Delphinium is a tall perennial plant of the Buttercup family. Since ancient times, tall flower stalks of a beautifully flowering plant have adorned the backyards of amateur flower growers. The popularity of the plant led to the fact that breeders began to carry out painstaking work to develop new varieties. For cultivation of an ornamental culture, different methods are used, obtaining new flowers from seeds, by cutting or dividing the rhizome.

How delphinium reproduces

How to propagate a perennial delphinium grower decides for himself. New copies of the plant can be obtained by seed propagation, as a result of rooting of green cuttings, dividing the bush and rooting of the shoots.

Seed reproduction

The easiest way. However, it should be taken into account that if several varieties are planted next to each other, cross-pollination may occur and the new plants will no longer repeat the maternal characteristics. When propagated by seeds, only hybrid forms can repeat the signs: growth and color of flowers. You can get a new delphinium from seeds at home if you collect fresh material and immediately plant it in the ground.

Delphinium

When collecting, in order to avoid misgrading, one variety from another must be planted at a distance of at least one and a half meters. It is worth remembering that only freshly harvested seeds show a good percentage of germination.

Important! When buying seeds, it is important to pay attention to how they are packed. It is preferable to choose the company that packs them in foil bags.

To increase the germination of old seeds, it is recommended to soak them for a few minutes in a solution of drugs such as Epin, Immunofitofiat.

When sowing directly on a flower bed, the germination rate is noticeably reduced, so if the gardener wants to get a lot of plants, he will have to plant more seeds.

Delphinium - reproduction using cuttings

This is a common breeding method for many plant species. Cutting a delphinium involves following a certain sequence of actions.

  1. Apical cuttings are suitable for reproduction, the cutting of which should be carried out in the earliest spring. Only young cuttings are harvested.
  2. When cutting cuttings, you need to trim them so that there is a little root tissue at the end. The length of the handle should not be less than 10 cm.
  3. Soil preparation is essential for successful rooting of cuttings. The best rooting occurs in a mixture of peat and sand, taken in equal proportions.
  4. After planting the cuttings at an angle into the container, each of them is covered with a cap. The heel must be deepened to a depth of 2 cm.
  5. In order for the cuttings to sprout, a temperature of at least + 20 ° C is needed. During rooting, you need to constantly monitor the soil and keep it moist. The slightest drying out will lead to the death of the planting material.
  6. It is unlikely that it will be possible to root the stalk quickly. A month later, callus begins to form at the end of the cuttings, then roots appear.

Rooted cuttings must have a good root system for transplanting to be successful.

Delphinium cuttings

Planting in a permanent place is carried out one year after rooting. The distance between the cuttings must be observed and left at least 30 cm.

Dividing a delphinium bush - simple and fast

With this method of reproduction, the loss of planting material is excluded, the main thing is to follow certain rules.

On a note!An adult plant with a well-developed rhizome is chosen for breeding. But it is undesirable to use very old specimens for reproduction, since they are more susceptible to diseases.

Rhizome division process:

  1. For starters, it's worth figuring out when to divide the delphinium. Experts say that digging up healthy plants for propagation should be done in early spring or fall.
  2. When removing a plant from the ground, you need to put the perennial on the ground as carefully as possible and divide the rhizome with a sharp tool.
  3. The division of the delphinium in the fall involves the removal of all old shoots and foliage.
  4. For the procedure, gardeners use a shovel or garden shears. Many divide directly with their hands, believing that in this way they will better feel the plant itself and will perform the procedure painlessly for it.
  5. Unlike other perennial flowers, when dividing the rhizome of a delphinium, you can leave only one bud on it. The plant grows so rapidly that in the same season it will grow a good green mass and even bloom.

Dividing a delphinium bush

The resulting cuttings can be planted in a prepared place. Caring for them consists in timely watering, weeding, fertilizing, pruning and garter.

It is advisable to start dividing the rhizome in the spring. The process should be carried out at a time when young leaves bloom on the plant. When dividing the rhizomes in the fall, it is quite difficult to predict the moment, since the seeds either ripen on the plant, or the flowering process ends. In addition, the green mass is built up again.

Important! A very interesting question is how to divide a perennial delphinium in the summer? And in general, can this be done? Specialists in flower cultivation say that it is possible to divide, only new divisions will take root for a long time and this year it will no longer be possible to admire the beauty of flowers. In general, division in the summer is carried out in the event that you have to save a suddenly sick variety; in other cases, it is better to postpone the procedure to spring or autumn.

How to collect seeds from a perennial delphinium

Delphinium New Zealand

The delphinium has spike-shaped inflorescences. Therefore, when collecting seeds, you can use paper bags. A perennial can reproduce well itself. The fact is that from the cracked capsules, the seeds crumble to the ground and germinate on their own.

Seed collection rules:

  • It is better to collect seeds from those flowers that are located on the lower part of the stem. It is necessary to observe the seed pods and as soon as they begin to crack, begin the collection process.
  • You can cut off the top of the plant and wrap it in a bag. Then you need to hang the tied bag upside down. After the seeds ripen, the capsules will open themselves and the seeds will be at the bottom of the bag.
  • If weather conditions do not allow the seeds to ripen, the stems are cut and hung in a dry ripening room.

Spring germination of seeds depends on the quality of stratification. Store in a refrigerator at + 5 ° C.

Delphinium seeds

Tips & Tricks

Delphinium terry

In the process of growing a delphinium, many summer residents have their own secrets that you need to know for a good development of culture.

  • A well-chosen landing site is half the battle. Delphinium looks beautiful in solitary plantings on the lawn, it can be planted along the fence, decorate the background of the flower bed with it. For the neighborhood, you can choose lilies.
  • A perennial feels great surrounded by medicinal sage, zonal pelargoniums.
  • Flowering occurs 2 times per season, but by properly managing the growth of the plant, making its timely pruning, you can stretch the process of bud formation for the whole summer.

On a note!For sowing seeds, it is recommended to prepare the soil from sod and leafy soil, adding a little humus and peat to it.

Having figured out how to propagate a perennial delphinium, we can conclude that all methods are good for breeding a plant. In any case, the flower shows good germination, and rooting is 100%. The only thing to remember is that in order for the seeds to show good germination, it is advisable to use freshly harvested for sowing.