Most gardeners enjoy colorful and lush outdoor flowers. The columbine (Aquilegia) is a lush and extremely easy-care flower that blooms from spring to early summer and adds wonderful blooms to a garden. There are not many care measures required for the plant and pruning is one of the important steps if you want to enjoy a healthy plant for a long time. You need to prune the columbine for the flower to thrive and there are some pointers you should keep in mind to do it correctly. Read on!
What you should know about columbine
Columbine is a perennial flower that blooms in spring and can die back to the ground when dormant. There are more than 70 species of columbine, and some native columbines grow wild in mountainous areas, along streams and in forests. The flower's unique shape makes it well-equipped to attract long-tongued nectar seekers.
Why should you prune columbine?
Regular pruning will keep the columbine looking neater and improve air circulation around the plant. If air circulation is not good, the flower may be prone to mildew and mildewbecome susceptible to fungal diseases. Powdery mildew spreads when water sprays off infected leaves on a plant. If your plant suffers from powdery mildew, you will need to remove the affected foliage and stems.
For healthy plants, you can cut back columbine after flowering. If you cut back immediately after flowering, you can curb heavy self-seeding. Removing the columbine flower heads allows the established plants to conserve energy. If you wish to self-sow, leave the flower heads until fall. Pruning also helps to extend the flowering period of the columbine. A newly planted columbine may not tolerate heavy pruning early in the season.
When to prune the columbine
As mentioned earlier, it is best if you prune columbine after it has bloomed. When you prune a spent columbine, you promote the good appearance of the plant. If you prune after the first flowering, you encourage new flowers and so you can enjoy the columbine's blooms for longer.
How to cut columbine
- Before you begin pruning, clean your pruning tools with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol. How to prevent the spread of plant diseases. Use sharp hand scissors.
- Remove the spent flowers from the plant. Columbine produces new seedlings in unexpected places.
- After flowering, trim the flower stems to keep the plant tidy.Cutthe stems come within 5 cm of the ground. The plant will have just enough top growth so that the crown is not damaged in winter.
- Cut thicker shoots at an angle so that rainwater can drain away easily.
- If you want to let the columbine grow again after flowering, cut the entire plant back by about a third to half of its height. This will encourage the growth of new leaves at the base of the plant and they will create a fresh pile of leaves that should last all summer.
- Be sure to mark the location of the plants so that they are not disturbed or accidentally dug up during dormancy.
The most popular columbine varieties for your garden
Among the more than 70 species of columbine, these are the most popular:
- Corbett: This variety has pale yellow flowers; resistant to leaf miners. It is a dwarf variety that grows 1 to 1.5 m high.
- Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis): The flower produces pale, pink to blood red and pink/yellow flowers that point upwards.
- William Guiness' European Columbine (A. vulgaris): The plant has stunning dark purple petals with white sepals and grows bushy. The height is up to 75 cm'
- Little Lanterns': These flowers have red and yellow bell-shaped flowers and are also resistant to leaf miners. They only grow to a height of approx. 25 cm.
- The Swan series includes two-tone, medium-sized 55cm hybrids that are ideal for cutting when half-open.
- Swan Pink and Yellow': The flower has soft pink outer petals with pastel yellow inner petals.
- 'Swan Red and White': This variety produces red outer petals with white inner petals.
Care tips for the colorful flower
- You can sow columbine from seeds that you collect from the faded plants.
- As a rule, the flowers like moist soil. When it comes to young plants, keep them moist until they are well established. After that, only weekly watering is required, except during extended dry periods when they require additional watering.
- As far as the location for the columbine is concerned, the plant usually loves full sun. It can also tolerate partial shade.
- Fertilize monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer.Regular fertilizationcontributes to brighter flowers and denser foliage.
- Regularly removing petals can also help the plant bloom more.
- If desired, you can propagate columbine by dividing the plants every few years as well. They grow quickly and become bushy.
- As a rule, columbine does not suffer from many problems because it is a robust plant, but the leaf miner can occasionally become a problem. Treat the plants with neem oil as it is a good and natural remedy to combat these pests.
- Pruning the columbine shortly after flowering down to the base leaves also usually helps to avoid problems with pests.
