Beautiful, colorful and diverse aquilegia adorns many flower beds and flower beds. The flower is so ancient that you can see it in the art paintings of the Middle Ages. Also, references to him are found in the famous works of Shakespeare. Among the people, the flower is known as a catchment area and for good reason, because its name comes from such Latin words as “water” and “collect”. This spectacular flower can adequately decorate any garden and grow it yourself is not at all difficult. You can sow aquilegia with seeds both in early spring and in autumn, before winter.

When and how to plant aquilegia seeds at home

Aquilegia is the embodiment of beauty and variety of colors, flowers that are admired and grown with pleasure by many gardeners.

Description of aquilegia seeds + photo

Aquilegia belongs to the genus of herbaceous perennial plants of the Ranunculaceae family. It has numerous flowers of the original form, with characteristic spurs and a rather unusual color. After their flowering, fruits (multi-leaflets) are tied on the bush. They look like small boxes with a large number of compartments in which the seeds ripen.

Attention! Aquilegia seeds are poisonous, so all work with them should be done with caution. It is also necessary to prevent access to them by children and other family members who are unaware of their health hazards.
When and how to plant aquilegia seeds at home

Aquilegia seeds are glossy, shiny, black.

The nuances of growing seedlings

Planting aquilegia with seeds is the easiest and most effective way to propagate. It can be done in spring or autumn. At the same time, the timing of sowing aquilegia for seedlings will vary. In spring, it is preferable to grow seedlings, and in autumn, seeds can be sown directly into the ground.

Comment! It is more expedient to sow aquilegia in the fall, because in this case the seeds will undergo natural stratification (cold stimulation).

How to sow aquilegia for seedlings

You can sow aquilegia for seedlings in the open (directly on the beds). The variant of crops in the closed ground, in seedling boxes is possible.

When to plant aquilegia for seedlings

In spring, the optimal time for sowing aquilegia seeds for seedlings is March-April, immediately after the snow melts. Autumn planting is recommended in late August or early September.

When and how to plant aquilegia seeds at home

Translated from Latin, “Aquigelia” means “a plant that collects water”, other names for the flower are eagle, boots, elf shoes, doves, bell

Tank selection and soil preparation

The soil before planting aquilegia for seedlings should be prepared in advance. To do this, mix sand, soddy soil and leaf humus in equal proportions (1: 1: 1). Then the planting containers are filled with the prepared substrate and lightly tamped. Do this approximately 24 hours before sowing.

It is best to sow aquilegia seeds for seedlings in deep boxes, because the plant has a taproot system, a correspondingly long root.

Is stratification of aquilegia seeds necessary?

Quality seeds do not need pre-sowing preparation. Purchased planting material often has poor germination, and therefore needs to be stratified. When sown in autumn, this will happen naturally, under the influence of winter low temperatures.

Stratification of aquilegia at home

1-1,5 months before sowing, the storage temperature of seeds must be reduced to 0 °C. This procedure is called hardening or stratification. Aquilegia seeds can be stratified in the refrigerator. At the same time, they are cooled for a month in a container with wet peat or sand. They can also be wrapped in a damp but not too wet cloth.

Similarly, elevated temperatures also act on the seed material. 30 days before planting, the seeds can be placed in a thermostat with a temperature of 35 ° C.

How to plant aquilegia seeds for seedlings

Sowing aquilegia seeds for seedlings in the autumn has its own tricks:

  • planting work must begin immediately after the collection of planting material;
  • sowing is done by scattering seeds over the soil surface;
  • fence the landing area with boards or place any container without a bottom above it;
  • cover the crops with covering material for the winter;
  • in the spring, after the appearance of 3-4 leaves on the seedlings, they are transplanted to a permanent place.

In spring, aquilegia can be sown with seeds for seedlings. At the same time, seed material is scattered on the previously prepared soil mixture. It is recommended to sow the seeds quite thickly. Then the crops are slightly pressed down by hand (rolled) and sprinkled to a height of 3 mm with soil, previously sifted through a sieve. The surface soil layer is moistened from above with a sprayer and covered with plastic wrap or glass, creating the effect of a greenhouse. Boxes with crops are placed in a lighted place.

AQUILEGIA (catchment) – planting for seedlings

How to grow aquilegia from seeds at home

Sowing aquilegia for seedlings at home is quite simple, the main thing is to remember that this flower does not like special excesses. Lighting should be moderate, the soil should not be overdried or waterlogged. The implementation of these recommendations will allow you to grow healthy seedlings, which will quickly grow, and will delight you with their flowering next year.

Microclimate

Aquilegia crops need to create comfortable conditions:

  • the temperature regime must be maintained at + 15-17 ° С;
  • seedlings should be shaded from direct sunlight;
  • watering should be small drops (from a spray bottle).

Watering and fertilizing schedule

The first shoots appear after 7-14 days, after which it is necessary to remove the glass or film. Further care of seedlings consists in timely watering and top dressing. It is necessary to water the crops carefully and moderately, avoiding waterlogging. Otherwise, root rot may develop and the seedlings will die.

Picks

After the first pair of true leaves appear in the seedlings, they must be dived into loamy soil rich in nutrients. Tentatively, transplantation can be carried out at the end of April. Do not delay the picking process, as the root system will be subjected to unnecessary trauma. Timely transplanted aquilegia will not hurt and will take root much faster. It is recommended to dive seedlings in the morning or evening.

When and how to plant aquilegia seeds at home

It is best to use peat pots or disposable (paper) cups for picking, so that when transplanting seedlings to a permanent place, the root system is less damaged

Transplant into the ground

Seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place after the threat of return frosts has passed and the soil has warmed up sufficiently (up to + 15 ° C). You should be guided by the middle-end of May. You can not transplant the seedlings immediately to a permanent place, but send it for growing (until the end of summer or until the spring of next year), and then plant it in flower beds.

Advice! Plants placed for growing and then transplanted will get sick twice, so experienced gardeners recommend immediately planting seedlings in a permanent place.

Collection and storage of seeds

It is recommended to start collecting aquilegia seeds in August, before they spill on the ground. You can dry them indoors if needed. It is not recommended to store seeds for more than 1 year. It is best to sow immediately after harvest. If this is not possible, then store the seed material in a cool place.

Attention! Seeds of aquilegia quite easily wake up on the ground, just lightly squeezing the seed pod from several sides is enough. You can prevent this by putting fabric bags on the boxes.

Conclusion

As practice shows, sowing aquilegia with seeds is quite simple, and many amateur gardeners practice this with success. The difficulty lies in only one thing – in obtaining from the seeds of plants identical to the mother ones, so different varieties of watersheds in a flower bed can be pollinated. But, having listened to all the advice and recommendations, every gardener will be able to act as a breeder, growing beautiful and original flowers in his garden, unlike any other.

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