Planting and caring for aconite in open ground, cultivation and propagation methods

There are many popular names for aconite. It is often called wolf root, king grass, wrestler, wolf boy, blue eye or iron helmet. Aconite can only be planted in open ground. When caring for it, do not forget that this is a poisonous plant. But this applies more to natural species. Still, you should not plant aconites where children often visit.

Description and characteristics of aconite

Aconite is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 1.5 m in height. It belongs to the Buttercup family. The leaves are shiny, dark green. The stems of the plant are long and straight. The flowers are often blue or purple, sometimes white. The shape resembles a helmet or a lady's shoe, and therefore many legends have been created about the flower.

Every year new plants grow from last year's tubers. This is how aconites “capture” territory. Their space increases by 2-3 cm per year.

Varieties and varieties

There are many types of aconites; in our latitudes the hooded species and its garden forms are more common. Depending on the climatic zones, other species are often found.

Akonite Eastern

On a stem up to 1.5 m high there are inflorescences of white, yellow and rarely pale lilac color. The flowering period begins in July.

Wolfsbane Violet

For aconites, this species is short, as it does not grow above 1 m. It has large purple flowers, sometimes they are found white. The flower cluster reaches up to 40 cm. It blooms in July-August.

Fisher's aconite

The height of the stem reaches 1.6 m. The leaves are dense, palmately cut into 5-7 lobes. The flowers are bright blue, collected in a brush. Blooms from July to October.

Aconite Cammarum

It has thinner stems and lacy foliage. The flowers are more elongated. Color - pale pink, purple, white or blue. Height 130-140 cm.

Wolfsbane Curly

Lodging stem up to 4 m long. The flowers are blue and bloom in August-September. An unpretentious plant, loves semi-shaded areas. Curly aconites are used for vertical gardening.

Aconite Arends

The Arends hybrid, which was obtained by interspecific crossing, grows up to 1 m in height. The flowers are blue or white, and bicolor plants are often found. Flowering occurs in mid-summer.

Wolfsbane Bearded

Although this variety has a slightly gloomy yellowish color, it looks quite impressive and unusual. The flower raceme is relatively short, only 25 cm. The height of the plant is 1.2 m. It blooms in July.

Planting a flower

You can plant a flower in any soil, you just need to avoid waterlogged, gravelly and sandy soil.

Site selection and soil preparation

Most of these flowers prefer shady areas. For climbing species, choose the most shaded and cool places. They do not tolerate direct sunlight well, getting burned from them. The exceptions are Carmichel aconite and Antorra aconite and should be planted in elevated, sunny positions.

In autumn, there should be no stagnation of water in the area where aconites will grow. Otherwise, the roots of the plants will rot and die.

Before planting, organic compounds and mineral fertilizers are added to the soil. To prevent diseases, biofungicides are also added.

Landing technology

For planting, select tubers that have a large bud and strong roots. 2-3 roots are placed in a prepared hole 20 cm deep, one is allowed. The distance between seedlings should be at least 20 cm.

You can also plant cuttings or part of a divided bush. The landing process is the same. The planted sprouts quickly strengthen and grow into a strong bush.

When to plant

Planting through tubers or seeds should be done in the autumn. When choosing seeds as a raw material for planting, you need to take into account that the first flowering will occur no earlier than in 3-4 years.

Transfer

Flowers should be replanted to a new location every 4 years. It is better to transplant in the fall. This is done to improve flowering and a more neat appearance of the bush.

Care Tips

Aconites are not picky about care, but they still cannot be avoided without some simple steps.

Fertilizer and feeding of aconite

After awakening the soil from winter rest, you need to add organic fertilizers. This can be an infusion of mullein or bird droppings. It needs to be diluted in water at room temperature. For 10 liters of water add 2 liters of infusion.

After applying the fertilizer, water the plant with clean water to wash away particles of substances from the sprouts. They also use compost, sprinkling it under the bushes. This will give rich shades to the flowers of the plant.

During the period of bud formation, the bushes are fed with nitroammophoska. 40 grams of the drug are added to 10 liters of water. Subsequently, the plant is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, pouring it under the bushes before watering. There should be at least 20-25 days between feedings.

Important! You cannot use ash to feed bushes. It reduces the acidity of the soil, and this negatively affects plants.

Watering the plant

Crops need to be watered moderately, because they do not tolerate too much moisture. During dry periods, irrigation is carried out 2 times a month, pouring cool water under the root of the plant. The rest of the time they are not watered at all.

Loosening the soil

It is necessary to loosen the soil around aconite flowers, because if a crust forms on top, then oxygen will not flow to the root system of the plants.It is also necessary to weed the weeds so that they do not deprive the bush of nutrients.

Protection from diseases and pests

Bushes are susceptible to both diseases and various pests.

Powdery mildew

The plant is most often affected. This is a fungal disease that manifests itself as a white coating on all above-ground parts of the bush. The plant gradually withers until it dies completely. To get rid of the disease, you need to remove all the affected parts of the bush, remove the top layer of soil and replace it with a new one. Treat the plant with a fungicide.

Ring mosaic

The leaves are covered with a large number of spots of different sizes and colors. They are yellow, brown or grayish. The reason for the appearance is a virus that is spread by aphids. The disease has virtually no cure, so preventative measures should be taken to prevent it. The main action is the fight against aphids.

Greening of flowers

Also a viral disease. Because of it, the inflorescences become deformed and acquire a green tint. The carriers are sucking insects and herbivorous mites. Having noticed such lesions on the bushes, they should be immediately removed and disposed of so that the disease does not spread to other plants.

The most common pest.

Nematode

A tiny worm that, despite its size, causes quite a lot of damage to the plant. To combat it, bushes are sprayed with solutions of Lindane, Phosfamide and Mercaptophos.

Aphid

Small black flies, one colony of which can destroy an entire plant. To combat it, bushes are treated with insecticides such as Arrivo or Confidor. Biological drugs are also used - Akarin, Aversectin and Fitoverm.

Culture propagation

Aconite can be propagated in several ways:

• Cuttings.This is the fastest way to reproduce. In the spring, while the young shoots have not yet become hollow inside, they are cut off and immersed in the soil. Cover the top with film, forming a greenhouse.
• Rhizome division. Also an easy way. In spring, the side part of the rhizome is separated and planted separately.
• Seeds. They are sown in the fall, immediately after harvest. The next year, their germination rate drops by 50%. Seeds are sown in moist soil and await germination in the spring.

Use in landscape design

Aconite bushes look impressive in areas both alone and in groups. Also, when designing flower beds, they are often combined with other flowers, for example, phlox, yarrow and daylilies.

Due to the height of the plants, landscape designers use them as a backdrop for other flowers. Climbing representatives of aconites are planted near hedges and arbors. Their vines weave around fences, thereby creating hedges.

You can experiment with color, because aconites have quite bright colors. For example, blue varieties will go well with yellow or red flowers.

When growing aconites, we must not forget about our safety, although garden plants are not too poisonous, but when working with them, it is better to play it safe and wear rubber gloves.