Perennial delphinium is poisonous or not. Poisonous plants in the garden

Many representatives of the Buttercup family stand out among their relatives for their spectacular flowering and toxicity. Among them, two slender beauties deserve special attention - aconite and delphinium.

A genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the Ranunculaceae family. The Latin name comes from the Greek word Aconae - rock, cliff, or Acontion - arrow. According to another version, the name comes from Akone, the city in the vicinity of which this plant was rampant.

One ancient legend tells how Hercules captured the guardian of the underground kingdom of Hades, the three-headed Cerberus. Once on the surface and frightened by the bright light, he began to break free, poisonous saliva flowed from his mouth onto the ground. Slender poisonous plants called fighters soon appeared in that place.

Russian folk names are contradictory: sometimes aconite is affectionately called blue-eyed, blue buttercup, and more often - wolf root, black root, goat death, wolfskin and others.

Aconite prefers moist and fertile soils. Gardeners began to cultivate it for its beautiful dark blue, purple, yellow flowers, collected in long racemes.

All parts of this plant are poisonous, the root is especially poisonous. In ancient times it was called the “Mother Queen of Poisons.” Poisonings often occurred when aconite roots were mistaken for lovage roots, which were used to make an herbal liqueur.

In India, the roots of many species of aconite are used to make potent arrow poison. The ancient Germans and Gauls rubbed spears and arrows with aconite extract, which they used to attack wild animals. In ancient Greece, death sentences were carried out using aconite.

A.P. Chekhov in his book “Sakhalin Island” described a case of poisoning of people who ate the meat of a pig that had eaten aconite.

In medieval Europe, aconite was known only as a strong poison. Before using this plant, Chinese and Tibetan healers subjected it to long-term processing: they were repeatedly soaked in cold and hot water, and steamed.

Aconite was introduced into medical practice in the 18th century by the Austrian physician Stern. Nowadays, aconite rhizomes are used externally as an analgesic for neuralgic pain, and in homeopathy they are used for headaches. The heart drug allapelin is obtained from aconite whitemouth. In folk medicine it is used against tumors, neuralgia, gout, and rheumatism.

Aconite is propagated by seeds or division of rhizomes. Seeds are sown in autumn in loose soil to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. Shoots appear in spring, form a rosette of leaves in the first year of life, and begin to bloom in the second year.

Delphinium, larkspur, spur(lat. Delphínium) is a genus of perennial and annual herbaceous plants of the Ranunculaceae family. Annual species of this plant are sometimes classified into the genus Sokirki.

The obsolete Russian name shpornik comes from the shape of the outgrowth on the sepal, resembling a spur. The name “delphinium” comes from the resemblance of an unopened bud to the body of a dolphin, and according to another version, from the name of the Greek city of Delphi, where these plants grew in abundance. Currently, in Russian, “delphinium” is more often used in popular and fiction literature, and “larkspur” in scientific literature.

Delphinium has been used since ancient times as a garden crop: it was grown for its young shoots, they were used as asparagus for making soups, purees, and young leaves for salads. Over time, with the advent of more convenient green crops, delphinium was no longer used as food.

In folk medicine, larkspur is used for bone fractures, abscesses, and inflammation of the mucous membranes.

Delphinium is widely used as a garden plant. It reaches 1.5-2 meters in height and blooms for a long time. Its white, pink, blue, purple, lilac, yellow inflorescences will be an excellent decoration for the garden.

Attention! It should be remembered that all parts of the plant are poisonous. The content of aconite alkaloids in them fluctuates, the maximum is observed during the period of growth and flowering. Delphinium should not even be sniffed - the aroma has an intoxicating effect. This plant can also poison pets, even bees. Honey collected from larkspur is dangerous for people.

These are the magnificent knights of the garden. If you have small children, do not rush to place these insidious beauties in your garden. It should also be remembered that self-medication with these plants is life-threatening.

Magnificent ornamental plant - delphinium belongs to the ranunculaceae family. In the wild, it is found throughout the territory of the so-called Fennoscandia, which unites the regions of Scandinavia, the Kola Peninsula, Finland and the northern part of Karelia. From here, delphinium spread to the European part of Russia through Siberia. It also grows in the Far East, and is also found in Central Europe in high mountain ranges. Wild varieties of delphinium can be found on the edges of forests and in landfills. This plant has many other popular names in all countries: knight's spurs, spur, lark's heel or leg, larkspur.

The delphinium’s belonging to the Ranunculaceae family determines its compliance poisonous group of plants. All delphinium shoots are poisonous, but the seeds are the most poisonous.. The toxicity of the plant is due to the presence of alkaloids in it. Sometimes signs of poisoning by this plant of cattle, horses or sheep are observed. Honey collected by bees during the flowering of the plant can be poisonous to humans. And the pollen of the flower itself causes poisoning of bees.

The poisons contained in delphinium have a detrimental effect on the heart muscle and, accordingly, on blood circulation, prevent the spread of impulses along nerve fibers, and block the centers of the nervous system. A lethal dose of poison entering the body leads to respiratory paralysis and death. There is information in the literature that in ancient times delphinium tincture was used both as a poison for lubricating arrowheads and as a medicine for healing wounds.

Aquilegia

Growing Aquilegia began probably first in the monastery gardens in the 17th century. Around 1800, this activity also became popular among ordinary villagers. In 1673, aquilegia was mentioned in his writings by a professor at the Medical Academy in Turku, Finnish doctor and botanist Elias Tillandz, who was born in Sweden and founded the first botanical garden in Finland in Turku. The distribution of this plant in the northern territories begins from its natural growth area in the area of ​​​​the city of Olonets, the Baltic countries, as well as groves in the northern and northwestern parts of Ladoga. Wild natural species of aquilegia are so beautiful that many of them began to be used in ornamental gardening without selection.

Aquilegia flowers are arranged on long curved spurs on the stem, making them look like five elongated, long-necked birds gathered together. The funnel-shaped petals of the flower have the ability to store water. This property gave the plant its second known popular name - catchment. Many species of aquilegia have flowers containing a lot of honey with such long spurs that only long-proboscis insects such as butterflies and bumblebees can reach the nectar. Some bumblebees take honey by biting the base of the spur. Some American species of Aquilegia are pollinated by hummingbirds.
Aquilegia produces many small, dark seeds (flea beetles), which the plant throws far from the caps of the fruit.
The traditional color of aquilegia is blue. Many color forms with white or pink flowers have been bred from it by crossing.

The entire plant and, above all, the seeds of Aquilegia are poisonous.. True, there may be large differences in the level of toxicity of different species. For some species, a large part of a bouquet of aquilegia eaten by a small child can cause at most diarrhea. On the other hand, simply sucking the flowers of some types of aquilegia can lead to serious consequences: loss of consciousness, a feeling of constant drowsiness, constriction of the pupils, the appearance of a depressed state of mind, depression, and diarrhea. The leaves and especially young fruits contain amygdoline substances, as a result of the breakdown of which hydrocyanic acid is formed in the stomach. The poisonous effect of hydrocyanic acid is based on the fact that it prevents the formation of hemoglobin in the blood.

Lupine

Initially, lupine varieties appeared in North America, spreading over time to Europe and our region. Lupine seeds contain bitter toxic substances - alkaloids.
Annual lupine varieties have been studied and grown in Europe as livestock feed for at least three thousand years. In annual lupins, the seeds do not have time to ripen. At the same time, the spread of the use of this plant as a fodder was hampered due to the danger of poisoning animals, since alkaloids are also contained in lupine shoots. Non-alkaloid and low-alkaloid lupins are used for feed purposes. Nitrogen-containing lupine shoots are an excellent green fertilizer.

Decorative forms of lupine are widely known, having shoots 60-110 cm high with a long cluster of flowers at the top of the shoot. These tall plants can oppress their smaller neighbors. Lupine roots contain types of bacteria that bind free nitrogen from the air, thereby enriching the soil. Unlike annual species, the seeds of luxurious perennial lupins ripen on time. Seeds remain capable of germination for a very long time, tens, and possibly hundreds of years. Lupine pods are easy to collect and sow in a new growing location.

The traditional flower color is blue, but can also be red and white. Through breeding work, a wide variety of flower shades have been developed. If you want to keep a plant of the desired color, this can only be done by division. The preservation of color follows from hereditary factors, and blue genes are dominant or dominant relative to other colors. There are known cases when annual blue lupins randomly appeared from crops of annual yellow lupins.

How shoots and seeds of lupine contain poisonous alkaloids: lupinine, anagyrine, lupanine, lupinidine, sparteine, etc. Toxic compounds affect the central and peripheral nervous systems. The effects of these compounds have been compared to nicotine. Large doses are lethal because they paralyze the body's breathing. As a result of prolonged exposure to toxic substances, the metabolism of microelements in the liver is disrupted, which can lead to jaundice or cirrhosis of the liver.

The nutritional value of lupine as a feed crop is very high; in terms of protein content, lupine is similar to soybean. Lupine yields are higher than soybean yields. The ancient Romans cultivated lupine and knew how to process it to eliminate toxicity. The seeds were soaked in water and used for food. Treated shoots were used as a cosmetic product.

Currently, there are methods for technological processing of the plant that make it possible to exclude alkaloids from its composition and use it as a raw material for drugs against heart and eye diseases. Lupine fibers are also used in industrial production as additives to milk substitutes, in confectionery and pasta production. Flour from processed lupine seeds is added to diabetic products and baby food. Lupine is also used in the production of coffee substitutes and in the production of semi-finished meat products.

Read here for further descriptions of some poisonous plants -

Delphinium (spur)- a plant of the ranunculaceae family. There are more than 400 species of annual and perennial plants in the genus.

Propagated by seeds. Grow in sunny areas, on fertilized, moderately moist soils. Used in mixed flower beds, group plantings and for cutting.

Common in culture delphinium Ajaxo c - weakly branched annual, from 30 to 120 cm high, with a tap root, tripartitely dissected leaves. Flowers with a diameter of 5 cm or more are collected in a dense or loose inflorescence - a spicate raceme. The flowers are double and simple, of various colors. Blooms from June-July to September. The fruit is a pubescent leaflet. Triangular-shaped seeds, 1 g - 500-600 pcs. Crossroads.

Photophilous, cold-resistant, drought-resistant. Delphinium is propagated by seeds, sowing them before winter or in April in areas protected from the winds. Shoots appear after 7-12 days, flowering begins in early varieties after 70-80 days and lasts up to 2 months. The seeds ripen in August-September, and the harvest is harvested by mowing the seeds. Seed yield ranges from 110 to 500 kg/ha. There are a number of hybrid garden forms.

Hyacinthaceae. Varieties are tall (110 cm), low (50 cm) and dwarf (30 cm). The flowers are large, double, white, pink, red, blue, blue, collected in dense cylindrical inflorescences.

Imperial- 105-110 cm high, inflorescences on long peduncles, good for cutting.

Leucaceae. Tall, double varieties, for cutting.

Perennial rhizomatous plants. The stems are erect, leafy, 120-180 cm high. The leaves are large, with dissected lobes. The flowers are semi-double and double, 7 cm in diameter, of different colors. Inflorescences are a giant cylindrical or pyramidal raceme. Seeds of irregular shape, brown, 1 g - 350-400 pcs. Crossroads.

Photophilous, moderately moisture-loving, prefers fertile, loamy soils with a neutral environmental reaction. Propagated by seeds, more effectively by seedlings. Seeds are sown in boxes, beds, greenhouses in March-April. Shoots appear in 15-20 days. Seedlings in the rosette stage are planted in a permanent place in April-May. Plants may bloom in the year of sowing, which is undesirable. Such plantings are short-lived. It is advisable that flowering begins in biennial plants; The most viable delphinium plantings are those aged 3 years or more.

Delphinium blooms in June. The seeds ripen 30-40 days after flowering and fall out easily. Seed yield ranges from 40 to 60 kg/ha. After collecting the seeds, the stems are cut off, the plants are fed, the soil is loosened and protective measures are carried out.

Used for cutting, planting in groups, arrays, and camouflaging fences.

Varieties: Black Knight - dark purple; Blue Jay - dark blue with a black eye; Galahad - white; King Arthur - purple with a white eye; Spring Snow - lavender; Blue Lace - dark blue with a white eye.

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It is almost impossible to pass indifferently past garden plots where beautiful delphiniums grow. I want to stop and admire these spectacular, huge floral candles.

Delphinium captivates us with its regal appearance, the splendor of flowers of various shapes and colors.

A common inhabitant of most gardens, the delphinium does not resemble the buttercup in appearance of its flowers. However, coming from distant countries: China, Asia and the tropical zone of Africa, it is a member of the buttercup family.

The plant is ancient, it was mentioned at the beginning of our era: historical evidence has been preserved: Dioscorides, the father of the science of botany, a doctor, called it that.

Why delphinium - there are many versions. This indicates the similarity of the shape of the flower with the silhouette of a dolphin. Then the Greek goddess Delphine is mentioned (the doctor was an ancient Greek). The flower also grew in the city of Delphi, which could also influence its name.

There are legends about the origin of delphinium. The most romantic legend, of course, is about love.

The young man lost his beloved, she passed away. He sculpted a statue - exactly the same as his favorite one - and managed to bring it to life. The angry gods did not forgive an ordinary mortal for encroaching on divine activity; they turned the lover into a dolphin.

The lovers did not have the opportunity to meet, but they saw each other from afar: the dolphin swam to the shore, where the sad girl he created was waiting for him.

The dolphin, swimming to the shore once again, left a beautiful blue flower - delphinium - at her feet.

Our people called it the spur plant, for the structure of the flower with a spur-like outgrowth. Our scientists gave the spur in the taxonomy the name: larkspur.

Biological description of delphinium

Garden delphinium is a perennial. Wild larkspur can be found as a perennial or as an annual plant.

The annual is usually considered a weed on grain crops and likes to show off against their background.

Annuals rarely appear in gardens; only two species are recognized by gardeners: Ajaxa (garden) and field. Although in nature there are about fifty of them.

Perennials are registered in the flower beds thoroughly in all their diversity.

Like all buttercups, delphinium is poisonous, you need to remember this. Children are drawn to him.

But the tall herbaceous plant attracts every eye - with the power of its beauty and variety of colors.

All parts are poisonous, including nectar. Some of the bees, seduced by the attractiveness of the flowers, die.

Survivors produce “drunk” honey, which is dangerous to health. The poison contained in delphinium affects three vectors: the heart, the gastrointestinal tract, and the nervous system. This list makes it clear how dangerous it is.

In wild representatives the inflorescence is shorter and paniculate. It bears a maximum of one and a half dozen flowers.

The varietal delphinium has a pyramidal inflorescence of impressive length, containing up to 80 flowers.

The root system is tuberous, called the stem root. The leaves are deeply dissected and palmate.

The delphinium flower has a spur (hence the spur). There are five sepals, the inflorescence is paniculate. It is well pollinated by bumblebees, and in the tropics hummingbirds are interested in it, and they also pollinate delphinium.

The genus includes almost 4 hundred species - perennials and annuals. There is a wide range of species in terms of height. It can be short, 10 cm, but there are species that are three meters tall.

Their habitats are different: low in meadows, high in forests. Gardeners grow medium-sized plants - the golden mean of larkspur - garden delphinium.

Connoisseurs can already determine by the color of the seedlings how the flower will be colored. If the leaf of the seedlings is green, the flower will be light: blue, white, light purple.

But when the seedlings are dark-leaved (brown, red), expect a richly dark color of the flowers.

Very small delphinium seeds are found in leaflet fruits.

It is interesting that in nature or during normal storage they are viable for three to four years. And in the refrigerator they do not lose germination for many years, there is even an opinion that they are germinated then “for an unlimited time.”

Delphinium groups

With all the variety of delphinium varieties, taxonomy has brought them into three groups:

• Pacific hybrids are spectacular and majestic;
• Belladonna - less tall, but no less charming;
• Elatum – these delphiniums also look great.

Pacific hybrids. The flowers of this group are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent.

Once you look at the magnificence of the huge inflorescences, you immediately want to place something like this in your garden. However, it is not advisable to rush. No doubt - they are good.

But given their gigantic size, their endurance is far from equal to their size. A perennial rarely lives for many years. If you're lucky, you'll make it to three.

More often than not, the first winter destroys it. And resistance to disease is very weak. The beauty is, of course, undeniable.

But it is better to use it planningly - as an annual plant. Then it will be possible to avoid disappointment if he turns out to be this way due to the natural weakness of the group.

You can plant such hybrids in flowerpots, placing them where early perennials have already faded and the places are empty.

It's an interesting rational win-win.

Belladonna. Representatives of the group are “muslin young ladies”. They are graceful and small. The flowers are small.

They produce many shoots on each bush, but these shoots are thin. The inflorescences are paniculate, loose, rather loose.

Single plantings of plants from the Belladonna group will not create a beautiful picture. They need to be arranged in groups, then the composition can be interesting.

Flowering is early - they do not need to spend so much time and effort on forming a bush, because it is not tall. Therefore, while other hybrids of the other two groups are gaining mass, the delphiniums of the Belladonna group are already blooming.

The varieties of this group are hard nuts. They are rightly called perennials - they live a long time. And they are not susceptible to diseases, they are resistant, they resist.

Delphiniums of the Belladonna group bloom in waves. They begin to “boil” with color early, in June.

Then the flowering gradually subsides, but in August a second wave breaks out - the delphinium flowerbeds are covered with repeated flowering.

This is a very nice valuable quality.

The group is close to nature, the color of the inflorescences is natural - blue, blue tones. There are white ones.

The flowers are semi-double or simple, similar to wildflowers. A garden with such natural plants looks environmentally friendly and natural.

The flowers of the group harmoniously complement many floral arrangements.

Also noteworthy is its unpretentiousness and ease of care for the grower. Delphiniums of the Belladonna group are almost not affected by snails - the scourge of other groups.

They are not afraid of wind and rain - the inflorescences are loose, flexible and do not break in bad weather. They are not afraid of pruning, they even love it.

When the first wave of flowering has passed, you can safely prune the plants. They will immediately begin to grow, send out new shoots and flower stalks, and bloom a second time.

Elatum. Also a hybrid group. But it is characterized by tall, large-flowered inflorescences in a rich palette of colors.

There are both soft white and dark purple. And between these extremes are all shades of blue and pink.

The height of the plant is two meters. These can be planted individually or in groups.

They will look impressive in any case. They are also resistant to “plant troubles” in comparison with the Pacific group.

Perennials. True, they are not as unpretentious as the previous group (Belladonna); you will have to look after them.

If you do not take care of support, the wind will break the tall, heavy inflorescences. They love to feast on individuals of the slug group and do not pass by the snail. We must protect.

To form such a giant bush, delphiniums of this group “want” loose, fertile soil. Will need to be taken care of.

But this effort, of course, will be paid off by the joy of contemplating the beauty of flowers.

Simple and hybrid varieties of delphiniums

Breeders could not help but notice the wonderful flower. And everything that is included in the selection results in new interesting results.

Among the new plants created as a result, there are many stunningly beautiful hybrids.

There are also simple, non-hybrid varieties, formed by the selection method, where the best, original delphinium varieties are used.

Varieties within groups are usually obtained by crossing different species within the group.

Belladonna. Here scientists worked with the species: Lamiaceae and Grandiflora. Many varieties have been created.

The most popular:

• Casa Blanca: spectacular one and a half meter plants. Snow-white flowers with a yellow central spot.
• Berghimmel. The name has a German motif, and for good reason. The variety was obtained by the German breeder Karl Förster back in pre-war times. The diameter of simple blue flowers is 5 cm. They are collected in a panicle of two dozen pieces, notable for their white eye. The panicle rises at a height of 2 m.
• Wolkerfrieden. Another German achievement. The flowers are of an extraordinary heavenly color and very beautiful.
• Merheim. Old Dutch variety. The height is over a meter. The panicle contains up to 20 white simple five-centimeter flowers.
• Volkerfrieden. This German variety has simple blue flowers that can have different eye colors. Either white or black. The corolla is 5 cm in diameter, height – one and a half meters.

Marfin hybrids. Domestic varieties. They are named after the place of creation - the village of Marfino near Moscow.

The varieties are adapted to the conditions of the country and are capable of competing with the Pacific group of varieties in terms of decorativeness.

The bushes are dense, up to two meters, the stems are of increased strength. Meter-long pyramidal inflorescences contain up to hundreds of graceful flowers measuring 7 cm in diameter.

Rare quality: Marfin hybrids transmit their characteristics through seeds. The percentage of transmission reaches 90 - an unprecedented figure; usually hybrids “disintegrate” in the offspring and do not inherit the characteristics of the parent.

Valuable domestic varieties:

• Daughter of winter. Semi-double “black-eyed” white flowers on a pyramidal 80-centimeter inflorescence crowned with a one and a half meter or more stem. There are up to 75 flowers, the diameter of an individual is 7 cm.
• Spring Snow. The characteristics of the variety are similar to the previous one. The difference is the height is 180 cm, there are more flowers - 80, and their color is not just white, but smoky, slightly shaded with a soft purple tone. And their diameter is slightly smaller - 6 cm.
• Summer morning. 160 cm. Eighty-centimeter pyramidal inflorescence, with 90 semi-double lilac-pinkish flowers located on it. When opened, the diameter is six centimeters. The color of the flower's eye is white and pronounced.
• Blue Lace. Everything is the same as for the variety previously described - “Spring Snow”, the parameters are the same. Only the color is different - dark blue. And the peephole is not dark - white.
• Pledge of Youth. This one is like “Summer Morning”, only there are fewer flowers – 70 and the eye is black.
• Pink Sunset. They will repeat the characteristics of “Summer Morning”, it is distinguished by a black eye and lilac-pink color.

Pacific hybrids. The varieties of the group are also characterized by the transmission of parental qualities through seeds.

Beautiful, interesting, these hybrids are short-lived. But they retain their attractiveness as an annual or two-year crop. Attractive with beauty.

There are varieties that are relatively resistant:

• Blue Jay. 170 cm, semi-double dark blue flowers, 5 cm in diameter, on a fairly dense inflorescence in the form of a cone (it is slightly longer than half a meter).
• Guinever. A two-meter bush with semi-double lilac-pink flowers on a dense cone-shaped inflorescence with large, showy flowers. Their diameter is 7 cm, the central eye of the flower is white.
• King Arthur. 180 cm. The flowers are smaller, 4.5 cm, but they look interesting. They are purple, including the anthers. And the peephole is white. It's elegant.

Elatum. Many beautiful varieties. Tall, large-flowered, with a range of shades, they are loved by gardeners.

Common:

• Glastam. Blue, “dark-eyed” variety.
• Amethyst. Blue with amethyst tint.

Growing seedlings

Seed preparation. The seeds of larkspur are small, but the shell is enviably durable. Sometimes this interferes with normal germination.

In nature, everything is provided for, but in gardening and floriculture we will have to provide for it ourselves.

Not everyone loves delphinium; growing it will require knowledge of the characteristics of the flower.

After disinfecting the seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate or a suitable fungicide, they must be rinsed.

Then we try to work for nature. We will carry out stratification (exposure at low temperatures) of the seeds.

In an apartment, this means aging soaked seeds in the refrigerator. It is convenient to wrap them in a wet cloth, place this cloth in a plastic bag, and then put it in the refrigerator.

The seeds will end up in conditions similar to natural ones. Damp, cold. This is how preparations for spring and sowing begin.

There is no need to over-moisten the seeds; they will not evaporate the moisture in the bag, they will simply harden by the time of sowing.

Delphinium from seeds is common, but not easy.

Delphinium is cold-resistant, and in a week or a week and a half it will sprout roots even in the cold. Check, don't miss this moment.

Sowing. Having dried the seeds until they flow, we proceed to sowing.

Considering the very miniature size of the seeds, you can pre-mix them with sand or crushed chalk: it will be easier to sow the delphinium and distribute the tiny seeds over the surface of the substrate.

Don’t be lazy in preparing the soil: if you give the seeds a start with good nutrition, a loose structure, and optimal moisture, you yourself will be happy with the results.

Mix soil (preferably forest soil), humus, sand - equally. The mixture will have good properties.

Fill the prepared containers with it, having previously poured a drainage layer from below. For drainage, available waste materials are suitable - remnants of crushed stone, broken bricks and the like.

Be sure to make or check for holes in the bottom of the planting container. Place it on a pallet.

Spill (irrigate) the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect future plants from infection by mycelium of pathogenic flora.

After a few hours you can sow. Try to sow evenly. On top is a thin (3 mm) layer of earth.

It is advisable to press down (without unnecessary zeal) the soil on top with a flat object. This is to ensure tight “seed-soil” contact, uniformity of future seedlings, and protection from washout by irrigation.

It is better to moisten the crops with a spray bottle.

Delphinium in the germination stage needs darkness. It should be covered, protected from light, but placed in a cool place. You can - on the window.

Monitor the temperature: if it exceeds 20°, the sprouted roots die.

Obtaining seedlings. Delphinium is not an indoor sissy, it is extreme at the call of nature.

Creating stress similar to natural ones, for example, temperature fluctuations, encourages it to start growing faster.

It is not difficult to arrange a temperature swing for him. For three days in the coolness of the room, the crops have not yet figured out what’s next.

Let them feel the breath of cold for two weeks. Even slight frosts of larkspur are not terrible.

Then take them home or remove these containers from the refrigerator. The temperature difference back and forth is a good stimulus for germination. The germination rate itself will increase noticeably.

Keep an eye out: in a week the seedlings may hatch. The cover is removed: now we need light. Coolness remains relevant - place the seedlings closer to the window.

Picking. Admission is mandatory, otherwise the plants will prevent the neighboring ones from developing normally, and they themselves will remain frail.

Picking begins when the seedlings shoot out the first leaf. Delphinium, whose seedlings are tender and fragile in the first stages, is already ready for this procedure.

Picking is normal. Using a spatula, or perhaps an ice cream stick, carefully pry the plant from below and remove it carefully, preserving the roots and a lump of earth.

Cups with a nutrient mixture of a composition similar to the primary medium should be ready.

Place the root into a hole the size of the root with a lump, sprinkle with soil, and lightly knead.

Afterwards - careful moderate watering. If necessary, add soil.

Feeding. If fertilizers are applied during planting, the seedlings do not need to be fed. When the soil is not very nutritious, and when planting it was not fed, it is advisable to fill this gap later.

One or two feedings per month can please the seedlings.

All fertilizers are acceptable at this stage: basic ones - N, P, K and a set of microelements.

After dissolving according to the instructions, apply fertilizing with watering. Take care of the leaves, do not burn them with the solution, apply them under the roots.

Hardening. In the three-leaf phase, start hardening. First, a few hours outside, at a low temperature.

After a week, leave the seedlings overnight. They will noticeably turn green, become stronger, and stop stretching.

After half a month, the seedlings, hardened and grown, strong, are ready for soil conditions. Can be planted.

Choosing a landing site

In order for the delphinium to please with its flowering and condition, the planting must be thoughtful. The place is chosen so that the plant is as comfortable as possible.

The flower is tall, which means we are looking for an area protected from the winds so that the stems do not break.

But delphinium is light-loving, so we give it a bright place.

Of course, the spur will withstand a whole day in the sun. But its beauty can fade: on hot days, the midday sun will “cook” the flowers and their color will fade.

The beauty must be protected, it is worth observing which place on the site is well lit, but at noon it should be where the shadow (preferably partial shade) from the garden trees should fall.

It will be easier for the flower, and happier for the gardener.
Places with stagnant water and high acidity are not suitable for delphinium.

Choose structural, non-waterlogged neutral nutrient soils; you will get the best results with them.

Disembarkation time

They try to sow any seedling crop at a time that allows the seedlings to grow just in time for their planting in the ground.

They are guided by the plant’s requirements for heat and the climate characteristics of the region.

Delphinium is not afraid of cold weather, so it is not too late to plant it. In the South - in April, in most colder regions - in May.

The plant takes root quickly if it is grown strong, healthy, and tolerates returning cold without problems.

Soil preparation

We will plant a flower of gigantic (in the future) sizes. To form the mass of the bush, it will need a decent amount of nutrients.

Depending on their initial content in the soil, we plan the needs.

Holes for bushes should be dug around the perimeter, square, and deep into the same size. The side of the dug cube is 40 cm, the root will grow powerful.

The hole is filled with humus. It provides nutrients in the most easily digestible form - organic.

Organic matter contains a lot of nitrogen, which is good for gaining green mass.

Phosphorus fertilizers and potassium can be added in mineral form.

Planting delphinium

If the roots of the seedlings in the glasses have grown so much that they are visible through the glasses, there are usually no problems with survival.

Carefully turning the glass over, take out the contents - the roots along with the soil, and place this lump in the prepared hole.

It’s okay that the plant is still small, but the hole is rather big. The delphinium will grow and the roots will spread throughout the nutrient substrate of the pit.

You will get a healthy, strong and beautiful vigorous plant.

After planting the plant, knead the soil and water the hole. Afterwards, if the soil has settled, sprinkle dry soil on top, at the same time it will work as mulch.

You can use sand for dusting - in a thin layer.

Planting care

As you noticed: the seedlings began to grow, there was no need for shading. Yes, and you can water less often.

Care comes down to maintaining loose soil and freeing it from weeds.

When the plant becomes tall, it is better to tie up the delphinium, especially those varieties that can reach two meters in height.

Delphinium loves feeding. You can give him this treat twice a month. Only the composition changes.

At first, nitrogen must be present in the complex fertilizer, then it is excluded. Otherwise, the plant will begin to “fatten” and gain green mass to the detriment of the formation of the inflorescence.

You can form flower bushes by pruning. Inspect the plant, cut out weak shoots at the very base.

The remaining strong, strong ones will become even stronger, having received additional nutrition from the roots.

The decorative effect will benefit, the whole bush will become more powerful.

Reproduction methods

In addition to the somewhat troublesome seed, there is also a simple way of propagating delphinium - vegetative.

It is known to convey the characteristics of the variety without distortion. Moreover - quickly.

Delphinium is propagated vegetatively as follows:

• Dividing the bush;
• Rooting shoots (cuttings).

Dividing the bush. The bush can be divided in the spring, or in the fall. The method is simple.

Young (annual and biennial) plants are not used for this purpose. They take the older ones.

The division is done as follows:

• The bush is dug up, well, but the roots are carefully washed.
• Over the years, the inside of the bush may become damaged; rotten or dry fragments are cut out and disinfected. Potassium permanganate and brilliant green are suitable.
• Using a disinfected knife, cut the bush into fragments. Each part - division - should consist of part of the rhizome, shoot or growth bud and roots.
• Next are two options. Either they are planted directly in the ground, or they are kept in gentle conditions by planting them in pots. The second option makes it easier for the gardener to monitor and care for planting material. But the first one gives good results. True, a small waste is possible in the soil - the death of some seedlings. Again: this directly depends on the care.

Cuttings. The method is preferable if you have a large adult delphinium bush from which you need to get many new plants at once.

The algorithm is simple:

• Rake the soil where the stems emerge from the bush in the spring.
• At this time, the shoots are already growing, and cuttings are formed from them (young, new ones).
• The cutting is cut out together with the “heel” - a small section of the rhizome.
• Then we choose where to plant:
  - Immediately to the garden;
  - In a container (container, box);
  - Form a school - plant it in the sand for rooting.
• The upper part is not cut off, so it evaporates moisture strongly. But the roots have not yet formed. In order for the cuttings to live and take root, they must be moistened and often (sprayed). This will last a week, then the cuttings will adapt.
• If they were rooted in boxes, after a month they are transplanted into pots. They grow there for about another month. Not fast. But it’s reliable: solid roots are formed.
• Afterwards you can safely move it into the ground.

Pre-winter work

Delphinium is propagated vegetatively more often in autumn.

Plants that have just taken root should be prepared for wintering; they are not yet as strong as those planted in the spring or those that have been living on the site for several years.

It’s the same with plants sown at the end of summer: it’s difficult for them in the first winter, especially if it turns out to be frosty. Or the region is traditionally harsh with winter cold.

Delphinium, beloved by many, will require easy care.

What can be done? Provide “youth” with shelter. Film if thaws are infrequent.

Spruce branches are better, they protect, keep warm, and damping off will not happen in case of warming.

Newly planted bushes will overwinter well if buried.

Old-time plants are also prepared - they prune the shoots, leaving 30 cm in length. The snow will cover the plantings and protect them.

The last technique is excluded in areas where the following were noticed:

• Insufficient drainage, periodic, albeit short-term, stagnation of water;
• Rot diseases.

Here, it is advisable to prune stems that have dried out towards the end of the growing season in the spring, so as not to provoke rotting of the rhizome part.

Diseases and pests

Surprisingly, diseases also settle on poisonous flowers, and pests also show gastronomic interest in delphiniums.

A plant, like a person, gets sick from a combination of circumstances: a drop in immunity due to stress.

Spurred snake stress - bad weather. Prolonged heat, drought or cold rains are a blow to the delphinium’s immunity.

He becomes vulnerable, the gates open to infections and pests, blissful just at such a time.

Common diseases:

• Powdery mildew. This fungus does not spare almost all plants, especially if it rains;
• Ramulariasis is also a fungal disease, a companion of rainy summers;
• Ring spot is already a virus;
• Bacterial black spot is a disease of bacterial etiology.

Powdery mildew. It is characterized by symptoms common to other diseased crops:

• Plaque on leaves;
• Withering;
• Wet rot;
• Death of the aboveground part.

Prevention is important, treatment is more difficult. It is necessary to provide ventilation without thickening the plantings, and carry out pruning in a timely manner (cut weak shoots to the ground).

In rainy summers, copper preparations - fungicides - will be assistants in prevention.

Ramulariasis. The disease can be recognized by a large number of spots on the leaves.

With progressive ramulariasis, the spots merge.

Prevention against fungal infections is general. If the disease appears, you will have to apply fungicides.

The main pests of delphinium:

Slugs, snails. Areas with the blue “king of gardens,” as well as with spurs of other colors, are often favored by slugs.

This soft-bodied pest has teeth worse than a shark's. Biologists count up to forty thousand hard teeth, sharp as knives, in the peculiar grater of the slug’s oral apparatus.

Juicy young leaves and stems of delphinium are tempting for pests.

This also applies to close relatives of the slug that have shell protection - snails. Snails and slugs chew the plant's flesh.

If you don't fight, there will be nothing left of the bushes. They “take” this family by spreading sand and ash around the bushes, fortunately the distance allows.

Slippery gluttonous gourmets will not overcome such an obstacle.

When there are large numbers of slugs, traps (rags, boards) are made and insecticides are used. You can place a bleach solution nearby: slugs don’t like the smell.

Delphinium fly. They called it that for a reason. It is not dolphins who suffer from it, but delphiniums.

A specific pest, it prefers this plant on the menu. The most dangerous for our giant plant.

If he grows up, he will grow up. And it will even set buds. But it won’t be able to bloom. Because the “name fly”, having settled on the site, targets the buds and lays eggs there.

The larvae feed on the contents of the bud and eat the reproductive apparatus (pistils and anthers - stamens).

Buds or flowers trying to open quickly wither and fall off.

The delphinium fly is vulnerable to the use of pesticides (toxic chemicals). Plants are sprayed at the beginning of budding, and also during budding.

If necessary, repeat the treatment on flowering plantings and after flowering.

Delphinium is breathtakingly beautiful. It attracts with its power, is noticeable from afar - a real pride of a gardener.

Any beauty by itself will not last long. It takes work to create and maintain it.

Knowing how to grow delphinium will help you do it.

Lush, long flowering of huge inflorescences with flowers that enchant the eye, varied in color, shape, and size - compensates for labor costs, worries and worries.

Delphinium will become your long-term joy - it is generous in return.

See you soon, dear readers!

The name of the plant is associated with the shape of the flower - it was compared to the head of a dolphin, as well as to knight’s spurs. There is a beautiful Greek legend about how delphinium appeared. In Ancient Hellas there lived a young man who sculpted a beautiful statue of his dead beloved and breathed life into it. The gods were angry with him for this and turned him into a dolphin. And then one day the young man’s beloved was walking along the seashore and saw a dolphin. He swam to the shore and laid a beautiful flower at the girl’s feet. This was the delphinium.

Larkspurs, or delphiniums, are native to Asia Minor, Europe and North America. The Greeks considered them flowers of sadness, growing from the body of the mighty Ajax, the strongest hero after Achilles. On the fused double petal of the delphinium they saw the interjection of grief “ap”, which means “alas, woe is me.”

Delphiniums are perennial herbaceous plants. Their stems are hollow, with sparse or without hairs below, and evenly leafy. The leaves are alternate, on long petioles, rounded in outline, palmately dissected. The flowers are dark blue, with a spur, collected in a brush; fruit - from three leaflets. In our country, delphiniums grow in the forests of the European part, in Siberia, and the Far East.

The bud of this plant resembles the back of a dolphin emerging from the sea, but perhaps the flower is named after the Greek city of Delphi at the foot of Parnassus, where the famous Delphic oracle was located in the temple of Apollo. "Delphinion" - flower of Delphic Apollo. This is what Dioscorides called these plants.

In the 13th century a certain Petrus Crescentius wrote a work on gardening in which he reported that delphinium seeds, ground into powder and mixed with vinegar, are a good remedy for lice, scabs, scabies and scabs, which is why the plant is called lousewort (from the German “louse” - louse) .

Studies of the chemical composition of delphiniums were initially carried out with the sole purpose of establishing the cause of their toxicity. These studies unexpectedly led to very interesting results. It turned out that delphiniums contain alkaloids that have an effect similar to curare, the famous Indian arrow poison. Most alkaloids are found in the roots at the beginning of the plant's growing season, and in the leaves during the fruiting period.

The alkaloids elatin, methyllycaconitine, condelfin and eldenine have been isolated from larkspur (Delphinium elatum). Alkaloids valuable for medicine are also contained in other types of delphinium - confused (D. confusum), half-bearded (D. semibarbatum), reticulate (D. dictyocarpum), round-leaved (D. rotundifolium) and sowing (D. consolida). Delphiniums are perennial herbaceous plants. Their stems are hollow, with sparse or without hairs below, and evenly leafy. The leaves are alternate, on long petioles, rounded in outline, palmately dissected. The flowers are dark blue, with a spur, collected in a brush; fruit - from three leaflets. In our country, delphiniums grow in the forests of the European part, in Siberia, and the Far East.