Rules for preparing aquilegia for winter, whether you need to prune in the fall
Hundreds of species and varieties of plants of the Buttercup family are grown in the gardens. They are a wonderful decoration for any landscape. Most should ensure good wintering. Aquilegia does not require special preparation for winter, but the roots need protection from frost. To get a beautiful bloom next season, you need to take the necessary measures.
How to care for perennial aster with the arrival of cold weather
The plant does not need special care. In the warm season, it pleases with flowers of various colors. And in the fall, you should worry about how the flowers will overwinter..
Various shelters, pruning for the winter, mulching of the soil will help provide protection from frost.
Do I need to prune aquilegia for the winter?
The aerial part of the perennial dies off with the onset of cold weather, and the rhizome with growth buds remains in the ground. Therefore, in the fall, the main task is to prepare the root system for wintering. For this, the stems and leaves are removed.
Autumn pruning is necessary in order to:
- prevent decay of the root system;
- destroy pest larvae;
- insulate the root.
Important: the aboveground part is cut off with the onset of frost.
The cut parts of the flower are used for compost. But if they are infected with diseases, it is recommended to burn them.
When and how best to prune?
For trimming flowers, a favorable period is considered to be the time without precipitation. It is recommended to carry out the process from late October to mid-November, when the air temperature dropped to 5 degrees Celsius. The soil of the garden should still be loose, but it starts to freeze at night.
Stems up to 5 centimeters high are left above the soil surface. They should be sprinkled with loose earth or sawdust.
Preparation of covering materials
Adult plants are quite cold-resistant, therefore they do not need additional insulation. Young varieties are weaker and therefore need shelter.
For flowers of the Buttercup family, it is recommended to prepare spruce branches or non-woven fabric.
Nonwoven fabric has the following advantages:
- when touching a plant, it does not injure it;
- transmits light, air, water;
- protects from frost;
- shelters from exposure to ultraviolet rays;
- does not break.
If there is no non-woven material, you can use the branches of coniferous trees. It is recommended to cover the top with a film and cut off shoots. This will provide the plants with dry shelter.
How to cover flowers for the winter?
After the onset of persistent frosts, it is recommended to carry out annual mulching for flowers before sheltering. The mulch should be up to 4 centimeters. It is recommended to cover the root system:
- a mixture of garden soil;
- compost;
- humus;
- peat.
This mixture will not only protect the plant from freezing, but also provide additional nutrition.
The top of the mulch is covered with a non-woven fabric.
What you should pay attention to?
It is necessary to pay attention to varieties that are more than 5 years old. These plants have roots protruding, which harms young leaves and shoots. Therefore, it is recommended to sprinkle the rhizome with peat compost.
Some flower diseases are associated with low temperature. If the plant is not already covered, it is treated with insecticides and then covered with a nonwoven fabric.
After flowering in the fall, the stem is cut at the root. This gives a neat appearance to the flower garden, and also prevents clogging with hybrid self-seeding, since most varieties are easily crossed with each other. New bushes will begin to grow around the old flower, and the flower bed will lose its decorative effect.
Before winter, plant seeds are often sown. The process is carried out independently or by self-seeding.
To get early flowering, flower forcing is carried out. To do this, in the fall, the plant is transplanted into a flower pot and taken to a basement or a cold greenhouse. In January-February, the flower is transferred to a bright room, where the temperature is maintained at 14-17 degrees. If all the conditions are met, the flower will bloom in April.
Possible problems
The plant does not like constant dampness. It will die from excessive moisture. The flower grows poorly in dark places. This provokes the appearance of diseases such as powdery mildew. Pathology is determined by a white bloom on the leaves. It is recommended to get rid of powdery mildew with a sulfuric solution.
If dark watery spots are visible on the foliage, this indicates the presence of gray rot. To cure the plant, it is necessary to spray with a strong manganese solution or fungicides.
The plant is represented by various hybrid varieties and variety mixtures. Blossoming can be admired until autumn. Despite the frost resistance, the flowers require shelter by the winter period..
