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Badan Flirt is a perennial ornamental plant that is actively used in landscape design. Such a flower grows well in open ground, but it can also be grown indoors. Badan is characterized by unpretentiousness, ease of care, excellent appearance. It can be grown independently from seeds, if you follow a number of rules.
Description
Hybrid badan Dragonfly Flirt (Bergenia hybride Dragonfly Flirt) refers to dwarf perennial herbaceous shrubs. Plant height – 15-16 cm. It has a fleshy creeping well-developed rhizome located near the soil surface. The stem is short, red, branched, with numerous shoots.
During the growing season, a large number of small feather-like leaves appear on the plant. Moreover, they can be dark green or reddish, depending on the conditions in which the plant is located.
During the flowering period, up to 30 buds appear on the plant. Usually it starts at the end of April, but when grown in the garden, this period may be shifted.
Blooming bergenia Flirting lasts up to two months
The flowers are bell-shaped. Their diameter does not exceed 3-4 cm. The flowers are collected in panicles of 5-7 pieces. Color – bright pink with a purple core.
Under natural conditions, bergenia grows in mountainous areas. Therefore, such a plant adapts well to adverse weather conditions. Due to its resistance to frost, Flirt bergenia can be grown in any climatic zone.
Hybrid history
Variety Flirt bred by breeding. The hybrid was obtained by multiple crossing different types of bergenia, especially Bergenia Cordifiola, Bergenia Hissarica. The Dragonfly series also includes other hybrid varieties. They share many common characteristics.
Among them:
- long flowering period;
- high adaptive abilities;
- low sensitivity to diseases, pests.
Some hybrid varieties bloom twice per season. However, the badan Flirt, cultivated by many gardeners, blooms once.
Cultivation from seeds
Badan can be propagated by dividing the roots. However, this method is not relevant for all decorative varieties. Flirting can be divided 1-2 times, after which the plant may lose its varietal characteristics. Therefore, it is recommended to grow it from seeds.
Sowing is done before winter. For seedlings, it is recommended to use a small container or a wooden box. For planting, loose soil is needed so that the seedlings take root better.
Landing algorithm:
- Soak the seeds in potassium permanganate for 20 minutes.
- Lay them out on a cloth and let dry.
- Fill a container or box with disinfected soil.
- Make several holes with a depth of 5 mm at a distance of 3 cm from each other.
- Pour some water inside.
- Wait until the liquid is absorbed.
- Place the seeds of bergenia in the wells and lightly sprinkle with loose earth.
- Cover container with foil.
Seedlings must be kept indoors at a temperature of 8-10 degrees. You can place the container under the snow, provided that there are no severe frosts outside.
The first shoots appear 2-3 weeks after planting the seeds.
When sprouts appear, the container with seedlings must be opened. Periodically, it should be placed on the windowsill or in another bright place. The soil in the container is sprayed with a spray gun so that it does not dry out.
When the seedlings grow, they pick. To do this, the seedlings are carefully removed from the hole and transplanted to a new place. The procedure is carried out when 3 true leaves appear on the seedlings.
2 weeks after picking, when the seedlings take root again, it must be hardened off. To do this, it is periodically taken out to fresh air. The length of stay on the street is gradually increased.
How and when to plant outdoors
Experienced gardeners recommend transferring seedlings in late May or early June. Some prefer to abandon spring picking and transplant bergenia immediately into the soil. Since the Flirt variety is resistant to adverse factors, it tolerates both spring and summer planting well.
Place
Variety Flirt is unpretentious, so it grows well almost anywhere. Experienced gardeners advise placing such a plant in partial shade or in a shaded area.
With abundant sunlight, bergenia may lose its decorative properties.
Variety Flirt has a superficial root system. Therefore, the plant must be planted in places protected from strong winds. For cultivation, places where weeds constantly appear are not recommended. However, rocky areas are suitable for such a flower, on which other ornamental plants do not grow.
soil
The soil must be loose. Almost all varieties of bergenia, including Dragonfly Flirt, do not tolerate stagnant fluid in the roots. At the same time, the shrub reacts negatively to drought. Therefore, the soil must be kept moist, which can be achieved by mulching.
For planting, holes should be prepared with a depth of 6-8 cm. A little river sand is placed at the bottom of each for drainage. A seedling is planted in the hole along with a substrate for seedlings and immediately watered.
Variety Flirt rarely blooms in the first year after planting.
The distance between plants should be at least 10 cm. Usually, bergenia is planted in a checkerboard pattern.
Additional fertilizing
To increase the influx of nutrients, complex mineral fertilizers are used. Top dressing is carried out twice a year. The first is required in the spring after sanitary pruning of bergenia. The second time Flirt is fertilized after flowering, when seeds begin to form.
Top dressing is carried out in a basal way. Fertilizers with nitrogen and potassium are applied in liquid form to make it easier for the roots to absorb them.
Watering
Badan is considered a plant that is not demanding on moisture. A special need for fluid occurs only during the dry period in summer. With regular rainfall, additional watering is not required.
The first time the procedure is carried out during the formation of buds. Another watering is recommended on the first day of flowering. After 3 weeks, the procedure is repeated to satisfy the plant’s need for water.
With heavy rainfall, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil. Due to excess fluid, it can become too dense, which disrupts the nutrition of the roots.
Pest control
The Dragonfly Flirt variety is practically not attacked by insects. The greatest danger to bergenia are pinnitsy and root nematodes. Their appearance is facilitated by high soil moisture.
In case of damage by parasites, the plant should be treated with Aktara or Aktellik. These are potent insecticidal agents of intestinal action. Badan is sprayed twice with an interval of 1 week. For preventive purposes, the bush is treated in May.
Diseases
Badan is practically not susceptible to infections. This is due to the chemical composition of the plant. Fungal infections are possible only against the background of high soil moisture, as well as with the spread of infections from other crops.
Possible diseases:
- powdery mildew;
- leaf spot;
- fusarium wilt.
The appearance of the disease in the spring leads to a lack of flowering
For prevention, bergenia is treated with complex fungicidal agents. They are applied to the soil, used for spraying.
Trimming
This procedure is carried out for sanitary purposes. In autumn, pruning is carried out to remove dry inflorescences. This is necessary so that they do not waste the nutrients needed by the bush to prepare for winter.
Another pruning is carried out in the spring. All leaves that have survived the winter are removed from the bush.
Photo in landscape design
Despite the fact that the Flirt variety is dwarf, it has excellent decorative properties. Therefore, they are used in landscape design to decorate the site.
Badan looks beautiful in a group planting with other undersized flowers
Variety Flirt is ideal for planting in shady areas.
Many designers advise planting bergenia in rock gardens.
Even in the absence of flowering, bergenia is well suited for landscaping
There are a lot of options for using such a shrub in design. This allows you to create unique flower arrangements on the site.
Conclusion
Badan Flirt is an ornamental undersized plant, bred by selection. It has a long flowering period, low sensitivity to diseases. Seedlings of bergenia Flirt are grown from seeds and subsequently transferred to open ground. Such a perennial is considered unpretentious in care, so beginner gardeners will certainly like it.