Badan thick-leaved: a beautiful and healing plant on your site. Badan: planting and care in the open field, cultivation and reproduction

Badan, or "elephant ears", is one of the flower crops of interest to gardeners around the world. Nowadays, a huge number of hybrids of this plant have been bred, so you can choose the right one for a particular area.

Badan is a flower culture with large leathery leaves. various forms and sizes. An interesting feature their ability to radically change color at lower temperatures. The plant belongs to the evergreen, so the decorative planting is guaranteed throughout the garden season. Badan winters in Russian latitudes without additional shelter under a layer of leaves or mulch, even in snowless winters. But when growing varieties with early flowering, it is recommended to protect the flower stalks during the return frosts.

Badan is a culture that combines all the features that an ideal flower culture:

• decorative throughout the season, due to the beautiful long flowering (more than a month) and huge leaves that change color;
• winter hardiness;
• drought resistance;
• shade tolerance;
• unpretentiousness in care.

The most common in Russian latitudes are the following types of badan:

Thick-leaved (Bergenia crassifolia)

The height of an adult bush does not exceed 45 cm, its width is about the same. Toothed leaves can be either elongated or broadly oval up to 30 cm in size. They are usually colored in green color, but with sudden changes in temperature, they acquire a red-violet hue, which is very attractive to flower growers. Small flowers about 1 cm in diameter most often have a pink color of various shades. The peduncle is straight and reaches 50 cm in height. Flowering of badan thick-leaved comes early, at the end of April, and lasts for a month.

Heart-leaved (Bergenia cordifolia)

This species is larger than the previous one: a bush up to 60 cm high and up to 75 cm wide is formed here. Leaves with wavy edges are dark green and have a heart-shaped shape (hence the corresponding name). The flowers themselves are also larger than those of the thick-leaved bergenia, and their color is deeper dark shades of pink.

Very popular in decorating sites are hybrid varieties, bred by breeders to expand the range of bergenia. Most interesting varieties with descriptions below.

Variety "Magic Giant"

Flowering occurs in May-June. The flowers are pale pink, bell-shaped. The leaves are large, rounded, painted in green-purple color. The bush grows to a width of 1 m, and reaches a height of half a meter.

Variety "Bressingham White"

It blooms early - in April-May. The main color of the flowers is white, however, there is a slight pink tint. The variety grows in width by 50 cm, reaches a height of 30 cm. The leaves change color from dark green to purple during the season.

Variety "Sakura"

Flowering is very decorative and unusual for bergenia - the flowers have a semi-double shape and a delicate pink hue and resemble Japanese sakura flowers. The height of the peduncles is 40 cm, and the bush itself is 30 cm.

Planting badan on the site

by the most the best place planting bergenia is considered penumbra. But it takes root and grows both in sunny areas and in the shade. But in the sun, this flower develops much more slowly, and strong shading negatively affects the decorativeness of its flowering.

Since the roots of bergenia lie close to the surface of the earth, the fertile soil layer can be only 25 ... 30 cm. It is picky about the composition of the soil, but it is much more difficult for it to grow and develop on heavy soils, so the earth is often loosened by adding sand. The acidity of the soil should be close to neutral, planting on slightly acidic soils is allowed.

Preparing for landing

In principle, seeds and seedlings of bergenia do not need any additional preparations before planting; as a preventive measure for the appearance of fungal diseases, they can be pre-treated in a fungicide solution. Seedlings (cuttings or cuttings) with a weak root system can be soaked in water to stimulate their growth. special preparations while removing all rotten and dead roots.

If the material is personally collected in October from existing badans, then the seeds are sown in planting boxes and simply left for the winter in a plot under the snow, and in March-April they are brought into a heated room with an air temperature of about +20 0 C. If the seeds were purchased in winter , then they are planted in boxes in March on the snow (since the seeds are quite small).

The substrate in the box should be loose and breathable. After planting, the seeds are sprinkled with a small amount of sand. The soil in the boxes should be kept moist before and after germination, but at the same time not to allow an excess of moisture.

Landing in the ground at a permanent place of badan when grown from seeds usually occurs in June, when the seedlings reach a height of 10 ... 15 cm. Immediately before planting, it is advisable to add ash, humus and complex mineral fertilizer to the holes, and then mix with a spatula The holes are arranged so that the distance between adjacent bergenia seedlings is at least 30 cm.

If the acquired seedlings are rooted in the substrate, then they can be planted throughout the season according to the scheme 35 ... 40x35 ... 40 cm.

If an bergenia root was purchased, then it is planted in a permanent place, having previously been soaked in water and treated in a fungicide solution. When buying such planting material, it is important to pay attention to dormant buds (there should be at least 5 of them), as well as the general condition of the root: if there are traces of rot, or if it looks dried up, then it is better to refuse such a purchase.

Badan planting: video

Badan care

Watering should be moderate. Badan belongs to drought-resistant plants and does not need too much frequent watering, and excess moisture threatens to rot the roots.

Irrigation in the case of caring for bergenia depends mainly on weather conditions (it is clear that in stable hot weather it will be necessary to moisten the ground more often) and on growing conditions: for example, when using mulch around plantings, they will survive without water up to 1.5 weeks.

Feeding should not be frequent, as their excessive application will negatively affect the flowering of the crop. It is enough just to enter in early spring complex mineral fertilizer in bulk under the bushes, and when watered, it will gradually penetrate into the ground. The second top dressing is carried out after the flowering of bergenia.

Loosening and removing weeds should be timely, especially if the bergenia is grown without mulching the land around the plantings. Loosening must be carried out carefully, since the roots of the plant are close to the surface. Weeds are removed as the bergenia grows, and with the active growth of the bush, it independently displaces all the "neighbors".

Can be used as mulching material natural materials: sawdust, bark, peat or humus from the leaves. Mulch is laid in a layer of 1.5 ... 2 cm, and if necessary, sprinkled.

Growing bergenia: video

Badan breeding

This flower culture can be propagated in three ways.

Division is carried out in early spring or late summer. The resulting delenki are planted immediately in open ground according to the scheme 35x35 cm, you can first trim the side roots to stimulate their growth. This method of reproduction is very convenient, but you can divide the bushes only at the age of at least five years.

This method is best done after the flowering of bergenia. As a cutting, a segment of a rhizome with an apical bud is most suitable, while all massive leaves must be removed from it and 2 ... 3 young ones should be left.

The cuttings are planted immediately in open ground, keeping a distance of 35 cm between them. You can pre-soak them in a solution of a root formation stimulator (for example, in Kornevin or Kornesil). Before the onset of winter, newly-made seedlings have time to take root. Badan, propagated in this way, will bloom in 2 years.

seeds

This method is considered longer in terms of waiting for flowering - bergenia from seeds will bloom only for 4 years of life. The rules for sowing badan with seeds were described above.

Badan is resistant to pest damage, because due to its chemical composition, few people want to eat it. The main problem in its cultivation can only be nematodes living in the soil, and the slobber penny, for the reproduction of which shady planting conditions are favorable. It is recommended to fight such pests using chemicals Therefore, processed bergenia is categorically not recommended for use in food and for medicinal purposes.

If slugs or snails suddenly attack badan, then you need to take care of collecting old leaves from the bushes, and collect the pests manually.

Also, this culture can be affected by fungal diseases, in cases of acquiring already infected seedlings or in case of non-compliance with the rules of agricultural technology.

It consists in removing faded arrows and dried leaves. In this case, it is advisable not to leave stumps, but to cut off manually without a pruner or knife. If the leaves are used for medicinal purposes, then they are left to winter on the bush, and in the spring they are harvested and dried.

After flowering, the bergenia is fed with a loose complex mineral fertilizer.

This flower culture has a very wide application in landscaping garden plot: it harmoniously looks like a solitaire when planting, for example, in a lawn, on an alpine slide, in group compositions, as well as decorating borders and along the edges of paths.

cultivation different varieties badana helps the gardener-florist to realize the most interesting design ideas, but when planting, you should always take into account the ability of bergenia to grow and suppress surrounding plants.

For medical purposes, the roots and leaves of bergenia are used, as they have a special chemical composition and contain a large amount of useful elements. In this regard, bergenia has antibacterial, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory effects on the human body.

Planting bergenia in the garden will not only decorate the site, but also add something useful to you. medicinal plant. It is attractive for its unpretentiousness, ease of care, ability to look good in composition and alone.

Recently, decoration has come into fashion summer cottages in natural style, and perfect plant for this, the perennial bergenia (lat. Bergenia) or bergenia - the Saxifrage family can become.

Having planted this plant, on the site from early spring to autumn frosts it will show off a plant with decorative ornamental leaves of dark green color and pink panicles of flowers.

In addition to its decorative qualities, bergenia is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many ailments. The plant is quite unpretentious, so growing bergenia is within the power of every gardener.

plant description

Bergenia is a perennial plant belonging to the Saxifragaceae family. Widely distributed in the northern regions, where it grows in wild nature. In the regions middle lane it is used as landscaping, and decoration and summer cottages, gardens, orchards.

The plant has gained its popularity among summer residents and landscape designers, due to its unpretentiousness and external data, which are attractive and decorative. Large, dense, green leaves of bergenia, outwardly similar to cabbage leaves, turn red in autumn. Flowerbeds and plots, in the design of which the badan was used, in autumn time become very beautiful.

In April, the period of formation of peduncles begins, up to 50 centimeters long. The bergenia inflorescence itself looks like a panicle, with a large number of small flowers. The flowering period begins in May and lasts until June-July. The petals of the inflorescences have a color depending on the variety:

• pink,
• red,
• white,
• purple,
• purple.

Badan is pollinated by insects during the flowering period. Flowering time can vary from April to June - it depends on the region of growth.

Upon completion of the flowering of badan, a nut appears with a high content of seeds, 2 mm in size.

Interesting: the wild plant blooms in white and pink, but the botanists did their best and brought out many varieties of bergenia, with various shades and decorative qualities. A plant planted around water bodies looks very impressive.

Species and varieties

Badan cultivars have been bred using wild plant species.

It should be noted that in nature there is more than 10 plant varieties, thanks to which decorative, garden varieties of bergenia were obtained.

Consider the most common and popular:

• Thick-leaved (B. crassifolia)- one of the most common plants, 50 cm high. It blooms in a dark pink hue (on cover photo), a flower up to two centimeters in diameter. The leaves in the spring and summer period have a light green shiny hue, reddish-brown in winter. The bush is large - height 50 cm.
  
• Pacific (Bergenia pacifica kom.)- a fairly large plant, reaching a height of up to 50 centimeters. It has a reddish peduncle with pink flowers resembling small bells. Flowers may have a lilac tint. The leaves are ellipsoid, hard, leathery, dark green, turning red in autumn.
  
• Heart-leaved (B. cordifolia) Red Star- medium bush, up to 35 centimeters, but it is worth noting that the height may vary depending on the growing conditions. It blooms depending on the variety, inflorescences can be either pink or bright purple. Decorative features of this plant are added by large lush leaves in the shape of a heart, which can have various colors. May bloom twice a year.
• Badan Schmidt (B. schmidtii)- very unpretentious plant popular in Europe. The difference of this variety is that it has small wings that beautifully frame the leaves along the edges and at the petiole. Blooms bright scarlet. This variety of bergenia is also distinguished by the fact that its leaves are dull and acquire a blue tint in autumn.
  
• Badan Tubby Andrews – unique plant obtained in a hybrid way. Its leaves are very decorative, as white, yellow streaks and spots pass through the dark green color. Leaves turn red-orange in autumn. Bush 30 centimeters. We can say that this is the most beautiful variety.
  
• Badan Bach (Vergenia x hybrida Bach), photo below: representative of the "musical" series, which was bred by the breeder Schmidt. Unpretentious plant, winter-hardy and compact. Inflorescences, cone-shaped with flowers similar to bells, which begin to bloom in April. Looks great in combination with irises, fern, aquilegia,.
  

reproduction

Bergenia should be planted in partial shade, because its roots protrude to the surface and must be protected from direct sunlight. Badan thick-leaved loves loose and moist soils, but without stagnant water. The plant is planted in a permanent place immediately, planning that it will grow on it for 10 years, since the bergenia does not tolerate constant transplants. It is good to plant a plant next to decorative sedge and irises. The plant is propagated in two ways: from seeds and dividing the bush.

from seeds

Few people have the patience to propagate bergenia in a similar way at home, as it is very long and painstaking. But it's worth describing.

As already mentioned above, the seeds of the plant are very small, smooth, black. During the first few years, seedlings practically do not grow, they have a slow development. Small, 2.5 centimeters in diameter rosettes require careful care and constant watering. They are difficult to tolerate wintering, so in the fall they need to be covered with a large amount of foliage or straw, and they need to be opened only with the onset of a stable warm temperature no night frosts.

by the most the best option will be by sowing the seeds in small boxes, which can be taken out in the winter and brought into the house in March. It will be possible to dock for a permanent place only in the second year, transplantation is carried out in the middle of summer or early autumn. The soil for sowing is prepared the same as for an adult plant:

• compost - 3 parts;
• sand - 3 parts;
• loam - 3 parts.

With improper care, seedlings may die.

By dividing the bush

The easiest way to propagate an bergenia bush, while it makes it possible to get flowering plant already on next year. The most optimal time for dividing a bush is the end of May, the second decade of June, as soon as the plant has faded, and when planting is safe for the divisions.

Important: you can not divide a plant that is not yet 5 years old, it will not survive the division well, it will start to hurt and may die.

In order to make it easier to get the bush without damaging root system, you need to loosen well around. Then you need to cut the jacket into pieces with a disinfected tool. Make sure that each division has roots.

How to plant delenki? To begin with, release individual bushes into a potassium permanganate solution for a while to disinfect the sections. During this time, you need to prepare the ground for planting. Holes 15 cm deep are dripped at a distance of 40 cm from each other. Plants are planted, slightly deepening the roots, watered and well covered with a film to create a greenhouse effect.

Important! Although the badan tolerates drought, during the rooting period it is watered regularly and plentifully.

Care

Although bergenia is an unpretentious plant, but when planting on your site, you should know some of the nuances in care.

Regular watering. In the spring, dry leaves and flower stalks are removed from the plant, long shoots are trimmed to give a neat look.

If you did not mulch the soil in the fall, then when spring care no need to remove dry leaves, they will serve as protection for the roots from the summer heat.

The plant is fed with mineral fertilizers during the flowering period and immediately after it, since during the dormant period inflorescences begin to form for the next flowering.

Pests and diseases

It is worth noting that badan gets sick very rarely, while it chemical composition repels many pests. But clay soils with frequent stagnant water, the roots may rot.

Pennitsa slobbering can settle on badan if it grows in a shady place.

Soil worms nematodes- the most terrible pest for grass, because if you watch for their appearance, you can lose the entire planting in one season. But it is possible to save the plant. All bushes are dug up and placed for a day in quarantine, in a solution of potassium permanganate. Prepare a new landing site. The soil with nematodes must be treated with a chemical composition. A day later, badan is planted in a new place of residence.

Medicinal properties

Even our grandmothers used bergenia as a remedy for many ailments. In our time, it has already been scientifically proven that this plant has a complex chemical composition, in which:

• a lot of tannins
• have glucose,
• glycosides,
• iron,
• ascorbic acid,
• copper,
• phytoncides,
• manganese.

Badan has extensive medicinal properties, but it is used mainly as:

• antiviral,
• antibacterial,
• anti-inflammatory,
• diuretic,
• hemostatic,
• astringent,
• antioxidant,
• wound healing,
• strengthens the walls of blood vessels.

It is worth noting that not only the leaves, but also the roots of the plant are useful.

Interesting: an infusion of bergenia root constricts blood vessels, so if you have vascular diseases, consult a doctor before using the drug.

Where to buy seeds

This plant is very popular, so it will not be difficult to purchase seeds, cuttings and cuttings. Seeds of the plant can be bought from specialized stores, ordered via the Internet, by mail via semenapost

Badan in landscape design

The undemanding nature of bergenia in care, consecration and in the vicinity of other plants makes it possible to decorate a site of any location and lighting. The plant can be planted as an independent unit landscape design, and in flower beds with other flowers. In addition, the creeping roots of bergenia densely cover the soil around, preventing weeds from appearing.

The plant looks great as a frame on the site.

Looks good next to sedge ornamental or herbs, for example.

Badan and khakonekhloya.

Due to its superficial creeping roots, bergenia can grow in plots.

Badan leaves in autumn period become a real decoration of the site.

In the photo below, the bright Badan variety Rotblum (Rotblum) - a very beautiful plant, up to half a meter high with purple inflorescences and red arrows of peduncles - is good for planting in the garden as a tapeworm:

Badan in the flowerbed, a selection of photos:

Badan with thujas. The composition is not completed (the bare ground is visible), but it is clear that bright flowers bergenia combine well with golden needles.

Next to the wild stone.

In a classic garden

Strict neat composition with perennials and herbs.

On the spring flowerbed it is impossible not to notice large rosettes of juicy green foliage, with bright pink inflorescences on dense erect peduncles. This is badan, landing and leaving in open ground for which even a novice grower will not cause trouble. But the garden, thanks to the unpretentious, catchy and very useful plant really transform.

Perennial garden varieties of bergenia come from those parts of Asia where other representatives of the green world would not be too comfortable. Plants settle not only in alpine meadows and lowlands, but also on rocky ledges, highlands. Such conditions "hardened" the flower, often called saxifrage for its endurance.

In landscape design, as in the photo, bergenia has found its place on alpine slides and near water bodies, in group plantings with others. ornamental perennials. The mono-planting of this rapidly growing and forming picturesque clumps of dense foliage of culture is quite common.

Growing bergenia and caring for it on the site will not make it difficult for the ever-busy summer resident. The main thing is to find a perennial appropriate place and create conditions for growth and flowering.

Where and how to plant bergenia?

The unpretentiousness, frost resistance and endurance of bergenia in nature was fully transferred garden varieties. Therefore, even a beginner can grow them in his flower bed. Like other perennial crops, bergenia is planted with seedlings or daughter rosettes separated from an adult plant.

But before you plant a badan, you need to choose a suitable place for it. The culture feels best in areas with loose, light soil. Such soil helps the surface roots to receive nutrition, oxygen, as well as the moisture that badan badly needs.

When choosing a place, preference is given to areas where the badan will not suffer from drought and direct sunlight, as well as from the proximity of spring stagnant water. In partial shade, the plant will be quite comfortable, but if the sockets have to spend a lot of time in the sun, the soil under it must be mulched.

Badan has no special requirements for the composition of the soil. Well, if in the area where the badan is to be planted, the soil has a slightly alkaline reaction. However, even on a slightly acidic substrate, the plant can adapt, bloom and multiply.

Badan flower care after planting

As soon as the snow begins to melt, the leaves of bergenia appear from under it. True, the foliage left over from last year managed to suffer during the winter.

Therefore, in the spring, care when planting bergenia in the open field begins with the removal of damaged or dead leaves. Following the rosettes are brought in, which are designed to stimulate growth and support plants during flowering.

When pink or lilac bells in panicle inflorescences fade, the plantings are fed again. This time, fertilizer will restore nutrient reserves and speed up the growth of rosettes.

Top dressing is combined with watering or carried out on already moist soil. Since bergenia responds well to water, it must be watered:

• during the formation of buds and the appearance of peduncles;
• in two 10–20 days, if there is not enough precipitation during this period;
• in the future, until the end of summer with the threat of drought.

In the hot season, when the soil loses moisture due to evaporation, and the roots can dry out, the soil is mulched. It is especially important to do this, as in the photo, when leaving after planting the badan.

Badan breeding

You can get young bergenia plants on the site by sowing seeds of the variety you like or by dividing an already grown plant.

Seed propagation of bergenia provides for cold stratification.

Seeds sown in furrows with a depth of no more than 0.5 cm of the furrow are planted in moistened soil and sent to the cold. Ideally, if the landing container is taken out into the open air and sprinkled with snow, which will support optimal humidity and will not allow future seedlings to freeze.

In the first days of March, the container is placed in heat, in the light, but not under direct Sun rays. At a temperature of 18–19 ºC and maintaining high humidity, the seeds begin to swell and hatch in 20–25 days.

Caring for an bergenia flower after planting involves watering and careful loosening of the soil around the seedlings. If the passages are too thick, they are thinned out, leaving one plant per 3–5 cm.

45-55 days after sowing, young plants dive, spreading from each other at a distance of at least 6-7 cm. By June, you can determine the place where to plant bergenia. But before that, the seedlings are hardened, gradually increasing the period of stay of boxes with seedlings by fresh air. In the first half of summer, the strongest seedlings are brought into the ground. The rest are transplanted in August.

Planting bergenia in open ground and caring for plants

The root system of bergenia is located close to the soil surface, so you should not make large, deep holes. It is enough to choose a 6-8 cm soil with a scoop, and pour a little sand on the bottom of the hole as drainage. Since the plant will gradually expand its boundaries, grow, the interval between the holes is made at least 40 cm. After planting, the soil is compacted and watered.

If most perennials bloom the next year after planting in the ground, then the badan is not in a hurry to show the summer resident their inflorescences. The first buds are formed only after 2–3 years, but at the same time, bergenia is already forming daughter rosettes.

It's great planting material, which is easy to separate from adult plants in summer, after flowering and until the first days of September. The rhizomes of such divisions are practically under the surface of the soil or protrude above it, and even a beginner can cope with their digging.

It is necessary to divide the plant so that at least three healthy buds remain on the root cutting. Leaves are cut from seedlings, leaving a pair of the strongest. Landing in is carried out to a depth of 3 to 5 centimeters. In order for the badan to have room for growth, a gap of at least 30 centimeters is left between future plants. In the first month, feeding is not needed, but should be regular and plentiful.

At proper care bergenia planted in open ground blooms a year earlier than seedlings, that is, in the second or third year after the start of independent life.

When to transplant bergenia? This plant can be very long without visible problems grow in one place. Therefore, a transplant is taken when required:

• limit the growth of badan on the site;
• on the contrary, to receive planting material for reproduction from adult plants.

Uncontrolled sprawl of plantings leads to their excessive density, which is fraught with diseases and the accumulation of pests.

Problems in growing and caring for bergenia

Most often on badan there are fungal diseases caused by crowding and high humidity. Signs of such infections appear on the leaves in the form of brown or whitish spots, blackening or necrosis of tissues.

Affected leaf blades dry out, and the disease grows. You can cope with the trouble when growing and caring for bergenia:

• spraying with systemic fungicides;
• establishing care and irrigation regime;
• rarefaction of landings in order to organize an influx of fresh air to the bases of outlets.

Among the pests that damage the plant, slugs and slobbering pennits should be mentioned. While insects can be controlled with insecticide treatment, worms pose a greater threat. Plants affected by them are dug up and destroyed in order to prevent the spread of the nematode. The area where badan grew is repeatedly treated with insecticides against soil pests, and then left fallow until next year.

Preparing garden bergenia for winter

Badans are frost-resistant, however, in winters with little snow, some cultivars may freeze. So that in the spring the curtain does not look bare, and then does not recover for several years, young plants that have not had time to fully acclimatize are recommended to be insulated. This can be done using a thick layer, for which fallen and dried leaves, spruce branches, high-moor peat are used.

Planting and growing bergenia - video

Somehow, while visiting, I had a chance to try fragrant tea with a tart, slightly resinous aftertaste. It turned out to be tea brewed from last year's bergenia leaves. Yes, don't be surprised! - it is the shriveled dried leaves that we mercilessly brush off the beds in the spring, and served as the basis for medicinal tea.

It is called Chigir tea in Altai, the birthplace of bergenia, and in Siberia it is called Mongolian. During wintering under the snow, the leaves undergo natural fermentation and become extremely healing. Chigir tea tones up, improves immunity, treats many diseases. A dozen years ago, in many markets there were whole rows where they sold dried bergenia leaves. By the way, green leaves not suitable for brewing, but they say that they can be used to make cabbage rolls. I don’t know, I didn’t conduct such experiments, but in this picture the leaves of bergenia are very similar to cabbage leaves.

So, having tried tasty tea and learning about it healing properties ah, I decided to make a separate bed at my dacha specifically for planting bergenia. Fortunately, he is unpretentious and suppresses all the weeds around. And after the winter I collect the overwintered leaves, wash them thoroughly, dry them and put them in canvas bags. And my whole family enjoys drinking a fragrant and healing drink. In addition, from the rhizomes of bergenia prepare healing decoctions and ointments, but this is a topic for a separate article.

Badan is an evergreen perennial of the saxifrage family, which is not only medicinal, but also decorative. Badan is also called Bergenia (lat. Bergenia) in honor of the German physician and botanist Karl Bergen.

Badan is glorious bright inflorescences small goblet-shaped flowers located on leafless peduncles. In one inflorescence there are up to 120 flowers with a diameter of up to 2 cm each. And its large shiny leaves, collected in a rosette, are shaped like elephant ears. Therefore, it is often called "elephant ears". Badan brings a kind of "zest" to the architecture of the garden. In landscape design, it is indispensable in compositions with narrow-leaved and variegated plants: with hostas, arabis, phlox. It looks very impressive against the background of water and stones.

In nature, there are 10 types of bergenia, of which many varieties are cultivated for garden cultivation. I planted thick-leaved badan, because it is from its leaves that the healing Chigir tea is brewed. I chose a place in partial shade, not far from the grove fruit trees. Badan does not tolerate open sunny places - in such conditions, its development slows down.

The unique healer loves loose, light, slightly alkaline and moist soils, because it has a weak root system. Its thick horizontal roots are located very close to the surface, therefore, both the drying of the soil and its waterlogging should not be allowed. Indeed, in its natural habitat, the roots are protected by dead leaves, which naturally mulch the ground, retaining moisture during the dry months and protecting the soil from waterlogging during the rainy season. In gardens, for aesthetic reasons, we remove the old leaves (or collect them as a medicine), and the roots are left without natural protection.

However, bergenia grows so strongly that several of its sprouts, planted side by side, completely cover the ground 2-3 years after planting. From the small adventitious roots of the maternal rhizome grows a lot of silky evergreen leaves. So weeding does not threaten you in the beds with bergenia, with its intensive growth it clogs all the weeds.

It is interesting to observe how in early spring thick petioles of dark green "elephant ears" of badan get out of the snow, growing up literally before our eyes. And already in late April or early May, it begins to bloom and pleases the eye with the elegance of inflorescences until the end of June. Its fragrant pink, purple, white or bright red flowers, collected in panicles and covered with a light wax coating, rise like iridescent splashes above lush rosettes of ornamental leaves. And in autumn, the leaves acquire a bright bronze or lilac-brown hue, which persists until spring. Sometimes badan gives summer residents a pleasant surprise - it blooms again in August or September.

Propagation and planting of bergenia

Badan propagates by seeds or by dividing the bush.

Planting bergenia seeds

I propagated my thick-leaved with seeds. In early March, I bought soil for flowers, put it in a wooden box measuring 50 x 70 cm, made grooves at a distance of 3 cm from each other with a depth of 0.5 cm. Then I carefully spilled them with warm water. I did not sow the seeds in a heap and put the box in partial shade on the veranda, maintaining the room temperature at 18-19 ° C. Watered periodically. After 3 weeks, the first sprouts hatched, and a month later I already weeded them. I planted seedlings in the garden at the beginning of June.

I made holes 6 cm deep, placing them in a checkerboard pattern 40x40 cm. I poured sand on the bottom of each hole, carefully placed the seedlings and sprinkled it with soil mixture: 2 parts of soddy soil, 1 part of humus, 1 part of loamy soil and 1 part of sand. My thick-leaf developed very slowly: for the winter he left with only two leaves of overgrowth. This is what happens if you propagate bergenia seedlings. When propagating badan seeds in the first year, it should be covered with fallen leaves or peat. In subsequent years, a unique healer no longer needs mulching. Flowering occurs 3 or 4 years after planting.

Propagation and planting of bergenia by dividing the bush

Propagation of bergenia by dividing the bush is not difficult. After all, growing, new roots lie close to the soil, pushed by the mother rhizome, and it is very easy to dig them out without damaging the main root. Reproduction by dividing the bush is carried out in May - June. Each separated root should have root buds (at least 3) and 2-3 leaves. Delenki are planted in pre-prepared pits 10-15 cm deep, located at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other. After planting, it is required to water the soil abundantly. The division of bergenia by a bush is recommended to be carried out no more than once every 4-5 years. Keep in mind that badan grows not up, but in breadth, so do not save space.

You can choose varieties of bergenia for your garden in our catalog, which includes offers from many online stores.

Badan Heart-leaved, 0.01 g 35 rub WATCH
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Bergenia (bergenia heart-leaved) Cordifolia 349 rub WATCH
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Badan Beauty 79 rub WATCH
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Badan hybrid Dark Margin 850 rub WATCH
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Badan care

Caring for badan is not at all problematic. In autumn, dry inflorescences should be removed, and overwintered leaves should be cut off in spring. In the first season after planting bergenia (whether seedlings or dividing the bush), the ground should be mulched. It should be watered only as needed, preventing the soil from drying out. Healing healer is responsive to application mineral dressings. In the spring you can feed him universal fertilizer: "Kemira Lux", and in the fall pour with a solution of superphosphate fertilizer at the rate of: 20 g per bucket for watering 1 sq. m of soil.

When caring for bergenia, keep in mind that he really does not like transplants, and in one place he can live for more than ten years.

Badan types

Here I will give the three most popular types of badan, common in our area.

Badan thick-leaved

Badan thick-leaved grows to a height of 50 cm, it is distinguished by dark pink inflorescences of fragrant flowers framed by shiny light green leaves that change their color to red-brown with the onset of autumn.

Badan pacific

Badan pacific blooms bright flowers with a soft lilac tint. Its flowers are very similar to small bells. It has large rounded leaves up to 20 cm in diameter.

The unpretentious plant bergenia is very popular. He has one more beautiful name- bergenia. The plant is a large green leaves on fleshy stems, oval in shape. beautiful feature is a quick change of color palette: from green to bright red. Change can happen in just one cold autumn night, at the first frost. It is a sucrose catalyst and a sign of readiness for winter. Badan grows well both in the shade and in the sun. Leaves are saved all year round and look original from a melted snowdrift.

The use of bergenia in the garden is multifaceted. Framing ponds, borders, flower beds, bergenia adorns them with its natural decorative effect. The plant blooms in late spring, thanks to which it is planted on and combined with various plants. The best combination it turns out with undersized, for example, with forget-me-not. Playing in contrast, bergenia is planted with plants, blooming in autumn. Many gardeners prefer bergenia because of its healing properties. Overwintered old leaves are brewed as tea. It should not be forgotten that young green leaves are poisonous.

Application in landscape design

Early varieties of bergenia with their flowering turn the garden into a forest clearing. Beautiful flowers attract butterflies, bees and bumblebees. This abundant source of nectar becomes an object of interest for bright peacock eyes and lemongrass. Fluttering butterflies, fluttering from one flower to another, announce the onset of heat and complement the warm, cozy atmosphere. Bumblebees visit the inflorescence before it is fully opened and collect nectar through the center of the bud.

The charm of some varieties delights even the most sophisticated spectator. The color combination is pink, white, raspberry, red. The calyx and peduncle may differ, acting as a contrast to each other. The combinations are milky white with dark ruby, in which case the stems of the plant are also ruby. Such colorful varieties are used to create multi-level flower beds. Both medium and large sizes. For this purpose, the natural relief of the soil is used or artificial levels are created. Badan is planted most often at the foot or at the penultimate level. Depending on the composition, gardeners can adjust for abundant blooms or lush green leaves.

By planting bergenia in the shade, the plant concentrates on the release of juicy and large foliage. Badan growing in the sun is more pleasing abundant flowering, the leaves become less lush.

It performs best when decorating paths, the foreground of flower beds and flower beds, as an evergreen ground cover, as an element of a large one. In, Chinese and styles is irreplaceable, as it blends perfectly with stone, pine needles and artsy design items. Lush living thickets look as natural as possible, emphasizing the "natural origin" of landscape design. Sometimes they replace the lawn. In addition, the plant does not need a haircut. In and introduce miniature and compact varieties, so as not to shift the focus.

Ponds and gravel gardens with bergenia look harmonious and complemented. Due to its self-growing property, it is used as a ground cover plant. The plant covers the banks and the gravel garden, preventing weeds from growing and ruining the landscape. Planting bergenia in the shade deciduous trees, they will decorate the garden when the leaves have not yet blossomed.

Badan is also used as. It is planted against the backdrop of a well-groomed emerald lawn. Growing on its own, it covers enough large area. In autumn, the plant attracts all the attention due to the transition from green to red. This colorful spot will perfectly fit into the many-sided autumn landscape, focusing attention on itself.

Combination with other plants

Plants with which badan is not combined are lily of the valley, periwinkle, sedge. Low plants propagating by creeping rhizome cannot coexist next to bergenia. They simply interfere with each other.

If the flower bed is located in the shade or partial shade, then excellent neighbors:

• ozhika;
• juniper;
• fern;
• sarcoccus;
• lungwort;
• hellebore.

Bulbs perfectly coexist with bergenia:

• crocus;
• snowdrop;
• narcissus;
• hyacinth;
• goose onion;
• woodland.

After flowering, the bulbs lose their special appeal. Badan, growing, covers all the free space and the flower bed does not lose its well-groomed appearance.

The pink flowers of bergenia pair well with the small blue flowers of scylla and forget-me-not. It looks cute and romantic. Scylla wakes up early after winter, in tandem with frost-resistant bergenia, they are the first to decorate the garden and notify everyone about spring. The green perennial is unpretentious, which allows it to be combined with many plants, including annuals.

Species and varietal diversity

In wildlife, there are more than 10 species of badan, and a great many bred varieties. The most common:

1. heart-leaved:

• rosie kloz variety,
• overture variety,
• pinkdragonfly variety.

2. thick-leaved:

• andrea variety,
• Beethoven variety,
• morgenrot.

3. Pacific.

Breeders are constantly deducing exotic novelties of bergenia, but they get to us extremely slowly. Varieties differ in early, late or repeated flowering.

Reproduction, care and pests

Perennial reproduction

The perennial propagates by seeds or division of the bush. The first option is long, requires patience and attention. Seedlings are small and bloom only after two years. The second way is very fast and easy. The cut off part of the rhizome is buried horizontally in the ground. In early spring, the seedling will open its leaves and prepare to bloom.

In both cases, the plant requires good drainage, stagnant moisture adversely affects it. To the soil is not picky. For the full development of the root system, it is necessary to observe the necessary distances between the holes, at least 45 cm.

plant care

Caring for badan does not require much effort and a lot of time. It is enough to water regularly (observe the measure, the roots can rot from an excess of moisture), mulch the soil, cut off dried leaves in late autumn and early spring. Badan does not like transplantation, it is better to immediately choose a permanent place of "habitat" for him. It winters well, in regions with severe frosts it is enough to cover the plant with spruce branches. To prepare for winter and revitalize after it, incense is fed.

Diseases and pests

Diseases overcome Bergenia only because of a lack of attention. A healthy plant is resistant to pests and diseases. Anxiety can bring fungus and rotting of the root system. These problems are the result high humidity soil. Fresh planting material on the site can introduce spores of the fungus. In this case, the affected parts of the plant must be cut and burned.

Of the pests attacking bergenia, common are slobber pennitsa and nematode worm. The first insect copes well with drainage and lighting. The second pest is more dangerous. To combat it, the plant is dug up, the root is poured with a solution of manganese for a day. The site is cultivated and the badan is planted again in its place.

Video - Medicinal properties of Badan