes about 3 mm deep are made in the soil, seed is placed in them and sprinkled with earth, lightly compacted.
- After planting, the boxes with seeds need to be watered properly, or even better, thoroughly sprayed with settled water to avoid washing out the seeds. Then a plastic film is stretched over the container and the seedlings are placed in a lighted and warm place at a temperature of about 15 degrees. 3 days after sowing, it is advisable to start putting the box with seeds in a cool place at night.
When sowing New Zealand delphinium seeds correctly, seedlings appear within 2 weeks. After this, you will need to remove the film from the seedling boxes, water the seedlings and then moisten the soil as it dries.
When the sprouts have 3 full-fledged leaves, the seedlings will need to be picked - each of them should be transplanted into a separate pot filled with loose nutritious soil. When the sprouts get a little stronger, they can be prepared for planting in the ground. Before this, it is recommended to briefly take the seedlings out into the fresh air for several days in a row, each time increasing the time the perennial sprouts spend in the open air.
Planting and caring for New Zealand delphinium in open ground
Growing New Zealand delphinium is a fairly simple task for the gardener. It is necessary to remember only the most basic rules for replanting and caring for a plant in open ground.
Preparing the landing site
Delphinium loves well-lit places, so it is recommended to select a site for it that is sunny or lightly shaded.The plant is undemanding to soil, but grows best on neutral or slightly acidic loams and sandy loam soils. The perennial does not tolerate constant stagnation of moisture; it is necessary to organize good drainage in the area.
The depth of the planting hole for a perennial is usually about 50 cm in depth, the diameter of the hole should be 40 cm. Half a bucket of compost and a glass of wood ash, as well as complex mineral fertilizers, are poured into each hole. You need to prepare the hole for planting several days before planting so that the fertilizers have time to be properly absorbed by the soil.
Rules for planting New Zealand delphinium
It is necessary to plant delphinium in the ground in late spring, after the last frost has passed. Despite the fact that the perennial is characterized by increased cold resistance, frost can cause severe damage to young seedlings.
- New Zealand delphinium seedlings are carefully removed from their previous containers; it is recommended to soak the soil before doing this.
- Together with the remains of the earthen coma, the plant is lowered into the prepared hole.
- If necessary, carefully straighten the roots, and then fill the hole to the top with soil.
Immediately after planting, the delphinium must be watered. It is also recommended to cover young plants with film or a glass jar for the first time to increase the humidity level, this will facilitate faster rooting. When the delphinium begins to actively grow, the shelter can be removed.
Watering and fertilizing
New Zealand delphinium is a moisture-loving plant that requires regular watering.It is recommended to moisten the soil under the perennial as the soil dries; the soil should always remain slightly moist. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent stagnation of water in the roots of the plant, since the perennial can die from waterlogging.
In the summer, watering needs to be more frequent; under bright sunlight, the soil dries out faster.
As for fertilizing, it is recommended to apply it for the first time after the seedling reaches 15-20 cm. It is best to dilute organic manure in water and simply water the delphinium with this solution, and then loosen the soil and weed out the weeds.
Trimming
Upon reaching a certain height, it is recommended to trim and thin out the delphinium. This not only makes the plant bushes more decorative, but also improves flowering characteristics. Since the perennial does not have to waste energy feeding extra shoots, it begins to bloom more profusely, and the inflorescences themselves become brighter and larger.
Pruning is carried out after the delphinium grows more than 25 cm in height. No more than 5 shoots should be left on one bush of a perennial plant; this will promote good distribution of nutrients and at the same time improve air circulation inside the bush.
In addition to excess shoots, you also need to trim weak and thin stems located close to the surface of the ground. After the procedure, it is recommended to treat all sections with activated carbon, this will prevent rotting.
Preparing for winter
New Zealand delphinium has good resistance to cold. However, with the onset of winter, the aboveground part of the plant inevitably dies.Therefore, there is no point in preserving the stems - after flowering is completed and the leaves dry out, the shoots will need to be cut to about 30 cm above the ground. To prevent the cut areas from starting to rot, they should be covered with clay in the fall immediately after cutting.
Delphinium can overwinter without special shelter, but in regions with little snow it is still recommended to protect the perennial from the cold. To do this, the delphinium must be covered with spruce branches or straw; the shelter will slightly insulate the soil and prevent the roots from freezing in the absence of high snow cover.
Reproduction
Growing New Zealand delphinium Giant from seeds is one of the easiest ways to increase the flower population in your summer cottage. Seed material should be collected in the fall after flowering has ended, after which the seeds are soaked at home and planted in closed containers. It takes about 2 weeks for the seeds to germinate, and then all that remains is to care for the sprouts until next spring, when they can be transplanted into open ground.
Another simple and effective propagation method is bush division for mature perennials. Carry out the procedure like this:
- for division, New Zealand delphiniums aged 3-4 years are chosen; younger plants have an underdeveloped root system, and older delphiniums adapt less well when transplanted;
- Division can be carried out both in spring and autumn - in the first case, the delphinium is dug out of the ground as soon as new leaves begin to form on its shoots, and in the second, they wait for the end of flowering and the beginning of seed ripening;
- an adult plant is carefully dug out of the ground and the rhizome is carefully cut into several parts, each of the sections must have a strong healthy shoot, at least one dormant bud and well-developed intact roots;
- The divisions are planted in prepared standard holes, watered abundantly and subsequently cared for according to the classical scheme.
As a rule, a divided delphinium begins to bloom profusely the very next year.
Among the classical methods of delphinium propagation, cuttings should also be mentioned.
- In spring, it is necessary to cut off several young apical shoots about 10 cm long from an adult delphinium.
- Each of the cuttings should have a “heel” left - part of the root tissue.
- The cuttings are placed in a solution for a day that promotes rapid root growth, and then rooted in a seedling box, using peat and gravel mixed together in equal quantities as soil.
- It is necessary to deepen the “heel” of the cuttings by 1.5-2 cm; after planting in the container, the shoots are watered and covered with a glass cap or plastic film.
- The cuttings need to be kept in the shade at a temperature of 20-25 °C; high-quality rooting takes an average of about 5 weeks.
Throughout the year, the cuttings are grown in closed containers so that they become properly strong, and the following spring they are planted in the open air according to the standard scheme.
Diseases and pests
The beautiful and unpretentious New Zealand delphinium remains vulnerable to some ailments and garden parasites. Among the diseases that are especially dangerous for him are:
- powdery mildew, capable of destroying above-ground shoots in just a few days;
- black spot, depriving the plant of its decorative properties and leading to its death.
To get rid of fungi, it is recommended to spray and water New Zealand delphinium with proven products, such as Topaz or Fundazol. It is important to do this at the first symptoms of illness, then the plant can be saved in time.
Among garden pests, the delphinium fly and slugs are dangerous for delphiniums - the parasites feed on the green parts of the plant and can completely destroy the perennial. To eliminate parasites, it is necessary to use the insecticidal agents Actellik and Karbofos. At the same time, it is best to spray plantings prophylactically to avoid the appearance of insects and slugs.
Conclusion
Delphinium New Zealand is a very beautiful plant that does not have high requirements for growing conditions. If you follow the basic rules of planting and caring for the plant, the perennial will very soon delight you with generous flowering.
