When to plant bergenia. The evergreen bergenia flower is always on parade

The blooming bergenia plant is a charming evergreen "inhabitant", which is considered a worthy decoration of any summer flower garden. About what varieties and types of bergenia exist, how to properly plant and care, grow and propagate the plant, as well as what garden crops to combine in landscape design, we will tell in the article!

Description: varieties and varieties of badan

An unusually beautiful bergenia plant, completely strewn with small pink flowers, came to gardeners from Siberia. It was the harsh growing conditions that made the herbaceous plant unpretentious and able to winter in any region of our country.

An amazing feature of bergenia is not only in the beauty of the inflorescences, but also in the wonderful healing properties: the leaves and rhizomes of the garden perennial are considered a treasure trove of ascorbic, tannic and gallic acids, carotene. Medicines prepared from thick-leaved bergenia have a good anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effect, have a beneficial effect on intestinal motility, and improve the secretion of the digestive glands. And tea brewed from the leaves will not only have an unusual aroma, but also strengthen the cardiovascular system.

Interesting! Often gardeners compare bergenia, planting and caring for which does not take much time, with elephant ears. And all because the plant has beautiful, large leaves, which throughout the season can change their color, which greatly enlivens the flower garden, emphasizes its uniqueness and picturesqueness.

In nature, there are about 10 species of this flowering plant and many of the most unusual varieties. This feature allows you to create luxurious flower arrangements using only bergenia.

The most common horticultural crop is thick-leaved bergenia, which got its name because of its fleshy leaves with petioles, which contain a supply of moisture. Crossing thick-leaved bergenia with other species, breeders managed to breed several varieties of this crop:

• "Britten" with soft pinkish flowers (gardeners call this variety "apple blossom" among themselves);

• "Purple Glocken" with fragrant inflorescences of rich purple color;

• "Abbenglute" with bright pink velvety flowers;

• "Morgenrote", "Sunningdale" - no less beautiful, but late flowering varieties. The peak of their flowering occurs in the middle of the summer season.

Planting a plant

If you want the bergenia, planting and caring for which is extremely simple, to grow in full force and retain all the useful properties as much as possible, try to recreate the natural conditions for its growth.

For planting, it is better to use lightweight soddy soil, avoid clay soil, or dilute it with fine sand or gravel. Badan also grows well in the composition of sand, compost and clay soil, but stagnant water has a bad effect on its growth and flowering. If the post is sufficiently drained, then flowering plants can safely beautify the shores of reservoirs and ponds.

The best time for planting is spring or late summer. Before planting, the soil is prepared, its composition is determined and, if necessary, improved, and weeds are removed. Only after that a spacious hole is dug (up to 30 cm), the rhizome of the plant is placed in it and sprinkled with earth.

Advice! Planting is carried out with the utmost care so as not to damage the root system!

Often, before planting, the hole is filled with water, into which the rhizomes are placed and covered with a layer of soil. Then the soil is compacted and mulched with sawdust and peat. If it was the second method (using water) that was chosen for planting, then watering will be required only after 5-7 days.

plant care

Like any garden crop, bergenia requires care, but it cannot be called burdensome. All that is needed for normal growth and fabulous flowering is timely watering, excluding stagnant water and overflow, suitable feeding, periodic cleaning of falling leaves and mulching.

Important! In spring, bergenia needs to be cleaned of last year's shoots, get rid of dried leaves, and shorten the shoots a little.

If the plant was not planted in a prominent place in the backyard, then you can not clear the garden crop from last year's leaves: gradually falling off, they will cover the soil with a kind of protective layer that will help maintain moisture in the ground and save the plant from overheating in the summer heat.

In one place, bergenia can grow quietly for about 10 years, while it does not require a transplant and is extremely resistant to frost on the soil.

Fertilizer and top dressing of bergenia

The plant is very responsive to properly selected top dressing. It is recommended to use mineral fertilizers before and after the flowering of bergenia. 2-3 weeks after flowering, you can feed the plant: fertilizers in this case activate the process of growing up and aging of the leaves, which at this time are just beginning to change their color.

Plant propagation

The breeding procedure is somewhat lengthy and complicated, but not all of us prefer easy solutions. For those who do not succumb to difficulties, we will talk about two methods of reproduction - with the help of seeds and cuttings.

Method 1. Growing bergenia by propagating seeds.

To begin with, we note that the bergenia has black and very small seeds (1-2 mm). During the first few years, seedlings develop slowly, forming miniature rosettes no more than 2.5 cm long. Seedlings need constant watering and supervision, and in late autumn they must be covered with dried leaves until spring. In addition, seedlings are necessarily dived with a substrate of compost, loamy soil and sand (ratio 1: 1).

Experienced breeders note that the best breeding method is planting in early spring in a special seed container, which is fearlessly exposed in winter under the snow and only in the middle of spring is placed in heat. Seedlings are planted in the area of ​​​​permanent growth in the second year in the second half of summer.

Method 2. Growing bergenia by cuttings.

Strong and healthy middle-aged plants are selected for propagation by this method. Before planting, a part of the branch with an apical bud and a rosette is separated, almost all the leaves are cut off. Usually after a few days you can see the first signs of rooting. It is recommended to plant cuttings at a distance of no more than 40 cm from each other, placing the outlet in the prepared soil to the base. The procedure for caring for seedlings is similar to adult plants.

Diseases and pests

Thick bergenia is insensitive to pests and diseases. But this is only if all the conditions for the growth of the flower are met, otherwise the plant may suffer from spotting from time to time: brown spots with sharp outlines will appear on the leaves. In the future, the color of these spots will change from brown to brown-gray. On the underside of the leaves, a white, unhealthy coating gradually forms. To get rid of a fungal disease, it is enough to cut off diseased leaves or spray with a Bordeaux liquid composition, foundationazole or preparations with a high copper content.

Badan: combination with other plants

Badan, planted in flower beds, creates unusual compositions with plants such as:

• fern;
• mahonia;
• lungwort;
• juniper;
• hellebore.

But with lilies of the valley, periwinkle and other undersized and creeping plants, it is better not to plant bergenia - it will not only get lost among them, but will also prevent them from growing, and it will be limited in space. A well-groomed bergenia growing under the spreading crown of any deciduous tree looks unusually picturesque and harmonious. Badan is no less beautiful, surrounded by spring bulbous flowers - delicate, charming snowdrops and woodlands, bright crocuses.

Badan in landscape design

An important feature of bergenia - the unpretentiousness of care and lighting - allows you to grow a plant both in the shade and under direct sunlight, in flower beds surrounded by other flowers and as an independent unit of landscape design. Thanks to its creeping rhizomes, bergenia effectively covers the soil, preventing the appearance of weeds.

How to grow badan: video

Badan in the garden: photo

For decorative purposes, bergenia is an interesting plant and is gaining more and more popularity among amateur gardeners. It can perfectly develop and bloom in partial shade, in places where most plants suffer from a lack of light.

Finding a plant as unpretentious as bergenia is difficult. As for planting, caring for and propagating this perennial, they will be so simple that even any beginner amateur grower can grow bergenia.

Badan and its varieties are usually propagated by generative and vegetative methods.

Generative method or growing from seeds

Initially, bergenia seeds are sown in containers (pallets). Such a step allows the sprouted seedlings to grow stronger in the most favorable conditions, the number of dying plants decreases.

Seeds give at the same time a large number of seedlings. After the seedlings reach 10-15 centimeters, they will need to be planted in the ground.

The disadvantages of seed propagation of bergenia include its long periods and germination problems that sometimes appear, as well as the late flowering of young plants that will bloom only after a couple of years.

To increase the number of shoots, bergenia seeds are first placed in a fungicide solution. When growing seedlings, it is necessary to control that the pallet does not dry out, and regularly loosen the ground.

Vegetative reproduction

Vegetative propagation: bergenia cuttings before planting

This method of reproduction is the easiest and fastest in comparison with generative reproduction.

Propagation using the vegetative organs of the plant will in most cases bring the best results.

Landing

Planting bergenia is possible in three main ways, namely: planting plants from containers (pallets), planting rhizomes with rosettes in them, planting rhizomes with dormant buds.

Planting bergenia from a container (pallet) in open ground

Disembarkation of planting material from a pallet or container is possible at any time of the year, from spring to autumn.

But still, seedlings that are obtained from seeds are recommended to be planted in the spring so that during the summer they can get stronger and accumulate organic matter by winter.

When planting seedlings from a container, they should be taken out together with an earthen clod, transplanted into holes of appropriate sizes.

If the badan has grown in the container, then it should be divided beforehand, shaking off the ground and cutting the rhizome. Divided parts are also planted in a permanent place in the ground.

Planting rhizomes with rosettes

In this case, part of the rhizome must be carefully dug up and transplanted to a new place with a clod of earth. Alternatively, you can even take a rhizome that does not have dormant buds, but has rosettes of leaves.

This method is the most gentle method of planting badan. However, it is possible only when the plant is transplanted immediately or after a short period of time. This method of transplantation is suitable for the entire growing season of the plant, with the exception of the flowering time.

Planting time is preferred in early autumn.

When planting, some of the leaves must be removed and only two or three top leaves should be left. The cuttings should be planted in a light and loose substrate with their deepening to the outlet. The distance between the rhizomes with rosettes should be at least thirty centimeters.

Find out how to grow spray roses on the site.

Planting bergenia rhizomes with dormant buds

If bergenia is planted with rhizomes with dormant buds, then in this case, part of the rhizome should be dug up and cleaned from the ground. The dug out section of the rhizome for transplantation should have more than five to six dormant buds.

Under special conditions, such a rhizome can be stored for a long time. The components of these conditions are darkness, cold and coolness. To store the rhizomes, they must be transferred with aerated paper or straw.

Before planting, those rhizomes that have been without a substrate for a long time should be kept in water for two or three hours, to which a little potassium permanganate or copper sulphate should be added for prevention. Also, the roots can be treated with a fungicide solution.

Soil selection and preparation

Badan refers to a winter-hardy plant. He is not afraid of harsh winters. However, at low temperatures, if there is no or little snow cover, the leaves and flower buds of bergenia may freeze.

This plant will take root both in partial shade and in sunny areas. In those cases, if the shade is deep and if the soils are rich in organic matter, bergenia will be able to quickly build up a powerful leaf mass, but will almost never bloom.

If you take an alpine hill or rockeries, then bergenia should be planted on them on the northern, northwestern and northeastern slopes. Badan will also feel great on the banks of garden ponds. In this case, the soil should have a well-drained layer. Perennial does not like wetlands and places where rain (melt) water stagnates.

The planting features include the fact that in one place the badan will develop well for 7-8 years. However, even in the case of frequent transplants, the plant will not have time to recover, which leads to diseases.

When preparing a mixture for planting, it is necessary to take two parts of sand with small pebbles (rubble) and mix them with one part of soddy land (leaf compost). A thick layer of rubble should be poured at the bottom of the landing pit.

Badan care

The leaves of the perennial bergenia plant live for two years, then they die off. The end of the second year of their life is expressed in a change in the color of the leaves from green to pinkish-yellow. After a while, the leaves completely turn brown, and then dry out and fall off, forming a kind of mulch around the bushes, which protects the soil from overheating.

In the spring, after the snow has melted, old leaves must be removed, and shoots that are too long should be shortened. Badan should be watered regularly. After two weeks have passed since the end of bergenia flowering, at the beginning of the formation of new leaves and rosettes, the plant must be fed with a solution of mineral fertilizer.

Badan is not picky about care, but it is better to plant it on the sunny side - this will ensure its lush flowering.

Some varieties of plants may suffer from frost. Therefore, it is better to plant them on the south side of the house and buildings, as well as under the crowns of large trees, not far from shrubs, while avoiding northern winds and lowlands.

Badan varieties

Badan has a sufficient number of different varieties. The most common variety is thick-leaved badan, which has fleshy leaves containing water reserves. Based on the hybrids bred by breeders with his participation, such varieties appeared as:

• variety "Britten", having white-pink flowers;
• variety "Purple Glocken", with bright drooping purple flowers;
• variety "Abenglute", having dark pink double flowers;
• cultivars 'Morgenrote' and 'Sunningdale', which are late flowering, blooming in summer.

In addition to the varieties described above, there are also heart-shaped and purple bergenia, Pacific and others.

Badan varieties can be viewed in the gallery:

Pest and disease control

Badan is almost not affected by pests. This is due to its chemical composition.

One of the pests of bergenia is the slobber penny, which loves to breed in its shade. In the fight against it, chemicals are used.

Also, the badan plant can infect the nematode, which is a roundworm. With their mass reproduction, the plant dies. When it is transplanted, nematode eggs remain on the roots. The area where they settled must be treated with chemicals and for at least a year, no plants should be planted on it.

The main disease in badan is rhizome rotting, which is caused by fungal pathogens. This disease can affect the plant in clay soils with existing poor water flow, as well as on heavy substrates.

An unpretentious plant of Asian origin - bergenia - will give the garden a mystery, a unique charm. Badan belongs to the Saxifrage family, and, as the name implies, is able to literally break through a stone with its roots, growing into cracks. The second name of the plant is Bergenia, in Latin Bergenia.

Wanderers and nomads of the Great Silk Road noticed a beautiful bush with small inflorescences on the slopes of the rocks. The amazing ability to give beauty despite the harsh conditions attracted travelers. So in the XVIII century, the culture of gardening was replenished with a perennial with the name "thick-leaved saxifrage". Later, it was given the Latin name Bergenia, in honor of the German botanist Carl von Bergen. For a better sound in the Russian version, the word was reduced to "Badan".

More than 10 varieties of badan are known, each of which has its own varieties and varieties. The selection does not end there, scientists are developing new varieties and hybrids that are unpretentious to weather and climatic conditions.

Description of the bergenia plant

Depending on the life cycle, perennial or annual, badan has its own external features and qualities. distinguished by strong stems, roots that spread along the upper layers of the earth. Annuals are characterized by fragility and tenderness. Their roots are not so strong.

The height ranges from 6 to 60 cm, so the plant is convenient to use in alpine slides, decorating rocky architectural forms, borders.

The leaves are thick-skinned, which helps to better retain moisture and endure dry periods. It tolerates the lack of watering for several weeks. For lush flowering, watering is carried out as needed. The shape of the leaf plate is rounded, somewhat reminiscent of a begonia leaf. The color ranges from bright green to emerald green with a red border.

Video about an unpretentious plant for the badan garden:

Small flowers in the form of a cup are collected in a bouquet on a low stem. Pastel red colors: pink, red, coral, sometimes white. Up to 120 miniature flowers can be collected on one panicle. Not all varieties are suitable for cutting, only with a height of more than 20 cm.

Growing bergenia from seeds

Seed planting of plants allows you to avoid diseases of adult plants, to get excellent flower-bearing bushes. Badan is not common in central Russia, so the choice of species must be approached responsibly.

Planting bergenia seeds on video:

What to look for when choosing seeds in the store:

• color spectrum;
• plant type: perennial or annual;
• required soil quality;
• timing of landing at a permanent place;
• light needs: shade or bright sun;
• plant height.

Self-collection of seeds from an adult large bush is carried out after in September. As soon as the inflorescence begins to fade, they put on a gauze or organza bag so that the ripened seeds do not have time to fall to the ground. After the formation of the box, the bag is cut off and allowed to dry for 2 weeks.

Badan seedlings when grown from seeds

Sowing is carried out in the winter way

Low temperatures kill fungal infections, pest larvae. In addition, there is a natural hardening of plants and their further endurance.

Sowing begins at the end of November: seedling boxes are filled with flower soil (universal or special for begonias is suitable), grooves are made for seeds, which are covered with a small layer of earth. Boxes with seeds are taken out under the snow until March. Planting depth 0.5-1 cm. We try to place the seeds less often, up to 2-3 cm between them in a row. Between rows 5 cm.

• With the advent of the thaw, seedlings are germinated in a warm room until the first two true leaves appear.
• The ambient temperature should be 19-20 °C at a relative humidity of 75%.
• From the box, seedlings are planted in individual containers or spacious containers at a distance of 5-7 cm. Picking is carried out at the end of April, maybe earlier, depending on the growth rate.
• A plant planted by seed will give its first flowers only after 3-4 years. In the meantime, it will delight with intricate foliage, filling the garden with the freshness of a summer day, giving the allotted corner an indescribable flavor.

seedling care

Badan seedlings photo

Care consists in standard watering, loosening, pest control, if necessary. By the end of May, the seedlings are ready for transplanting to a permanent place, so they begin to spend a week in advance.

Take out to the fresh air of an open balcony or veranda of a private house. The time spent on the street is gradually increased: first, daytime hours are chosen, then morning and evening hours are added, and lastly, they are left for the night. When the seedlings are ready to withstand nighttime temperatures, they are transplanted into the open ground to a permanent place.

Tips for caring for seedlings of bergenia:

• do not flood the seedlings, the risks of mold rot are high;
• the soil should be well-drained sand, small pebbles;
• does not need special feeding, but the use of growth activators gives a quick result, which is important for a short summer;
• ventilate the room with seedling boxes, air exchange is useful for the synthesis of nutrients and the active growth of plants;
• protect from the scorching sun, otherwise burns of young leaves are possible;
• windows on the east and west sides of the house are ideal.

Strong seedlings take root better, flowering is brighter and more abundant.

Planting badan in a permanent place

The timing of landing in open ground depends on the climatic conditions of the region. It is better to wait out the night frosts than to destroy the seedlings. For the first time, you can use covering material to protect the flowers from low night temperatures. In central Russia, the temperature in early June can drop to 0 °C at night. The southern regions note low temperature fluctuations until the beginning of May.

Soil preparation

For badan, well-mulched soil with the addition of pebbles and sand is perfect. On a fertile layer of soil poured on sandy or pebble ballast. So the optimal density of the soil will be maintained, there will be no stagnation of water. Horizontally creeping roots feel great in a 5-7 cm fertile layer.

Sometimes they come to the surface of the earth. Then the sun's rays can burn and dry the plant. To avoid this, you need to choose the northwestern penumbra places of the garden or organize an artificial canopy from tall bushes or architectural buildings, sculptures. The surface of the earth is covered with a special covering material, mulch from rotted leaves, peat.

Holes for bergenia bushes are staggered, each 6-8 cm deep. Watering is carried out at the beginning of planting, then left without water for a week. Plants take root better in rainy weather, when there is no scorching sun. Or evening hours, after the decline in solar activity, 18.00-20.00 hours. The distance between seedlings is 40 cm. Wide leaves will fill the space, forming a continuous carpet.

How to care for bergenia in the garden

Badan is an unpretentious plant, care consists in timely watering, cutting off dry leaves and inflorescences. Cleaning is carried out in early spring, for this you need:

• check the safety of the root system and the presence of a growth bud;
• clear of dry foliage, last year's inflorescences;
• cut off excess shoots, leaving only independent bushes.

Top dressing consists of a complex of mineral fertilizers: Fertika Lux, Zelenit, Kemiru Kombi or other suitable universal compounds. The solution is prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions, an excess of substances will adversely affect budding and growth in general. For 2 sq.m, 10 liters of solution with 1 tsp is enough. facilities.

Watering is carried out only during the dry summer. It is important to prevent stagnation of water, even a short time in water is detrimental to the roots. You can increase the main watering for the period of bud formation by 10-20%: a guarantee of abundant flowering.

Soil mulching is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature of the root system. Exposed roots dry out quickly in the open sun. Under natural conditions, dry leaves serve as protection. For decorative cultivation, nondescript foliage is cut off to maintain an aesthetic appearance, and the roots are covered with peat or mulch from sawdust, sand, needles.

Reproduction is carried out not only by seed, but also vegetatively - by dividing the bush, which avoids the hassle of seedling boxes. carried out after flowering is completed, from May to August, during this period the plant has time to settle down and prepare for the winter period. For division, a bush with several processes is chosen. The rhizome of the separated bush should have 3 buds. Excess foliage is removed, leaving 3 young leaves. New shoots in the first year will gain green mass, bloom for 2 or 3 years, depending on climatic and weather conditions.

He has a negative attitude to transplantation, he masters a new place in 2-3 years. Therefore, it is recommended to initially determine a permanent place of growth, where bergenia will delight the eye for decades. Unnecessary bushes that occupy the territory behind the flower bed are removed in the spring during cleaning or in the fall in preparation for hibernation. To save young shoots and give them life in a new area, transplantation is carried out in September, when abundant flowering is completed.

Pest control depends on the characteristics of the site:

• Ants loosen the ground, expose the roots of plants, which adversely affects the bush itself. Suitable anti-ant treatment with gels and powders "Anteater", "Muracid", "Anti-ant", "Great Warrior"
• The hosted aphid eats the leaves. Entangling the stem and leaves with a thin cobweb, air exchange stops. "Inta-vir", "Commander", "Marshal", "Calypso" do an excellent job.
• Slugs and snails eat both the green mass of the plant and the root system. To get rid of them, you need to constantly ventilate the ground, mow the grass, and prevent waterlogging and dampness both in the garden and near it.
• Nematodes in a shady place destroy the roots, the struggle is long and painstaking. An unhealthy bush is dug up, treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, transplanted to a new place. The soil is treated with special means, completely replaced with a new one. It will be possible to grow a crop only in a year, but for now it will be sown with accelerators: rye, mustard.
• Slobbering pennies are displayed by Aktara. A two-stage treatment with an interval of a week is enough and the plant is completely healthy.

From pests, it is necessary to process not only the flower bed, but also the surrounding area. This stops the spread of infection to other plants. In winter, young shoots are covered with mulch or spruce branches.

Popular varieties of badan

In nature, there are several types of badan, which are divided into varieties. Breeders continue to work on the development of new varieties and. The ability to take root in any conditions, unpretentious to watering and care made a popular guest in the garden.

Badan Strechi

Badan Strechi is found on the slopes of the mountains of Asia, Afghanistan, China. Its maximum location reaches 3000 m above sea level, which means that the plant is resistant to temperature extremes and winds.

The leaf plate resembles an egg, the diameter of which is 3-5, and the length is 8-10 cm. The leaf is decorated with cilia and notches along the edges, making it unsafe in contact with the skin. The surface is glossy, which allows rainwater to drain from the leaf, the sun does not incinerate the plant. The flowers are purple-red or white-pink, collected in a panicle on a stem up to 40 cm long. It begins to bloom from May to September, enlivening the rocky surface.

Popular varieties:

Gazebo- the shortest, its height reaches 20 cm. It differs in small leaves, 5-6 cm, with former flowers with a slightly pinkish tinge.

Beethoven up to 40 cm high. The color composition is not uniform: the calyx itself is brown, the peduncles are pink, and the flower is snow-white.

Alba blooms with pure snow-white flowers in nature reaches 10-15 cm. In culture it can grow up to 20 cm.

Badan thick-leaved

Badan thick-leaved Bergenia crassifolia photo

Better known as badan officinalis or Mongolian tea. The nomadic tribes of Asia have long paid attention to nondescript bushes and appreciated the taste, healing properties.

This is a perennial plant with a powerful creeping rhizome that spreads on the soil surface. The species is distinguished by the presence of two types of shoots: vegetative with abundant green mass and flower-bearing without foliage. It reaches a height of 40 cm. The foliage is bright green, and by autumn it becomes fiery red. You can play with colors in the flower bed throughout the growing season. Flowers in the form of white bells. Blooms not for long, 3-4 weeks from late May to June.

Senior, with lilac small flowers reaches 40 cm. Can be used for cutting.

Giderruspe, a giant among badans - 60 cm. Pale pink flowers form a panicle that reaches 20 cm. The variety differs in flowering time - up to two months.

Purpurea, a purple-red light in a flower bed reaches 50 cm.

Badan hearty

Bergenia cordifolia photo

They began to grow it in 1779, when Carl Linnaeus developed new varieties from a previously unknown thick-leaved bergenia obtained from St. Petersburg. He retained the external features, changing the structure of the leaf and the color variety - rich pink, white, purple, lilac. The brush with flowers is slightly inclined, it is not suitable for cutting, only as a decorative decoration of a flower bed, lawn, border, architectural forms.

Badan Hissar

A rare representative of its kind, it is distinguished by matte leaves and a height of up to 20 cm. The flowers are white or pale pink, collected in brushes of 5-6 pieces. Not common in horticulture. Often grown in nurseries and botanical gardens. It is not whimsical in care, like other species.

Badan hybrid

Badan hybrid photo variety Bergenia hybrida ‘Baby Doll’

The species is distinguished by varietal diversity. It can most often be found in garden plots, parks, decorative decoration of streets.

Abenglut- low, up to 30 cm, a plant with bright purple, sometimes double, flowers.
Frau Holle - susceptible to cold, its petioles turn purple. The flowers are snow-white, collected in straight brushes.

Schneekenigin- a broad-leaved variety up to 50 cm high with a purple peduncle and white-pink flowers. Loved by florists for long flower brushes.

Morgen Rote- differs in the ability to please the eye twice per season. Its bright pink flowers appear towards the end of May and the beginning of September when the temperature subsides.

Baby Doll- a miniature baby up to 30 cm high with neat cream or pale pink flowers collected in a brush.

This is not all there is in honor of famous composers (Bach, Bizet, Brahms), scientists, cities. They are distinguished by the color scheme, leaf shape, endurance, flowering duration.

Badan in landscape design

Badan is known for both decorative and medicinal properties. It is specially grown for making drinks, healers use the whole plant as a whole. For decor, there is a green mass and flower stalks with buds.

Decorative value:

• floristry, used in bouquet composition, making greeting baskets, flower sculptures;
• cooking, for decorating cakes, cupcakes, festive table with fresh flowers;
• landscape design, ideal for alpine slides, lawn flower beds, borders.

Badan in the garden photo variety Bergenia cordifolia ‘Eroica’

Healing properties of bergenia

For treatment, infusions and decoctions of rhizomes, leaves, flowers, seeds are used. The roots are rich in starch, tannins, resin and polyphenols.

Used for treatment and prevention:

• fibroids and erosion of the cervix (initial stage);
• enterocolitis;
• malignant tumors.

Foliage and inflorescences contain tannins, flavonoids, arbutin, manganese, copper, iron, vitamins.

Used in the treatment of:

• inflammatory processes of the oral cavity and throat (angina, tonsillitis, bleeding gums, gumboil);
• additional therapy for respiratory diseases, influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis;
• prevention of anemia, increases the level of hemoglobin;
• promotes the healing of microcracks, ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract;
• washing wounds and inflammations on the skin to relieve itching, rapid regeneration.

Badan has anti-inflammatory, vasoconstrictive, wound healing properties. It is used to lower blood pressure, relieve migraine attacks.
Contraindications:

• hypotension;
• tumors with a diameter of more than 4 cm;
• increased levels of bilirubin in the blood, can provoke thrombosis.

The use of badan is great and varied. Its miniature arrows of inflorescences will delight the eye throughout the entire warm period, and after hibernation it will delight you with fragrant tea from last year's dry leaves.

Badan has been cultivated since the middle of the 18th century. It is suitable for landscaping shaded areas. The birthplace of the flower is Siberia, but it is popular in Europe as a medicinal and garden plant.

What does badan look like

Badan blooms very early. In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, green rosettes of leaves appear above the ground. Following them, inflorescences open: pink, white, red, lilac. Peduncles grow and bloom at the same time. The first bells open even between elastic leaves, and the last one rises to a height of several tens of centimeters.

Flowering of badans lasts almost 2 months. Faded plants become a wonderful backdrop for the rest.

Until the middle of summer, the badans will be at rest. Then the growth of the rhizome begins and the laying of the buds, which will become flowers in 2 years.

In autumn, badan again becomes decorative. With cold weather, the leaves become brightly colored. First, a red border appears on them, then all the plates are streaked with bizarre patterns. In some varieties with the first frost, the entire surface of the leaf immediately becomes crimson or purple.

Preparing badan for planting

Badan is used in landscaping household plots. Many varieties have been bred - different in peduncle height, leaf diameter and petal color, but agricultural technology is similar for all species.

Location selection

A place for bergenia must be chosen once and for all - when transplanted, the plant will hurt.

Badans tolerate a lack of light and do not freeze even in cold winters. They can be planted in sun or shade. However, in the open they never grow as green, large and lush as in partial shade. Away from direct sun, plants look most juicy and bright, but stop blooming.

If a flower is used for landscaping an alpine hill, it must be planted on the north side.

Priming

Practice shows that 90% of success in growing this flower depends on the soil. Badans need the same soil on which they grow in nature - poor organic matter, rocky.

If there is no desire or opportunity to make a substrate, you should at least add a little sand and small stone to the hole.

Badan does not tolerate even temporary stagnation of water, therefore it does not grow on clay soil. But, planted near a pond or stream for good drainage, it will grow and bloom.

Planting bergenia in open ground

Badan is propagated by dividing the bush. Delenki are planted in May-June. Planting material looks like a root, on which there are root buds and 2-3 leaves.

The delenka is planted to a depth of about 10 cm. There should be at least 50 cm between adjacent plants, since the bushes will grow not in height, but in width.

When propagating badan seeds, you will need purchased land for flowers. Seeds are sown in early spring in a wooden box. It is not necessary to deepen strongly, it is enough to make grooves with a depth of 5 mm:

1. Place the seeds in the grooves at a distance of 2 cm.
2. Fill with soil.
3. Pour water from a watering can.

For germination, a temperature of 18-19 degrees is required. Seeds need at least 3 weeks to germinate.

Seedlings are planted in the garden when it grows and gets stronger:

1. dig holes;
2. put some sand on the bottom;
3. plant the seedlings at the same depth they grew in the box.

Badan, grown from seeds, develops very slowly. By autumn, it has only two leaves. In the first winter, the bush must be covered with litter from the garden. Plants will flower in the third or fourth year.

Growing and caring for bergenia

In the spring, clean the bush from last year's dried foliage and cut long shoots. Further, the plant will be enough standard care.

Watering

Badan requires regular watering. Water should be rain or well, heated to ambient temperature. With a strong drying of the soil, the leaves wither. After watering, they are not restored, which affects the decorativeness of the flower.

Weeding

Varieties with large bushes are able to independently oppress annual weeds that grow under their leaves. Miniature varieties have to be weeded much more often, as they are not able to fight weeds. Usually, one weeding a week is enough to make a bed of bergenia look attractive.

top dressing

The plant responds to complex mineral fertilizers. Touks are brought in twice:

• before flowering;
• during the beginning of the growth of new leaves - 2-3 weeks after flowering.

For top dressing, it is convenient to take the complex fertilizer Kemira Kombi. A tablespoon of granules is diluted in 10 liters of water and this volume is poured into two square meters of a flower bed.

By the time of the second feeding, the lower leaves, which are more than 2 years old, begin to fade. In order not to injure the plant, you do not need to cut these plates - they are still alive and useful, as they protect the roots from overheating.

To feed the bergenia correctly, lift the old leaves lying on the ground with your hand and pour the fertilizer solution directly under the stem.

Diseases and pests

Badan rarely gets sick and is almost not damaged by insects. When groundwater rises, spots caused by pathogenic fungus may appear on the leaves. The pathology is called ramulariasis.

The spots are visible only on the upper side of the plate. From below, the leaf is covered with a whitish bloom. A severely affected bush dries up.

Treatment consists in cutting the diseased parts with a pruner and spraying the bush with Bordeaux liquid or Fundazol.

What does not like badan

When caring for badan, you need to consider that he does not tolerate:

• transplants;
• stagnant water;
• dry soil;
• a large amount of organic matter;
• clayey and very damp earth.

In nature, last year's bergenia leaves remain lying on the ground, retaining moisture in it. But in the garden, plants are cleaned of dried parts so that they look more beautiful. If bergenia is an accent plant in a flower garden or rock garden, fading leaves will have to be removed, but the soil must be mulched to protect the roots from overheating.

Preparing for winter

The bergenia bush grows in one place up to 8 years. He does not need winter shelter, as he is not afraid of frost and thaw. In very cold regions, young plants are sprinkled with fallen leaves from trees in late autumn.

Many plants are grown in the backyard only because of their bright appearance - beautiful and attractive flowers or bright juicy leaves. And only a few cultures combine these qualities. Also, only a small number of ornamental plants can boast of having useful qualities - the ability to prevent and treat various pathological conditions. Just such properties are distinguished by badan hearty, we will clarify how this plant is planted, and what kind of care it needs, we will also discuss the cultivation of badan hearty from seeds.

Heart-leaved bergenia is also known as bergenia cordifolia. Many flower growers love it for its attractive large, shiny and truly chic leaves, while others like its pink, lilac or white bell-shaped flowers, which look favorably against the backdrop of foliage, rising on strong legs. Such a plant came to us from Siberia, from the regions of the Altai Mountains. And now it is popular in landscape design.

Growing bergenia from seeds

Such a plant is quite often propagated by dividing the bush, but in principle, readers of "Popular about Health" can try to grow it from seeds. Such planting material is sown before winter. For this purpose, it is necessary to take a flower box of a suitable size, fill it with soil mixture. In the soil, you need to make grooves with an interval of three centimeters, one from the second. Their optimal depth is five millimeters. Put the bergenia seeds in the grooves and cover them with soil. The landing box must be taken outside and placed under the snow. Toward the beginning of March, you can remove the container with crops and bring it into the room. The optimal conditions for germination are partial shade and a temperature of eighteen to nineteen degrees.

Seedlings appear in just three weeks. They need to be moved to a more lit place. In the future, the growing seedlings need to be watered periodically (as the topsoil dries up), and the soil around small plants should also be loosened. In addition, it is important to ventilate the room. Seedlings need to be thinned so that they do not interfere with each other.

If suddenly a green crust or plaque appears on the surface of the soil, it is necessary to carefully loosen the earth.

In the month of May, the grown seedlings should be transferred to a box with an interval of five to seven centimeters. The optimal row spacing is fifteen centimeters. Somewhere a couple of weeks before the planned landing in the garden, it is worth starting to gradually harden off the seedlings. It should be taken out to the balcony or terrace, gradually increasing the duration of exposure to fresh air. After the young plants get used to spending the night on the street, you can transplant them into open ground.

Planting bergenia hearty

The optimal time for planting hearty bergenia in open ground is the beginning of August. It is worth noting that such a plant has a weak and horizontal root system, so it is best to grow it on light, loose, moist and slightly alkaline soils. Badan roots quite often crawl out to the surface of the earth, so you need to protect them from the bright sun. Accordingly, it is better to plant such plants in partial shade, on the northern, northeastern or northwestern side of the plot. If this is not possible, the landing site must be mulched without fail.

It is worth remembering that badan does not tolerate stagnant water at all.
For planting plants, it is worth making holes in the soil, the depth of which is six to eight centimeters. They need to be arranged in a checkerboard pattern with an interval of forty centimeters. At the bottom of each hole, it is worth filling up a handful of sand for proper drainage. After that, it is necessary to transfer the plant along with an earthen clod and carefully dig it. Then planting must be watered.

It is worth noting that the hearty bergenia grows rather slowly, and begins to bloom only three to four years after planting (when grown from seeds).

Features of caring for bergenia hearty

Such a plant is not capricious at all. It needs to be watered in a timely manner, but not too often. If the summer turned out to be dry, moisturizing is carried out only three times per season - at the budding stage, during the flowering period, and somewhere two to three weeks after it ends.

Dying leaves of bergenia need to be cut off (without leaving cuttings). The soil should be mulched.

In the spring, after the snow has melted, it is worth feeding the plants using complex mineral fertilizers. The next top dressing is carried out a couple of weeks after the end of the flowering period - at the stage of growing new leaves.

Badan is usually fertilized using the composition of Kemira-combi, a tablespoon of which must be diluted in a bucket of water. This amount of fertilizer should be enough for two square meters of land.

Young plants must be covered for the winter, as they may suffer from frost. In autumn, they should be sprinkled with dry leaves or sprinkled with spruce branches. Mature plants winter well without shelter.

In the spring, you need to cut off the affected leaves from the badan and cut off the overgrown shoots.

Thus, the hearty bergenia is a completely non-capricious plant. It can be easily grown in your backyard.