Content
Badan (Bergenia) is a herbaceous perennial plant that has recently become increasingly popular as a component of landscape design. This is due to the decorative qualities that persist throughout the year, unpretentiousness. Planting and caring for incense in the open field will not cause difficulties even for a novice gardener. The main thing is to comply with the basic requirements of culture.
Badan has been cultivated since the 18th century
What does badan look like and where does it grow
Badan is a representative of the Stonefragment family. Under natural conditions, the plant grows in temperate climates from Central Asia to China and Korea. The culture usually grows in cracks in rocks and on rocky soil.
Thanks to the efforts of breeders on the basis of wild forms of badan, several dozen hybrids and varieties were obtained, the decorativeness of which has significantly improved.
The genus of Bergenia is represented by evergreen crops, among which there are both perennial and annual species. The plant forms a shrub with a strong root system, which is located close to the soil surface. It consists of thick processes up to 3.5 cm in diameter and 35-100 cm long.
Badan leaves are large, glossy, leathery to the touch. Their shade can be light and dark green, depending on the variety. The shape of the leaves is round or heart-shaped. The plates are 3-35 cm long, and their width is 2.5-30 cm. They have long petioles and are collected in a basal rosette. With the arrival of cold autumn nights, the leaves of the badan turn red, which gives the shrub an unusual elegant look.
The flowers of the berry are small, no more than 2 cm in diameter. They are collected in corymbose or paniculate inflorescences. The shade of the petals can be pink, crimson, red, white. Peduncles confidently rise above the leaf rosette, their length varies from 30 to 50 cm.
Blooming in most species of badan occurs in late May, early June, and only in some varieties does it occur in July-August. This period lasts 15-20 days.
How to plant badan at home
You can grow young seedlings of badan at home if you sow seeds in early March. To do this, you need to prepare wide containers with drainage holes, no more than 8-10 cm high.The soil for planting can be purchased in a specialized store or prepared yourself in the proportion:
- 2 pieces of turf;
- 1 part sand;
- 1 part peat;
- 1 part coconut substrate.
Algorithm for planting a badan plant:
- Place drainage on the bottom of the containers with a layer of 1 cm.
- Fill with substrate, 1 cm lacking to the top edge.
- Drizzle, wait until the moisture is completely absorbed.
- Flatten the surface.
- Make grooves 0.5 cm deep.
- Pour seeds into them, cover with earth.
At the end of the procedure, cover the containers with foil, and then rearrange them for germination in a dark place with a temperature of + 18- + 19 degrees. Periodically, the crops should be ventilated and collected water drops should be removed from the film.
Seedling preparation
As soon as friendly shoots appear, the containers must be rearranged on the windowsill, and shaded from direct sunlight.Further care consists of the timely watering of the seedlings.
When the sprouts get a little stronger, it is necessary to adapt them to external conditions. To do this, remove the film for the first time for 30 minutes, and every day increase this interval by another half hour. After a week of this adaptation, the containers can be fully opened.
During this period, the crops should be thinned and the strongest plants should be left. And in May, dive seedlings. To do this, you need to prepare boxes of 50 by 70 cm in size. The substrate can be used the same as when sowing seeds. The seedlings should be placed at a distance of 5-7 cm.
A week before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings should be hardened. To do this, on the first day, they need to be put on a balcony or a shady place on the street. After 1-1.5 hours, they should be brought back into the room. With each subsequent day, the time spent in the new conditions should be increased by 1 hour.
On the last day before transplanting, the plant can be left to spend the night outside.
Planting badan in the open ground in the spring
Growing badan does not imply complex actions, but in order for the plant to fully develop and bloom stably, it is necessary to plant it taking into account the basic requirements of the culture.
Time to board
To plant seedlings of badan in a permanent place should be at the end of May. By this time, the seedlings should already have formed a rosette and root system, as well as grow enough leaves. When planting during this period, berry seedlings have the opportunity to adapt to new conditions and prepare for the upcoming wintering.
Where to plant badan
The culture feels best in areas with light, loose soil. For badan, you should choose areas where partial shade is formed at noon. This will help prevent sunburn on the leaves.
The culture grows fully and blooms when planted - both in slightly acidic soil and in slightly alkaline soil.
Soil preparation
2 weeks before transplanting badan into open ground, you need to dig up the selected area and add humus to it at the rate of 5 kg per 1 sq. m. you also need to additionally apply superphosphate (30 g) and potassium sulfide (20 g) for the same area size. After that, the soil should be leveled.
The plant is unpretentious to the composition of the soil
How to plant
Transplanting berry seedlings to a permanent place should be carried out in the evening or on a cloudy day. To do this, in the prepared area, make holes 6-8 cm deep, in a checkerboard pattern of 40 by 40 cm. Pour a handful of sand at the bottom of each hole.
After that, water and wait for the water to be absorbed. Handle the seedlings without disturbing the clod of earth, and then sprinkle more soil and compact the surface at the base.
Care
Growing incense and caring for the plant is not difficult. Therefore, it is enough to adhere to the standard rules of agricultural technology.
Watering and feeding
Badan root is close to the soil surface and is often exposed, which leads to overheating. Therefore, young seedlings should be mulched with a layer of humus or peat.
It is necessary to water badan only in the absence of seasonal rains for a long time. The first time this should be done during budding, the second - during the flowering period, the third - 2-3 weeks later.
The plant responds well to feeding. Therefore, with the arrival of spring, the berry should be saturated with organic matter or nitrogen fertilizers, which will accelerate the growth of the green mass. And during the period of bud formation and after flowering - with phosphorus-potassium mixtures.
Adult berry bushes can be divided, and thus new seedlings can be obtained.This will fully preserve the species qualities of the mother plant.
Pest prevention
Bergenia has a high natural immunity, so it is not susceptible to pests. But if the basic requirements are not met, the resistance of the plant decreases, and it can be affected by the weevil.
To prevent this, it is necessary in the spring, after the snow melts, to spray the berry bushes from pests with "Aktara" or "Inta-Virom". And also to strengthen the immune system, it is necessary to periodically fertilize the plant.
Planting and caring for thin-leaved incense
In traditional and folk medicine, thin-leaved incense is widely used, which has healing properties. In its natural environment, it can be found in Eastern Siberia, Altai Territory, Yakutia, Transbaikalia. To obtain medicinal raw materials, you can grow this species on your site. Planting and caring for thin-leaved incense in the garden is carried out in the same way as for other types of culture.
To do this, it is necessary to sow in early spring in wide containers. And after that, put them outside under the snow, and only in the middle of spring bring them into the room. This procedure will improve the germination of seeds and increase their resistance to adverse conditions. The rest of the care for seedlings of thin-leaved bergenia is the same as for decorative hybrids. Transplanting seedlings should be carried out in May.
Thin-leaved berry can be propagated in spring or autumn by dividing the bush. To do this, it is necessary to cut the plant into pieces with a sharp knife, each of which must have a root process and a small leaf rosette. After that, immediately plant the delenki in a permanent place.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for incense in the open field does not require complex actions. And the use of this plant in landscape design allows you to create unusual "living" compositions that will delight the eye throughout the season. Badan looks great as a tapeworm against the background of a green lawn, as well as in combination with other perennials: lilies, hosts, irises, spring bulbs.
