Content
Badan Flirt is a perennial ornamental plant that is actively used in landscape design. This flower grows well outdoors, but it can also be grown indoors. Bergenia is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, ease of care, and excellent appearance. You can grow it yourself from seeds if you follow a number of rules.
Description
Hybrid bergenia Dragonfly Flirt (Bergenia hybride Dragonfly Flirt) is a dwarf perennial herbaceous shrub. Plant height is 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. It usually begins at the end of April, but when grown in the garden this period may shift.
Bergenia Flirt blooms for 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. The color is bright pink with a purple center.
Under natural conditions, bergenia grows in mountainous areas. Therefore, such a plant adapts well to unfavorable weather conditions. Due to its frost resistance, Flirt bergenia can be grown in any climate zone.
History of the hybrid
The Flirt variety was bred through selective breeding. The hybrid was obtained by repeatedly 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 and pests.
Some hybrid varieties bloom twice per season. However, the Flirt bergenia, cultivated by many gardeners, blooms once.
Growing from seeds
Bergenia can be propagated by dividing the roots. However, this method is not relevant for all decorative varieties. Flirt 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 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.
- Transfer them to a cloth and let dry.
- Fill the container or box with disinfected soil.
- Make several holes 5 mm deep at a distance of 3 cm from each other.
- Pour some water inside.
- Wait until the liquid is absorbed.
- Place bergenia seeds in the holes and lightly sprinkle with loose soil.
- Cover the container with film.
Seedlings must be kept indoors at a temperature of 8-10 degrees. You can place the container under the snow, provided that there is no severe frost 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 a windowsill or other bright place. The soil in the container is sprayed with a spray bottle 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 location. The procedure is carried out when 3 true leaves appear on the seedlings.
2 weeks after picking, when the seedlings take root again, they need to be hardened off. To do this, it is periodically taken out into the fresh air. The period of stay on the street is gradually increased.
How and when to plant in open ground
Experienced gardeners recommend transplanting seedlings at the end of May or early June. Some people prefer to abandon spring picking and replant bergenia directly into the soil. Since the Flirt variety is resistant to adverse factors, it tolerates both spring and summer planting.
Place
The Flirt variety 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.
The Flirt variety has a superficial root system. Therefore, the plant should be planted in places protected from strong winds. Places where weeds constantly appear are not recommended for cultivation. However, this flower is suitable for rocky areas where other ornamental plants do not grow.
The soil
The soil should be loose. Almost all varieties of bergenia, including Dragonfly Flirt, do not tolerate stagnation of liquid in the roots. At the same time, the shrub reacts negatively to drought. Therefore, the soil must be moist, which can be achieved by mulching.
For planting, you should prepare holes 6-8 cm deep. A little river sand is placed at the bottom of each for drainage. The seedling is planted in the hole along with the seedling substrate and immediately watered.
The Flirt variety blooms extremely rarely in the first year after planting.
The distance between plants should be at least 10 cm. Bergenia is usually planted in a checkerboard pattern.
Top dressing
To increase the flow of nutrients, complex mineral fertilizers are used. Fertilizing 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.
Fertilizing is carried out using the root method. Fertilizers with nitrogen and potassium are applied in liquid form to make it easier for the roots to absorb them.
Watering
Bergenia is considered a plant that does not require moisture. A special need for fluid arises 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.
In case of heavy rainfall, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil. Due to excess liquid, it can become too dense, which disrupts the nutrition of the roots.
Pest treatment
The Dragonfly Flirt variety is practically not susceptible to insect attacks. The greatest danger to bergenia is pinnits and root nematodes. Their appearance is promoted by high soil moisture.
If the plant is affected by parasites, it should be treated with the drug “Aktara” or “Aktellik”. These are potent intestinal insecticidal agents. Bergenia is sprayed twice with an interval of 1 week. For preventive purposes, the bush is treated in May.
Diseases
Bergenia 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 when infections spread 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 introduced into the soil and 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 the bush needs to prepare for winter.
Another pruning is carried out in the spring. All leaves that have survived the winter are removed from the bush.
Photos 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.
Bergenia looks beautiful in a group planting with other low-growing flowers
The Flirt variety is ideal for planting in shaded 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 shrubs in design. This allows you to create unique flower arrangements on the site.
https://youtu.be/xz1lHixhXFA
Conclusion
Badan Flirt is an ornamental low-growing plant bred through selective breeding. It is characterized by a long flowering period and low sensitivity to diseases. Bergenia seedlings Flirt are grown from seeds and subsequently transferred to open ground. This perennial is considered easy to care for, so it will certainly appeal to novice gardeners.
