By Irridium
United Kingdom
Attempting to grow Aquilegia viridifolia 'Chocolate Soldier'
for the second time and I get very poor germination (2 out of 10 seeds). I'm wondering if I could get some advice about this if anyone has grown this before or other species. (One of current obsessions atm!)
- 24 Jan, 2019
Answers
I agree with above. Ok so two plants are better than none and one thing I know about this plant is that it can spread. Plant the two plants you have and let them self-seed naturally. You'll soon have aquilegia popping up everywhere just like I did.
25 Jan, 2019
if it is a named variety and these are seeds from one of the plants you probably[very unlikely] wont get the same plants from the seed. The seed from these varieties may not be as viable either. So 2 plants is good.
The common one seeds prolifically and you get some lovely variations. I find A chrysantha less reliable and I know that last summer limited seed formation.
25 Jan, 2019
It's just that I'd seen this as a seed not the plant in the flesh, and so I got really interested in growing this. (Not sure if there is a marked difference in the species as opposed to a named variety.) Never seen it before anywhere for sale, but recognise the seed in last season's reduced sale and thought I'd give it a go.
Maybe, I'll grow it again with the remaining seed in grittier soil in two pots for the greenhouse and one for outside, and I'll see how they both fare.
25 Jan, 2019
You'll need to do a bit of research for your particular type but off the top of my head, I think aquilegia can be increased by root cuttings.
Either that or I've definitely killed mine😄
25 Jan, 2019
Did you know that the Touchwood garden, holder of the national collection of aquilegias has lost ALL its plants to downy mildew, a devastating fungal infection.
Large plants can be split to increase them but I don't find they regrow from roots that have had their tops cut off. [unlike dandelions] I wonder if they are laid sideways on a gritty compost if that would encourage them to grow? I might have a play later on.
25 Jan, 2019
Aquilegia viridiflora is for sale here - www.cgf.net/shop.aspx?id=14&hid=14
This is the nursery where I bought mine
25 Jan, 2019
I've noticed other sites too, thanks for looking.
I, too, have find out about Touchwood when I first got into aquilegias last summer and it was a big shame that their stock was completely infected with downy mildew.
I have 'Tequila Sunrise' too which I've yet to sow in spring, so I'll follow Touchwood's cultivation instructions for that. Also, have A. kurdistanica and A. double pleat blackberry plants that were bought in autumn.
Without checking it out guidance on propagation, I divided my normal pale pink aquilega (big lump with lots of shoots) in autumn each piece with a bit of shoot and roots. Then, once 10 pots were potted up, I was curious about it and checked out that they don't propagate that way normally but by self-seeding. I thought, I'll leave it to chance, and by early Dec. they starting forming new leaves on top. So I'm pleased that it is possible to divide them, as Seaburngirl says. (I got lucky there!)
With all these new plants of the same genus, I'm afraid of cross pollination, and so, I was wondering if I deadhead them religiously, then hopefully, I won't have volunteers, or do I leave them to it. BTW, the garden is very small and all my plants are either squeezed in the flower bed or in pots.
25 Jan, 2019
You can snip off the seed capsules when they are green - really not a big deal. It makes an attractive plant even without flowers.
25 Jan, 2019
Yes, I find their foilage rather dainty and soft. I wonder if the flowers are good for cutting?
25 Jan, 2019
I think it would work in a small bouquet/arrangement. They don't have much of a stem, but would work with other smaller flowers, marigolds for example.
25 Jan, 2019
Some of the species aquilegias have a short lifespan
25 Jan, 2019
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