Badan: planting and care in the open field, description of varieties and species, methods of reproduction

The amazing decorative properties of bergenia make it one of the popular crops for creating magnificent landscapes in gardens, public areas, able to decorate any landscape design. To enjoy the bewitching appearance of bergenia from early spring to late autumn, you need to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of proper planting and caring for the plant in the open field.

Features and characteristics of bergenia

Badan refers to perennials that can grow for 10 years without a transplant in one place. A plant with a thick rhizome, located near the surface of the earth, and massive basal round leaves. Shiny foliage retains its decorative effect throughout the growing season.

Thanks to pink, white, lilac flowers, collected at the top of low stems in dense racemose inflorescences, the culture is especially popular with gardeners. Flowering is observed in May and lasts up to 20 days. After its completion, the plant remains decorative, as it forms a dense cover 15-20 cm in height.

Popular species and varieties

Gardeners cultivate 10 types of bergenia, but the following are considered popular:

1. Badan thick-leaved. Perennial, reaching up to 60 cm in height. The bushes have large leathery leaves, painted in bright green, which changes to fiery red in autumn. Attract the attention of bell-shaped flowers of white, lilac, purple hue. The species boasts varieties:

• Purpurea;
• Giderruspe;
• Senior.

2. Badan heart-leaved. Bushes growing up to 60 cm in height have dense, heart-shaped leaves, and lilac flowers with a pink tint. Based on this species, many varieties have been bred:

• Baby Doll;
• David

3. Badan Strechi. The plant is valued for its ovate, serrated leaves and large white, pink with a lilac tint flowers collected in a brush.
4. Badan Hissar. The perennial is characterized by elongated large foliage and white flowers collected in a one-sided racemose inflorescence. Known varieties include:

• Alba;
• Beethoven;
• Belvedere.

5. Ciliary bergenia. This species is distinguished by the presence of cilia or pile at the base of the leaves. Light pink or white flowers with a bright, almost purple calyx attract attention.
6. Badan purple. One of the spectacular plant species that has shiny leaves and crimson flowers.
7. Badan Pacific. A very large flower up to 50 cm in height, decorated with a red peduncle with pink flowers, in appearance resembling small bells. Thanks to its tough, dark green leaves, it is especially sought after by gardeners.

Application in landscape design

Badan will definitely become one of the colorful decorations of the garden plot. With its elegance and luxury, it will make the territory of the garden stylish and original, while maintaining a beautiful appearance until late autumn.

Necessary conditions for growth and flowering

The main secret of success in growing bergenia is to create optimal environmental conditions similar to its natural.

Illumination

Badan belongs to shade-tolerant crops, so it is not necessary to place it in open sunny areas. When choosing a landing site, it should be noted that in partial shade, where the soil holds moisture for a long time, bergenia will grow with a green carpet, but will not please with spectacular flowering. By planting a perennial in the sun, you can enjoy beautiful flowering, but in this case the flower will not form a beautiful lush carpet of foliage.

Required soil composition

Badan requires good drainage, no stagnant water, and slightly acidic or neutral soil. In the presence of poor soil for planting, you need to prepare a mixture containing sand, fine gravel, soddy soil. Take all components in the same amount.

Humidity and temperature conditions

In the garden, make sure that the flower is moistened and not overdried. Overflow or stagnant water must not be allowed. This is detrimental to badan. Perennial does not need to be sprayed and constantly moistened, as it is characterized by drought tolerance.

Badan is a frost-resistant plant, so it is not afraid of low temperatures.

Good and bad neighborhood

Badan, planted next to a fern, juniper, astilba, lungwort, creates original compositions in the flower beds. An unsuitable neighborhood is observed with lilies of the valley, periwinkle and other low-growing and creeping crops, since bergenia prevents their growth. Perennial looks harmoniously next to deciduous trees. Also beautiful surrounded by spring flowers such as hyacinths, snowdrops, blueberries, crocuses.

Growing a plant from a seed

Growing a full-fledged plant from seed is easy, but the process is long. There are two ways: soil - in autumn and seedlings - in early spring.

Choosing a landing site

When choosing a location, give preference to areas with natural drainage so that there is no stagnant water. Add sand or small gravel to the soil.

Terms and technology of sowing a flower

Before you start planting bergenia, you need to know not only the technology of sowing a flower, but also correctly determine the timing of when to plant a crop.

Spring

Experienced gardeners note that it is better to plant bergenia in early spring. To do this, in early March, fill the container with soil substrate and make grooves 5 mm deep. Water the wells and sprinkle the seeds, close them up. Take the container with crops outside and place under the snow. In early April, bring to a warm room. In the middle of summer, plant seedlings in a flower bed.

In autumn before winter

You can sow bergenia before winter. In September, deepen the seeds directly into the soil and water constantly. With the onset of cold weather, cover the seedlings by applying fallen leaves, straw, and leave for the winter.

Seedling care

Seedling follow-up care includes activities such as:

• moisturizing the soil as its top layer dries;
• loosening;
• ensure room ventilation;
• thinning sprouts.

Important! When a green crust or plaque forms on the soil surface, the soil should be carefully loosened, this phenomenon signals that oxygen is not supplied to the roots of the sprouts. This may be caused by over watering.

Picking

In May, seedlings need to dive. To do this, take a large box and plant sprouts, keeping a distance of 5-7 cm between them, and 15 cm between rows. 2 weeks before planting in a flower bed, start hardening, taking it out into fresh air every day, gradually increasing the duration of the session.Once the seedlings have spent 24 hours outdoors, they can be planted in open soil. Landing dates depend on the climate of the region. It is better to wait out the night frosts than to destroy the seedlings.

The nuances of growing bergenia by cuttings

Cuttings involve the selection of large bergenia bushes at the age of 6 years. Plant cuttings in loose soil, deepening sockets. The root should be at a depth of 5 cm. One bush is able to produce from 10 to 20 new plants. No need to wait for the active adaptation of the cuttings. Usually they do not form rosettes for about 3 years, but bloom 2-3 years after planting.

How to care for an outdoor plant

Competent care will give unpretentious bergenia even more aesthetics. It is important to carry out all agricultural practices correctly.

How often to water?

One of the most important care measures is quality watering. Badan needs abundant irrigation at the time of budding, flowering. In the future, water only when there is no precipitation. In rainy weather, irrigation should be excluded.

Fertilizer and soil loosening

Badan is responsive to well-chosen top dressings. The culture must be fertilized before and after flowering, using mineral fertilizers. This will help stimulate further growth of the perennial. To restore the reserves of nutrients and accelerate the growth of rosettes, the bushes need to be fed again after the inflorescences wither.

Formation of bushes

Many gardeners are wondering if it is necessary to cut the bergenia. The formation of bushes is carried out in early spring and includes:

• Checking the safety of the roots and the presence of growth buds;
• cleaning from dry leaves, last year's inflorescences;
• pruning extra shoots, while leaving only independent bushes.

Pest and disease control

Diseases overcome badan with a lack of attention.He althy bushes are resistant to diseases and pests. Fungus and rotting of the root system can be dangerous. These problems arise due to high soil moisture. Control measures include cutting and burning the affected parts.

Of the pests that perennials can choose, weevils are insidious. The beetles themselves are not as dangerous as their larvae, which feed on the roots of the flower. To combat it, you need to use special chemicals. And in order to prevent in the spring, remove all the darkened foliage, since weevils hibernate under it.

Another perennial can be attacked by slugs, nematodes and slobbering pennits. Dig up the bushes affected by them and destroy them to prevent spread, and treat the flower bed where they grew with insecticides.

Transfer

Badan reacts negatively to frequent transplants. The perennial grows strongly and shows aggression, capturing the territory intended for other crops, therefore it requires a transplant to new places every 6 years.To do this, transplant a flower in September using the method of dividing the bush. Plant parts of the plant, keeping a distance of at least 30 cm between them. It should be borne in mind that with frequent transplants, the plant will not have time to recover, it will look depressed and often get sick.

Important! Uncontrolled sprawl of plantings will provoke their excessive density, which leads to the appearance of diseases and the invasion of insects.

Preparation and wintering of garden bergenia

Changing the color of bergenia leaves is a signal of the first frosts. This phenomenon indicates that the plant began to accumulate sugar in the tissues, which will provide the bushes with a favorable wintering. For each type of culture, the leaves turn red in different ways - in some, a yellow border forms along the edge of the leaf plate, which becomes saturated with cold weather, in others, a colorful ornament of stains spreads across the leaf, in others, the foliage immediately acquires a crimson color.

Thanks to a huge supply of sugar, cold winters are not terrible for perennials. The main condition is not to cut off its withered leaves in the autumn, as they will serve as a natural protection from the cold. It is important to prepare young plants for winter by covering them with spruce branches.

How and when the seeds are harvested

The seed collection period is in September. The ability of bergenia to form a large number of seeds saves the gardener from problems with planting material. In advance, you need to outline a brush with large flowers, and with the onset of wilting, tie the inflorescence into a bag of gauze fabric. Cut off the ripe box and dry it, sending it to a warm room for 2 weeks. Then clean, pack in paper bags and put away for storage.

Methods of propagation of culture

Culture can be propagated by seed method, cuttings.

Seeds

Badan can be propagated by seeds, but this method is considered long and requires a lot of attention from gardeners. The seedling is small and blooms 2 years after planting. And before that, pleases with intricate leaves and fills the garden with the freshness of a summer day.

Cutting

For breeding perennials by cuttings, you need to select he althy plants. Before planting, separate a part of the branch, which should have an apical bud and a rosette. After that, cutting off the foliage, plant the prepared cuttings at a distance of 40 cm from each other, deepening the outlet into the soil substrate to the base.

Also can be propagated by dividing the bush. To do this, in early September or early March, dig a large bush, divide it into 4 parts and plant it, keeping a distance of 40 cm between them. For this method, it is important to use a bush that is more than 5 years old, a younger plant will not survive division well, eventually get sick and die.

Problems in cultivation and care

When growing bergenia, gardeners face many problems, the main of which is the lack of growth and flowering of the crop.

Not growing

If bergenia leaves do not grow, you need to organize high-quality drainage, and also make sure that there is no stagnant water. Another reason for stopping growth can be the appearance of diseases and pests. It can also negatively affect the growth of unsuitable proximity of plants in the flower beds.

Not blooming

If the bergenia is not happy with its flowering, then the site for planting has not been chosen correctly. To do this, it should be noted that the plant in direct sunlight or in the shade will not form inflorescences. Also, dense plantings or fungal diseases may be the cause.

This beautiful herbaceous perennial surprises with its unpretentiousness, expressive appearance and versatility in use. All these positive aspects make bergenia a welcome guest in any garden.

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