Content
Terry aquilegia belongs to perennial flowering shrubs of the Buttercup family and has more than 100 varieties. The plant also has alternative names - catchment, flower elves, eagle, etc. The unusual shape and unpretentiousness in the content make the terry aquilegia one of the most common species among gardeners.
Terry aquilegia is a spreading shrub that reaches 1 m in height. This is a plant with a strong, well-developed root system, the size of which often does not exceed 1 m. On the stems there are leaves of a rounded lacy shape, outwardly similar to clover. The large flowers of the shrub lean to the ground and reach up to 10 cm in length.
Most of the flowers have elongated growths - spurs, which are necessary for collecting nectar.
Terry aquilegia has a rich color range, the color of one flower can consist of several shades. The habitat of plants is the Caucasus, Altai, Crimea, as well as the Far East.
Varieties and varieties
Terry aquilegia has a large number of varieties. Each variety has its own characteristic features, thanks to which the shrub is actively used to decorate summer cottages and garden plots.
Nora Barlow
The main distinguishing feature of the Aquilegia terry Nora Barlow variety are large double white-pink (or white and red) flowers with a dark core.
Nora Barlow reaches 70 cm in height, has a spreading shape
Hybrid
Aquilegia hybrid (Latin Aquilegia hybrida) is actively used in landscape design due to large bright inflorescences that resemble pink asters in appearance. One bush can contain more than 5 flowers.
The variety also has an interesting feature - the flowers often lack spurs (outgrowths on the petals)
Mac Canna
Aquilegia terry varieties McKana Giant are also called "giant in landscape design": the shrub can reach up to 120 cm in height. It has long spurs and erect buds.
Mac Kanna has a large palette of colors
Columbine
The Columbina variety (Latin Aquilegia Vulgaris) is characterized by a high level of cold resistance. The shrub often does not exceed 70 cm in height, grows well and develops in partial shade.
Columbine flowers reach 6 cm in diameter
Winky
Aquilegia Winky is considered one of the most popular varieties.
Winky shrubs are actively used both in the field of landscape design and for creating floristic compositions.
This is a dwarf variety, the height does not exceed 30 cm. It has many color options.
Application in landscape design
Tall varieties of terry aquilegia in landscape compositions are combined with irises, hosts, bells or poppies.
Low-growing species of aquilegia are used to decorate alpine slides, rockeries, the combination with carnations looks good
Shrubs are placed with spruce and fir trees, and some landscape designers planted aquilegia near the pond. In flower arrangements, you can also find a combination of different varieties of the elf flower.
Breeding features
For terry aquilegia, there are several breeding options at home:
- Seeds or seedlings... This method of growing plants is not very popular due to the low probability of obtaining sprouts with all varietal genetic characteristics. Seeds are planted both in special containers (if you need to get seedlings), and in a permanent place. Future plants need to provide abundant watering, as well as a greenhouse effect. When the first shoots appear, it is allowed to remove the protective cover. It is possible to dive seedlings only after the formation of 3-5 leaf plates.
- Dividing the bushand. This method is one of the most popular among budding gardeners. However, the utmost care should be taken so as not to harm the mother plant. It must be removed from the ground and the root system divided into the required number of parts. For the procedure, you must use special sharp garden tools. It is important that each separated part has a minimum of 3 healthy kidneys. Important! Only specimens over 5 years old can be used for division.
- Cuttings... To obtain young plants in early spring, the required number of shoots is cut from the mother shrub. Then the collected planting material is placed in a growth stimulator for 3-4 hours. Plants need to be planted only in pre-fertilized soil. In order for the root system to form faster, you can create a small polyethylene greenhouse around them. When new leaf plates appear, the seedlings are allowed to be transplanted to a permanent place.
Cuttings are considered the most common breeding method for aquilegia.
Planting and caring for terry aquilegia
The culture is distinguished by its unpretentious maintenance and needs minimal simple maintenance. Despite this, before buying a terry aquilegia for a garden plot, it is important to carefully read the photo of the selected flower and the peculiarities of its cultivation.
Timing
If you grow aquilegia by the seed method, the plant will begin to bloom only after 3 years. For flowers to appear in the second year of growth, seeds must be placed in boxes already at the beginning of March. In this case, the sprouts should be in the house or greenhouse.
Plants should be planted in the ground only when stable warm weather sets in.
Before the onset of cold weather, terry aquilegia should get stronger and grow in greenhouse conditions, then it will be ready for flowering next year. The crop is rarely sown without burying the seeds deep in the ground. The optimum temperature for faster emergence of shoots is 15-20 ° C.
Site selection and soil preparation
The most optimal option for planting terry aquilegia will be a territory with partial shade. In the complete absence of sunlight, the number of flowers on the shrub decreases, and constant light, on the contrary, can lead to the complete death of the plant. If there is no shade in the planting area, the area must be shaded manually.
It is better that the soil is loamy and moist. Before planting aquilegia, you must carefully dig up the area and remove all weeds. Special organic fertilizers should also be introduced into the soil beforehand. It is important to ensure that the distance between the plants is at least 20 cm.
Landing algorithm
As mentioned above, the most common methods for growing aquilegia are planting using seeds or seedlings.
Planting by the seed method takes place in the spring, after the complete disappearance of the snow cover and consists of the following stages:
- Site preparation: selection of a planting site, soil cleaning from weeds.
- Placing seeds in the ground.
- Covering the planting material with earth (no more than 1.5 cm).
- Adding a small amount of water.
- Mulching the land using humus or peat.
In early June, the seedlings must be placed in prepared soil at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. It is important to do this carefully so as not to damage the delicate root system of young plants.
Watering and feeding schedule
Terry aquilegia needs regular moisture, but you should not completely fill the plant with water. Watering the shrub is recommended as the top layer of the earth dries up. Gardeners also advise using irrigation tools to simulate rain (the leaves of the plant absorb rain drops well). During natural precipitation, additional watering of the terry aquilegia is not necessary.
The ideal time to add organic or mineral fertilizers to the planting soil is considered to be rainy or simply cloudy weather. During sunny and dry periods, aquilegia should be fed in combination with watering in the evening. After that, the plant needs to be shaded for 1 day. The shrub is fertilized in May-June, as well as at the end of flowering.
Weeding and loosening
It is necessary to loosen the soil under aquilegia after each watering or precipitation by no more than 20 cm. This is necessary so that oxygen does not stagnate in the soil. Do not forget about weeding the site every time weeds appear in the garden.
Flowering care
Caring for aquilegia during the flowering period is not difficult. It includes loosening the soil, as well as fertilizing the shrub with organic and mineral complexes. When flowering ends, the peduncles are cut at the level of the lower leaves. The average life span of a shrub is 5 to 7 years. Then it is better to replace it with a young specimen.
Wintering
Terry aquilegia is characterized by a high level of winter hardiness. However, when the plant reaches the age of 5 years, its root system begins to make its way to the surface. Therefore, the shrubs need to provide additional shelter in the winter. To do this, the culture is mulched with humus with peat compost, and then sprinkled with fresh soil.
You need to start preparing the shrub for wintering in the middle of autumn.
Diseases and pests
Terry aquilegia has an average level of resistance to diseases, it can be susceptible to the following infections:
- Powdery mildew... This disease occurs when there is a lack of sunlight, as well as with an increased level of moisture. For prevention, the plant should be treated with sulfur solution.
For treatment, folk and chemical remedies are used.
- Mosaic... She is considered one of the most dangerous incurable diseases.
If symptoms of the disease appear on the bush, the infected specimen must be immediately dug up and burned to avoid transmission of infection.
- Gray rot... In the early stages of infection, the bush can be cured with Fundazole.
With an advanced disease, the plant is dug up and burned
Eagle pests are aphids, caterpillars, and ticks. To get rid of insects, you can use both folk and chemical preparations. It is important to notice the symptoms of bush damage in time, otherwise it may die in just a few days.
Conclusion
Terry aquilegia is a shrub up to 1 m tall with large beautiful inflorescences. The culture has many varieties and is widely used in landscape design to decorate the territory and create individual compositions. The plant is unpretentious in care, has a high level of winter hardiness and perfectly adapts to partial shade. For the correct maintenance of the eagle, it is important to water the crop in a timely manner, regularly apply fertilizers, weed, mulch and loosen the soil, and do not forget about protection in winter.
