Aquilegia in pots?

Rob Lockwood

Has anyone successfully kept aquilegias in pots?  They've self-seeded all over the garden and rather than get rid, wondered if I could dig up and pot some of them so I can wheel them out when they're in flower next year.  If you have, what size of pot?  Thanks!

B3

They have deep roots when mature.

Rob Lockwood

Thanks B3 - unpromising then?

debs64

I have moved them successfully from one border to another just dig deep and use a big pot and cut off about half the foliage to give the roots a chance. Worth a try I would say! 

Butterfly66

They don’t really hog the space when they’ve finished flowering and you can cut them right back once the foliage goes tatty so maybe best left in the border. We get loads as well and I just pull out any getting in the way once they’ve gone over, I just make sure that a few are left to self-seed.

Nanny Beach

as long as youplant them fairy small, I take a nice big chunk of soil around them, they do fine in pots, I dont cut them back after flowering.

KeenOnGreen

I deadhead any seed heads to stimulate new flowers, and prevent self-seeding.  

Butterfly66

I’ve never thought to deadhead them , don’t know why. @KeenOnGreen how long do they keep going for?

KeenOnGreen

It will extend the flowering period beyond a month, but this also depends on soil conditions and weather too.  

purplerallim

I have alot of more native type, which if cross pollinate will give predominantly pink flowers. So I dead head the pink ones and allow the white, blue and purple ones to seed. You still end up with pink, but they don't take over.😁

Fairygirl

I always dead head them. I only keep a few now though, and mainly whites, or very dark ones like William Guiness.
Inevitably you get crossing if they seed around, and end up with those horrible pink nothing-y colours, which I can't bear. 
If you start them off in a pot, and the pot's suitable, you can keep them potted. I'd say you'd need something at least a foot deep @Rob Lockwood