Aquilegia frustration.

I have just recieved two packets of free Aquilegia seeds in magazines.
They both look interesting colours..........but I am disappointed that they won’t Flower this year.........unless someone knows different.

 

Love the look of Lime Sorbet!

No, they won't flower this year but you'll have a lovely display next year (and the year after and the year after that and so on and so forth) Once they do flower, they will self seed freely

 

If you sow any perennial seed in future, autumn is a great time to sow, simply grow on and protect in a cold frame or cold greenhouse over winter and you will have stronger plants for when spring comes around and you may also get some flowering in their first year (depending on what it is you've sown)

 

Hmm, that is most interesting, thank you

The self seeded ones soon put in an appearance before Autumn; then, as the season draws to an end, they look as if they are dying. Come now (January) I see the plant "crowning" ready for growth and subsequent Spring flowering. No pampering of cold frames/greenhouses either. So, I'm thinking, maybe even *before* Autumn for sowing outdoors (sowing direct, I mean)? This is with regard specifically to Aquilegeas

Maybe the rule of thumb with self seeding perennials is to note when they cast their seed and follow nature's example?

 

Now I have ordered a couple of Aquilegia ( Grannies Bonnets ) as plug plants , due in March. Would plugs flower in year 1 ?

 

No experience of Aquilegia as plug plants but I'm thinking it would very much depend on the size of the plug plant.
My understanding of plug plants are that they are very young plants where the seed sowing part is done elsewhere. By the time we get them, they are a little ahead of the game, so to speak.
I'm not convinced you will get flowers from plug plants this year though, but I'll be fascinating to see the results you get

 

Watch out for the Aquilegia downy mildew too guys, mine have all been wiped out I need to burn the left overs and rest the soil from them for 2 years. The entire National Collection in Wales was wiped as well, the lady is distraught - you may have seen her on GW

 

They will most probably be plants raised from autumn sowing so some varieties may but I would think it will still be next year, either way as plug plants in March you will have nice strong plants by the summer

 

DOWNY MILDEW INFORMATION FROM CARRIE THOMAS TOUCHWOOD AQUILEGIAS
Touchwood Plants Home Page: Seeds, Seedling, Plants. Aquilegia specialist. Gardening Services

I am no longer sending any seeds overseas. If downy mildew of aquilegias entered other countries via my seed I could never forgive myself. Not only are columbines in gardens at risk, but all the wonderful wildflowers, every species of aquilegia could be susceptible.

UNHAPPY NEWS New KILLER disease of aquilegias:, please read: This is my last ever aquilegia seedlist . In, 2014, I had downy mildew of aquilegias infecting many plants the collections. I have no collections anymore. Downy mildew is a new disease of aquilegias, and has killed nearly all my plants in 2 years. I have informative webpages about it, please follow this link:
DOWNY MILDEW OF AQUILEGIAS- Aquilegia downy mildew.
I don't collect seed from DM infected plants (they are usually dead anyway) but there is a risk of contamination by spores or even spores inside the seed. However, if your germinated seedlings look unusual do let me know and send photos. In particular: yellowy, angular patches on the leaves, more upright growth, lighter, whiter leaves or sickly and/or dying seedlings.
I’ve never yet seen a seedling infected from the start, but research is being carried out including seed harvested from infected plant ‘portrait 3’ shown in my DM case history webpage Aquilegia downy mildew on plants
Sowing of such seed is an experiment to see if seed transmission is possible. Three research establishments will be working in different ways with such potentially contaminated seeds.

It is not known if downy mildew is transferred by seed. It is possible. For example, there could be long-lasting oospores on the outside the seeds. If so, after a resting period, such oospores can germinate when conditions are suitable and produce and release some other spores to infect aquilegias growing nearby. This could happen many months after the aquilegia seed had germinated, when the seedlings are a good size. It may never be clear if such older seedlings have been infected by oospores (via seeds) or from other sources, such as blown in by the wind or via clothing of garden visitors. Research is currently being undertaken by Fera, and I have sent batches of my most suspect seeds (that I do NOT sell) to be included in the experiments.
Do visit this link to find out more about this killer disease,
DOWNY MILDEW OF AQUILEGIAS- Aquilegia downy mildew. it leads to 11 more very informative pages with plenty of photos of what to look out for. In particular, to keep a watch for possible symptoms in springtime as your established plants come into growth in spring, visit Aquilegia downy mildew on plants

Here’s another couple of links: Killer disease cripples aquilegia collection and New killer Aquilegia disease sweeps the UK

Please check the aquilegias that you already have in your garden for signs and symptoms. If you have it, or think that you do, feel free to email photos to me (I can usually confirm), together with your village/town and county so that I may add to the directory of where it is found: http://www.touchwoodplants.co.uk/aquilegia-downy-mildew-UK-&-world.htm

 

The above makes for sad reading but Carrie has put together lots of very important information and links to aid us to limit the spread and ultimately eradicate the disease that has blighted her much loved Aquilegia collection. With Spring around the corner, this information is well timed for us all with Aquilegias in our gardens or those wishing to add them to their gardens.

 

@shiney warned us about this when it happened to his aquilegias a couple of years ago

 

It is indeed so sad @BeeHappy, perhaps I should ring up the GC supplier and let them know as my stock have only ever come from them for Aquilegias. They are so versatile and tolerate some shade as well as being perfect for the bees May onwards

 

@Mark56 don't think it could do any harm to mention it, but we can only hope that if they are offering them for sale then they are surely up to speed on such diseases This is why i prefer to sow my own to prevent any undetected DM or pesticide/insecticide in the soil when being grown.
I sowed 150 seeds of Mckana giants last Spring and Autumn

A few of the Spring sown plug plants were planted up last Autumn in the flower beds, planters and gifted to friends and the Autumn sown plants are in 7cm plant pots ready to plant into larger planters on my patio seating area as i want to see whether they are as attractive to the Buzzy bees as their other less fancy relatives - my guess is that they may not be but if thats the case they will make nice gift's to a charity plant stall for their fundraising -
So not a wasted exercise in the long run