Large-leaved Brunner Jack Frost (Jack Frost): photo, description, planting and care

Brunner – a herbaceous plant is a member of the Borage family. The genus consists of three species, two of which grow in Our Country. Large-leaved brunner Jack Frost (Jack Frost) is found only in the North Caucasus and in the Middle lane, the second species grows in Siberia.

Description

Perennial herbaceous Brunnera Jack Frost forms a dense compact bush. The culture does not grow to the sides, the above-ground mass consists mainly of leaves, only thin flower stalks appear in the center during budding.

Jack Frost has good frost resistance and strong immunity.

Characteristics of Jack Frost culture:

1. The plant is undersized, reaches a height of 30-50 cm, the diameter of the crown of an adult brunner is 60 cm. The bush does not fall apart, the central part becomes empty with age, this is a sign that it needs to be divided and seated.
2. The Jack Frost species is valued for the shape and color of the leaves. They are large heart-shaped, 20-25 cm long. The lower part is gray with a green tint, rough and densely pubescent with small, thin bristles.
3. The upper part of the leaf plate is mesh, with dark green veins and a border along a smooth edge.
4. The leaves are attached to long petioles. In early July, the formation of the above-ground mass ends and until late autumn, large bright leaves retain their color.
5. The central stem is short, thick, pubescent. On the upper part, thin peduncles are formed, which end in corymbose inflorescences, protruding in the upper part above the level of the crown.
6. The flowers are dark blue or blue, with a white core, five-petalled, small. Their diameter is 0,5-0,7 cm. Outwardly, the flowers resemble forget-me-nots. Flowering begins in May, continues until June, if you cut off the inflorescences, the cycle resumes in August.
7. The root system is taproot, weakly branched, the root is long, grows parallel to the soil surface.

For a full-fledged vegetation, the brunner requires partial shade and moist soil. Culture feels comfortable under the crown of large trees and on the north side of the building. In an open area, burns may appear on the leaves, with a lack of moisture, the crown loses turgor, which is why Brunner Jack Frost loses its attractiveness.

Cultivation from seeds

Planting material brunner Jack Frost is harvested in mid-July (after maturation). Terms are conditional: in the south, the culture fades earlier, in a temperate climate later. After collecting the seeds, they are treated with an antifungal agent and placed in the refrigerator for 2 days for hardening. You can sow directly into the ground:

1. Furrows are made 2 cm deep.
2. Spread the seeds at a distance of 5 cm.
3. Cover with compost and water.

Seedlings appear after 10 days. When the seedlings rise by about 8 cm, they are transferred to a permanent place. For the winter they are covered with mulch and covered with snow.

On one site of a brunner, Jack Frost can grow for more than 7 years. After planting, the plant will enter reproductive age only in the fourth year. The method is unproductive and lengthy. It is better to grow seedlings, in this case, the culture will bloom for 2-3 years.

Technology for growing brunners at home:

1. Soil mixed with compost is collected in containers.
2. Seeds are stratified, disinfected and treated with a growth stimulator.
3. Sowing is carried out according to the same scheme as in the open area.
4. Seedlings are grown at a temperature of +16 ⁰C, the soil is kept moist.
5. When sprouts appear, fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers.

The material is sown immediately after collection, the containers are left on the site until the temperature drops, to about +5⁰ C, then brought into the room. By spring, the seedlings will be ready for planting.

How and when to plant outdoors

Planting time depends on the material. If brunner Jack Frost is bred with seedlings, work begins in the spring, after the temperature is set at + 15-17 ⁰C, so the timing in each climate zone is different. In the case of division of the mother bush – after flowering, approximately in July, August.

Jack Frost Brunner Landing Sequence:

1. The allotted area is dug up, weeds are removed.
2. Make a mixture of peat and compost, add complex fertilizers.
3. The recess is made according to the size of the root so that the vegetative buds are above ground level.
4. Pour some of the mixture into the bottom of the pit.
5. They put a brunner and fall asleep with the rest of the substrate.

The plant is moisture-loving, therefore, after watering, the root circle is covered with mulch. If planting is carried out by dividing the bush, a few leaves are left for photosynthesis, the rest are cut off so that the plant spends the main nutrition on root formation.

Planting material obtained by dividing the bush will bloom next year

Care

Agrotechnics brunners Jack Frost is to carry out the following activities:

1. Watering is carried out constantly. For this crop, it is better if the soil is waterlogged. This species will not grow in a sunny, dry site. If the brunner is located near a reservoir, it is watered less often, guided by precipitation.
2. Weeding is required, but loosening is carried out shallowly so as not to damage the root.
3. Mulching is also included in the conditions of care, the material protects the root from overheating, retains soil moisture and prevents the formation of compaction on the surface. If there is mulch, then there is no need for loosening.
4. Top dressing is applied in the spring, nitrogen is used for this. At the time of budding, the plant needs potassium-phosphorus compounds. After flowering, it is desirable to feed with organic matter.

An excess of fertilizer for brunners is undesirable, because. the culture intensively increases the green mass, but the leaves lose their decorative effect, turn into a monochromatic grayish color.

Diseases and pests

View Jack Frost in its natural environment grows in forest glades or along the banks of reservoirs. The plant is characterized by strong immunity; when grown in the garden, it practically does not get sick. If the bush is constantly in the shade, powdery mildew may appear on the leaves. For treatment, antifungal drugs are used.

Of the pests for the variety, aphids and whitefly butterflies are dangerous, but only when they are massively distributed on the site. To get rid of insects, plants are sprayed with insecticides.

Trimming

Brunner Jack Frost does not shed its leaves on its own. After frost, they remain on the bush, but lose their decorative effect. In the spring, they also do not fall off and interfere with the growth of a young crown. Therefore, before wintering, the plant is cut off completely, left about 5-10 cm above the ground.

Preparation for winter

After pruning the above-ground part, the plant is watered abundantly and fed with phosphate fertilizers. The root circle is covered with compost. Straw is placed on top, this is true for regions where winter temperatures drop below -23 ⁰C. In the south, the plant does not need shelter.

Reproduction

Generative propagation is practiced in nurseries for the mass cultivation of seedlings. On the site, division of the mother plant is more often used. After 4 years of growth, this event can be carried out with any bush. It is dug up and divided into parts so that each has 1-2 kidneys.

Brunner Jack Frost can be propagated by root shoots. Separate the part from the top and cut into fragments so that each of them has root threads. This method is less productive and is rarely used. Brunner can be propagated by cuttings, but no more than 30% of the entire material takes root. The plant propagates by self-sowing, seedlings are also used for transplanting to another site.

Photo in landscape design

Because of the bright leaves, Brunner Jack Frost is widely used in landscape design as an ornamental plant. Shade-loving plant is combined with all cultures.

When mass planting from brunners, they create borders, arrange alpine slides, the culture is included in mixborders with flowering plants

Brunner is grown solo in flowerbeds or rabatka

Large-leaved culture looks great in a flower bed with flowering plants and dwarf junipers

Variety Jack Frost is in harmony with plain hostas

Conclusion

Brunnera Jack Frost is a herbaceous perennial plant with variegated leaves and blue flowers. The culture received the main distribution in the North Caucasus. Decorative seedlings are used in landscape design to create borders and mixborders. The Jack Frost species is characterized by simple farming techniques. It is a shade-loving, stress-resistant variety that propagates by division and seeds.

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