Bergenia: planting, care and cultivation in open ground. Bergenia in the garden - planting in open ground and further care How to prepare bergenia for winter

Bergenia can become a real decoration of a country garden. This amazing herbaceous shrub with a long peduncle covered with numerous flowers is beautiful from the first days of spring to late autumn. Its leaves are bright, juicy, some varieties are huge, like burdocks - they can turn any corner of the garden into a fairy tale - be it a pond, a rocky hill or a modest garden path. It’s also nice that planting a plant in open ground and caring for it will not be a difficult task for a beginner.

Main characteristics of the plant

Bergenia is an evergreen herbaceous plant of the Saxifraga family. It received its Latin name, bergenia, in honor of the German botanist Carl Bergen. Large fleshy leaves resemble the shape of elephant ears, hence the common name of the plant - elephant ears.

Coming from Asia, in nature the flower is found in meadows, lowlands, and among rocky areas. Its unpretentiousness to growing conditions played an important role in the creation of cultivated varieties.

Bergenia leaves are collected in a dense rosette. The root system is powerful, but superficial. During flowering, several long bare peduncles appear, strewn with numerous goblet-shaped flowers. Flowers with a diameter of about 2 cm have, depending on the variety, different colors- from white to bright pink.

Bergenia is one of the first to bloom in the garden in spring.

Medicinal properties of bergenia

Rosettes of bergenia have not only decorative value. You can brew a delicious, aromatic tea from overwintered, blackened leaves. In Siberia, such a drink, and the incense itself, is called Mongolian tea, and in Altai - Chigir tea. Regardless of the name, brewed leaves help reduce arterial pressure, normalize the gastrointestinal tract, cleanse blood vessels and improve immunity. Due to the tannins contained in the plant, Mongolian tea is used for intestinal disorders.

Bergenia in landscape design

Landscape design in Lately is becoming increasingly popular among gardeners and summer residents. The craving for beauty pushes them to ennoble, if not all garden plot, then at least a separate part of it. With the help of incense it is easy to create any composition in a natural style. This plant looks impressive both in single plantings and in combination with other plants. The smooth burdock leaves of this flower against the background of the openwork foliage of astilbe or multi-colored hostas will create a unique picture of wildlife.

How it is used in garden compositions: examples in the photo

A small pond with bergenia looks very romantic

Popular types and varieties

Bergenia has 10 species with many varieties, differing in size, color and shape of leaves. Flowering also varies in terms of timing and effectiveness - there are forms with double and semi-double flowers of original colors.

Bergenia cordifolia is the most popular species, native to Altai. The plant is low-growing, no more than 40 cm in height, with thick, dark green, heart-shaped leaves. Bell-shaped flowers in white, pink, purple and lilac flowers. Flowering begins in May and lasts 20 days. This is a very frost-resistant species - the leaves overwintering under the snow can withstand temperatures down to -40 o C.

One of the most frost-resistant species is bergenia cordifolia.

Bergenia thickleaf is found in Altai, the Sayan Mountains and Mongolia. An evergreen herbaceous plant reaches 60 cm in height. Glossy leathery leaves of a round shape are collected in a dense rosette. The paniculate inflorescence consists of numerous bell flowers of delicate pink or lilac color. The thick-leaved bergenia is distinguished by its early flowering - from late April to June. It remains decorative all summer thanks to its succulent leaves, some of which turn red in the fall, enhancing the effectiveness of the plant. Winter-hardy species - the foliage does not change color under the snow and the plant greets spring with green and purple colors.

Bergenia thickleaf - a large plant with shiny leaves and luxurious flowers

The variety Galina Serova is attractive due to the variegated color of the leaves and for the same reason prefers a sunny location. Large leathery leaves of bergenia with white strokes are charming throughout the summer, and in the fall, when green color

changes to red, creating a fireworks effect in the garden. It blooms in May–June with bell-shaped pink flowers. Winters well under snow. Galina Serova - rare variety

bergenia, characterized by variegated leaf color It differs from other varieties in its large matte leaves and the presence of peculiar “wings” growing from the center of the rosette. Bright pink flowers are collected in a spherical inflorescence on a low peduncle. The plant is winter-hardy, unpretentious, blooms in May–June, but retains its decorative effect throughout the summer.

Gardeners in Europe have fallen in love with the pink balls-inflorescences of Schmidt's bergenia.

Bergenia Bressingham White is a hybrid, shade-tolerant variety. Prefers damp places, but does not have any special requirements for the composition of the soil. Large, dark green glossy leaves form a rosette 30 cm high. White flowers are collected in loose inflorescences. Blooms in May–June. Frost-resistant variety.

Bressingham white is a hybrid bergenia variety with showy white flowers.

Badan Abenglut is a shade-tolerant, unpretentious, frost-resistant variety. Landing on sunny places It can withstand, but does not grow luxuriantly, and in bright light the flowering period is shortened. Bright green leaves, collected in a low rosette, acquire a beautiful bronze hue in the fall. Purple semi-double flowers on thick red peduncles delight the eye from April to May.

Badan Abenglut attracts attention with bright semi-double flowers

Features of growing a perennial plant

Bergenia is not the most capricious plant, so not only for an experienced gardener, but also for a beginner. It can be grown almost throughout the entire territory of our country, however, in hot, dry areas, care will be complicated by frequent watering.

In this case, it is better to plant it in partial shade - under trees or on the north side of the building. In general, bergenia can withstand summer temperatures up to +30 o C and above, the main thing is that in hot times it receives enough moisture and is shaded during the midday hours.

Planting in open ground For good growth and flowering, it is important to choose appropriate place in the garden.

Here the opinions of experts differ - some believe that a sunny area is necessary for flowering, others advocate partial shade. And here only personal experience will become the best advisor. When choosing a place for bergenia, as with any other plant, it is necessary to take into account the climate of the area. For example, a sunny area in Siberia or the Moscow region is a quite comfortable place for many types of plants, while at the same time, not every weed can withstand the sun in the Southern Urals. Therefore, when choosing a place for a plant, you need to make allowances for climatic conditions - in the steppe zone with the scorching sun and dry winds, it is better if the area is shaded, ideally near a pond, in Sun or partial shade is suitable.

Bergenia prefers light, loose soil. The fact is that the powerful rhizome of the plant lies close to the surface and this soil structure will provide it with the necessary moisture and nutrients. Sometimes the roots are too close and even come out, so the ground around it needs to be mulched, especially in sunny places.

The composition of the soil is not particularly important, but waterlogging should be avoided. You cannot plant a flower in places with possible spring flooding.

Planting and growing bergenia in flower pots

Bergenia planted in tubs or flowerpots is a real decoration of the summer garden. The plant develops well and blooms in a container, and it can also be easily moved if the chosen location turns out to be unsuccessful.

To plant in a pot or tub you need:
Pour drainage into the bottom of the pot - expanded clay, pebbles or crushed stone, ¼ of the volume.
Fill half the container with the prepared mixture - turf soil, leaf soil, compost, sand in a ratio of 2:2:1:1.
Place the prepared bergenia rosette in the center (if it is not planted in a composition) and cover it with the remaining soil.
Lightly press the soil around the plant and water.

Mulch the surface with bark, pebbles or decorative crushed stone. When choosing a flowerpot or tub for bergenia, you need to make sure there are good drainage holes

. To prevent them from becoming clogged with soil during watering, shards are placed on the bottom, and a drainage layer is placed on top.

Planted in a flowerpot, bergenia feels no worse than in a flowerbed

For the winter, a flower pot or tub with a flower must be moved to a greenhouse or veranda and covered with lutrasil. Plants grown in southern regions where frost does not fall below 5°C can overwinter in containers outside. In all other regions there is a risk of the pot cracking from frost and the roots freezing.

How to successfully propagate a flower at home

It is most convenient to propagate bergenia by dividing the rhizome or rooting rosettes, but growing from seeds also gives good results.

In the first and second cases, young plants will bloom in the second, less often in the third year, but those grown from seeds only in the third or fourth. There must be at least three buds on each segment. In the prepared area, dig shallow grooves at a distance of approximately 30 cm from each other. Lay the rhizomes horizontally, only sprinkling them a little with a light soil mixture, water and mulch. If all conditions are met correctly, the bergenia will take root before the onset of frost and will successfully overwinter.

You can root a piece of rhizome not only in open ground, but also in a pot

You can propagate by rosettes after the bergenia blooms and until the beginning of September. The procedure is simple - separate the rosettes from the mother bush and plant them in a prepared place. The operation is best performed with a sharp knife, pre-treated with alcohol or chlorhexidine. Sprinkle the cuts with crushed coal.

The holes should be no deeper than 30 cm and the distance between them should be 30–40 cm. A drainage layer will protect the roots from rotting if the soil on the site is dense and the summer is rainy. Water and mulch the planted plants.

The family of bergenia rosettes is divided using a sharp knife

Sowing seeds

Bergenia seeds require preliminary stratification for germination - storage in a damp state at a temperature of 1–3 o C for three months.

The best method is when the seeds are sown in prepared containers, covered with a layer of snow, placed in a bag and buried in a snowdrift. If there are no such conditions, you can use a refrigerator.

Step-by-step process of growing seedlings from seeds:
At the beginning of March, the container with the seeds is placed in a warm place for germination. At a temperature of 18–20 o C, seedlings will appear in about 20 days.
At first, the sprouts need spraying from a spray bottle.
Thickened seedlings need to be thinned out. It is better to do this with scissors, cutting off excess, weak shoots.
After one and a half to two months, the plants are planted in separate cups.
From May, bergenia seedlings begin to be hardened off - the cups are taken out into the air, gradually increasing the time of “walks”.

While the seedlings are hardening off, prepare a place for planting. At a distance of 30–40 cm from each other, holes are dug, 7–8 cm deep, and sand or pebbles are poured onto the bottom.

When the bergenia seedlings have 4–5 true leaves, the sprouts are planted in separate cups

Video: luxurious incense! Growing and Reproduction

Features of caring for bergenia in the garden

Caring for bergenia, due to its unpretentiousness, is simple. It is important to remember that the plant does not tolerate dry soil, so watering should be regular and plentiful.

You should not remove the lower leaves that have lost their decorative effect - they cover the roots of the bergenia and help retain moisture. If you want to clean the rosettes, you should mulch the soil around the plant. Bergenia blooms in April-May - the timing and duration depend on the variety. Faded arrows are cut off with scissors if there is no need to obtain seeds from the plant.

Under favorable conditions, re-blooming is possible at the end of August or September. The overgrown bergenia densely covers the ground with its foliage; it is not without reason that it is considered a ground cover plant.

Where this flower grows there are no weeds, which means there is no weeding either.

Weeds do not grow under overgrown bergenia leaves

Bergenia practically does not need fertilizing - an overfed plant begins to fatten and blooms worse. Once a summer, after flowering, you can feed the plantings with diluted complex fertilizer.

In the fall, remove old, dead bergenia leaves. You should not try to cut them with scissors or a knife; it is better to carefully tear them off without leaving a petiole. Bergenia does not tolerate transplantation well, so you should not touch it unless absolutely necessary.

It grows well in one place for 10–12 years, expanding in breadth. This feature must be taken into account when planning plantings, since as it grows, bergenia can be aggressive towards other plants. To prevent this from happening, it may be worth limiting its spread to curbs or rocks.

Preparing for winter

Bergenia is quite frost-resistant - almost all of its varieties can withstand temperatures down to -35–40°C, but under snow. In snowless winters, roots located close to the surface may freeze. To prevent this from happening, you should take care of the shelter. Dry fallen leaves or straw pressed on top with spruce branches are perfect for these purposes. In the spring, it is necessary to remove the shelter without waiting for above-zero temperatures to appear, otherwise the bergenia may prop up.

Reddened bergenia leaves warn of the approaching winter

In areas with mild winters, where -10 o C is the maximum drop, bergenia does not need shelter.

Possible problems for a novice gardener tsam. The plant is almost not affected by insects and diseases, and therefore does not require preventive treatments.

One problem may be lack of flowering. In this case, you should check that all agrotechnical conditions are met. If bergenia grows well but does not bloom, it may be lacking sunlight, as it is planted in full shade.

Lethargy and yellowing of bergenia leaves may indicate stagnation of water when the roots are in acidified soil. This happens if the plant is planted on clayey area

no drainage. To save the rosettes, you need to replant them, not forgetting to rinse the roots in a solution of potassium permanganate.

Bergenia or saxifrage - from the history of the name The perennial herbaceous plant bergenia is sometimes called saxifrage, which is not entirely true. Bergenia really refers to family of saxifrage Saxifragacea, but not to the genus saxifrage Saxifraga . Currently, botanists classify Badan as an independent genus Bergenia. This scientific name

he received it from the surname of the German scientist August von Bergen. The confusion in the name arose due to the first Latin generic name Saxifraga crassifolia, that is, saxifrage crassifolia, which was given to bergenia by the world famous Swedish scientist, author of binary names for living organisms, Carl Linnaeus. Only many years later, bergenia was identified as a separate genus.

In the photo: Bergenia crassifolia

Morphological characteristics
Bergenia belongs to the class of dicotyledonous plants and has external and internal morphological characteristics typical of representatives of dicotyledons: - the presence of two cotyledons in the seed; - rod root system
; - reticulate venation of leaves; - leaves on petioles; - flowers with five petals; - actinomorphic (radial) type of symmetry in flowers; - double perianth.
Stomata, which serve for gas exchange, are located on the lower surface of the leaf, as in all land plants. To store organic substances, bergenia uses a thickened rhizome. The presence of rhizomes must be taken into account when planting bergenia.
Bergenia leaves are whole, leathery, and grow like a bush. The plant forms a basal rosette.
Bergenia blooms in spring from late March to late May, sometimes until early summer, depending on the region. Bergenia is an entomophilous plant that is pollinated by insects. Early flowering allows you to win competition for pollinators, and the leaves do not prevent insects from seeing the flowers, which are located on a high peduncle, from afar.
Bergenia bears fruit from late July to August; the dry fruit capsule contains many small seeds.

Life forms

The genus Bergenia is exclusively herbaceous plants, in most cases perennial, for example, the types of Bergenia thick-leaved and Bergenia cordifolia. An interesting feature of bergenia is its ability to retain leaves until late autumn and remain green under the snow, which allows it to be classified as an evergreen. It is not surprising that growing bergenia in decorative purposes is gaining more and more popularity, so novice gardeners are interested in correct fit and caring for bergenia. Knowledge of the characteristics of the plant and its natural habitat will help answer the questions.

Area and place in biocenoses

The plant is widespread in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. The natural habitat of the plant is the territory of Asia. In the south, bergenia grows to Central Asia, and in the central regions of the Eurasian continent - in Siberia, Altai Territory, Kazakhstan and Primorye. In the east, the area of bergenia extends to Mongolia, Korea and the territory of the People's Republic of China.
Bergenia grows in different communities: - forest-steppe biocenoses; - well-lit coniferous forests; - deciduous forests with loose canopy; - meadow and forest-steppe areas of the foothills; - mountain meadows.
The plant can be found on rocky outcrops, forest edges, destroyed glacial deposits and mountain slopes. Bergenia can grow at altitudes exceeding 4,000 meters above sea level, but prefers gently sloping, wind-protected areas with rich soils that are covered with snow in winter. In this case, bergenia forms dense thickets, being the dominant ground cover plant.

We recommend reading: Astilbe
Saxifraga and the Saxifraga family

Propagation of bergenia (growing from seeds and using rhizomes)

Bergenia, which is a type of angiosperm, reproduces in two ways - generative and vegetative.
Generative reproduction
Growing from seeds. Reproduction using seeds is called the generative method. Bergenia produces a large number of seeds, approximately 2 mm in size. It is better to sow seeds not directly into the ground, but into a container or tray. This will give the seedlings time to grow stronger in more favorable conditions and will reduce the number of dead plants. From seeds you can get a large number of seedlings at the same time. After they grow to a size of 10-15 cm, it is rational to plant bergenia in the ground or in individual containers, if we're talking about O industrial cultivation bergenia.
Flaw seed propagation bergenia - its duration and possible problems with seed germination.
To increase the number of seedlings, you need to place the seeds in a fungicide solution for a couple of hours before planting. This will speed up their germination and stop the development of infection, which often affects young seedlings.
When growing bergenia, you need to make sure that the soil in the tray does not dry out, but you should not overwater small sprouts. If a green coating or greenish crust appears on the soil, you need to loosen the soil. This phenomenon, associated with the development of soil microscopic algae, leads to the fact that oxygen ceases to flow into the soil, and plants suffocate. This is especially dangerous for seedlings. The reason for this phenomenon is excessive watering. When soil algae develop, the soil should be loosened with a sharpened stick or toothpick and watering reduced.
Another disadvantage of growing bergenia from seeds is late flowering; young plants bloom only after a couple of years.
Vegetative propagation
An easy and quick way to grow bergenia is propagation using the vegetative organs of the plant. In nature, the plant reproduces using thick, long rhizomes. To get better results, it is more profitable to take young bergenia rhizomes: they contain large quantity dividing cells of the meristem - plant tissue.

Planting bergenia with rosettes of leaves. Option 1
Planting bergenia is possible different ways: planting rhizomes with rosettes, planting rhizomes with dormant buds, planting a plant from a container. In the first case, part of the rhizome is carefully dug up and, with a lump of earth, transplanted to a new place. In this case, you can even take a rhizome without dormant buds, but with rosettes of leaves. This is the most gentle way to plant bergenia, but it is possible if the plant is replanted immediately after a short period of time. This method of transplantation can be used throughout the growing season of the plant except during flowering. But it is preferable to plant bergenia in early autumn. If it is not possible to immediately plant the plant in a permanent place, it can be planted in a temporary container.
Planting bergenia from a container. Option 2
Planting planting material from a container is possible at any time of the year from spring to late autumn. It is better to plant seedlings obtained from seeds in the spring so that they become stronger over the summer and accumulate organic matter for the winter.
When planting from a container, the plant is removed along with a lump of earth and transplanted into a hole of the appropriate size made in the ground. If the bergenia has grown, it can first be divided by shaking off the soil and cutting the rhizome, and then planted in a permanent place.
Planting bergenia with rhizomes with dormant buds. Option 3
When planting bergenia with rhizomes with dormant buds, part of the rhizome is dug up and cleared of soil. The section of rhizome intended for transplantation must have more than five dormant buds.
Bergenia rhizomes can be stored sufficiently for a long time in special conditions: darkness, coolness, but not cold. For storage, they are covered with straw or special aerated paper. In this form, bergenia rhizomes can be transported. At the same time, you should make sure that they do not dry out too much. Can't be allowed high humidity, otherwise rot may develop on the rhizomes.
Before planting, dried rhizomes that have been without a substrate for a long time must be kept in water for some time (2-3 hours). To prevent diseases, you need to add a little potassium permanganate to the water (until it turns light pink) or copper sulfate. The best result will be obtained by treating with a fungicide solution. This method of planting bergenia has negative side: If stored for a long time, the rhizome may lose vitality and not germinate.
Where to plant bergenia
Bergenia prefers to grow in partial shade or in diffused light. The most suitable places for planting bergenia are places where the sun's rays fall in the morning or evening. Bergenia can also be planted in the scorching sun: its fleshy leaves contain a supply of moisture and allow the plant to be planted in such places. But when growing bergenia in sunny places, you need to ensure that the soil does not dry out too much. Perhaps the only thing that the plant does not tolerate well is drying out of the soil and rhizomes, which are not located too deep.
All varieties and types of bergenia prefer light turf soils, in which stagnation of water is excluded, acidity - pH 5.5-6.5, that is, slightly acidic, almost neutral.

Bergenia care

Caring for bergenia is not burdensome. As a prominent representative of the Saxifraga family, it is a fairly unpretentious plant. Caring for bergenia comes down to preventing the soil from drying out, which is done well by the old dying leaves of the plant, protecting the soil from drying out. Watering or mulching will only be required for plants planted in a visible place, where it is necessary to remove dried leaves that spoil the aesthetic appearance. Caring for bergenia practically eliminates fertilizing. Only after flowering in the phase of formation of new rosettes is bergenia fed with soluble complex fertilizer. This cannot be done more often, as the flowering of bergenia will worsen. Old bergenia leaves are not cut, but torn off, trying not to leave cuttings. This procedure is done in the fall. Bergenia can be grown in one place for up to ten years; frequent replanting will only harm it. Certain varieties of bergenia may suffer from frosts; it is better to plant them on the south side of the house, buildings, under the crown big trees, near bushes, avoiding lowlands and northern winds.

Diseases and pests

Caring for bergenia is quite simple also because the plant is almost not affected by pests. The reason for this is the chemical composition of the plant. When growing bergenia on heavy substrates, clay soils with poor water drainage, rotting of the rhizome may occur, mainly caused by fungal pathogens.
Among the representatives of the class of insects, bergenia is affected by the slobbering pennies; this pest tends to reproduce in the shade or partial shade. When plants are damaged, apply chemical methods struggle. Processing must be carried out when dry warm weather, the air temperature should be at least 21 degrees, but not higher than 28.
Nematode is a representative of roundworms that can be encountered when growing bergenia. When the nematode multiplies massively, it is practically impossible to save the plant, since the worms live in the soil. If you try to replant bergenia, then even on the rhizome cleared of soil, nematode eggs will remain, which will subsequently develop into adults. You can keep the rhizome in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for some time and transplant it to a new location. The area of soil in which nematodes have infested must be treated with chemicals several times, and no plants should be planted there for at least a year. After such a quarantine, the rhizomes and leaves of bergenia cannot be used for medicinal and food purposes: they will contain a high concentration of toxic substances.

Using bergenia in landscape design

One of the features of bergenia is its unpretentious lighting requirements: bergenia can be grown in the shade and in the sun. It is a versatile plant, and planting bergenia in flower beds with insufficient sunlight greatly revitalizes them. Another property makes bergenia a valuable plant for design - it grows independently with the help of creeping rhizomes and can serve as a ground cover plant for a flower bed. Occupying the lower tier, dense thickets of bergenia prevent weeds from growing.
When planted in flowerbeds in partial shade, bergenia combines beautifully with different varieties hostas, fern, astilbe, lungwort, honeydew and hellebore. Among the bush representatives of the plant world, bergenia feels good next to mahonia, sarcococcus, and juniper. There are plants that are better not to grow next to bergenia - these are periwinkle, lilies of the valley, sedge and other low-growing plants with creeping rhizomes. They will prevent the bergenia from growing, and it, in turn, will interfere with them.
Bergenia planted under the crowns of deciduous trees looks impressive. In spring, when the trees are not yet covered with leaves, bergenia looks impressive in the company of bulbous plants. spring plants– snowdrops, goose onions, blueberries, hyacinths, crocuses.
There are so many different varieties of bergenia that spring flower beds can be planted only from these plants, forming multi-colored groups.
The most common species is Bergenia crassifolia - thick-leaved bergenia. The specific name “thick-leaved” bergenia was given due to its characteristic fleshy leaves with petioles containing a supply of water. This is one of the most popular species of the genus; based on its hybrids with other species, breeders have developed many varieties:
-“Britten” with white and pink flowers, “apple blossom”;
- “Purple Glocken” with bright drooping purple flowers;
- “Abbenglute” with dark pink double flowers;
- “Morgenrote” “Sunningdale” are late flowering varieties that bloom in summer.
Heartleaf, purple and Pacific bergenias are used less frequently in landscape design. The “Tubby Andrews” variety, the ancestor of which is the cordifolia bergenia, has decorative variegated leaves. The leaves of some of the bergenia varieties have a bright reddish or purple color.

Application and medicinal properties bergenia

When talking about the use of bergenia in medicine, we mean thick-leaved bergenia, the popular name of which is medicinal. Another use of bergenia is preparing a drink for which the dried leaves of the plant are used. Therefore, bergenia is sometimes called Mongolian tea.
IN medicinal purposes They use bergenia rhizomes, which are collected in the summer about a month or a month and a half after flowering. Their medicinal properties are explained by their chemical composition. They contain tannins, 20-30% depending on age and place of growth. The rhizomes also contain tannins, substances related to glycosides, organic acids and arbutin. In terms of the content of the latter substance, bergenia is one of the first places in the plant world. Tannins are also contained in bergenia leaves, but their quantity is 2-3 times less.
Bergenia and preparations based on it have the following medicinal properties: - antibacterial; - astringent; - hemostatic; - anti-inflammatory; - normalize blood pressure in hypertension; - strengthen the walls of blood and lymphatic vessels.
Bergenia is used to treat respiratory diseases, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, colds of a viral and bacterial nature. The antiseptic properties of the plant are used to heal wounds and reduce inflammation in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract. Extracts from the rhizome of bergenia help remove kidney stones and serve effective means for inflammation of the urinary system, and are also an excellent hepatoprotector.
A large amount of tannins led to the use of bergenia for impregnating tarpaulins and tanning leather: the tannin content in it is 4 times higher than their content in oak bark.

It is obvious that bergenia is not only an original plant, the planting of which will decorate any garden, and the care of which will not be difficult, but also extremely useful from a practical point of view.

Grass bergenia, or bergenia (lat. Bergenia), forms a genus of perennials of the Saxifraga family. These grow perennial herbs in the temperate zone from Korea and China to the countries of Central Asia, settling in rock cracks or on rocky soil. Bergenia was introduced into culture in the middle of the 18th century under the name “saxifrage thick-leaved,” but then it was taken into a separate genus and given a Latin name in honor of the German botanist Carl August von Bergen. Scientists know 10 types of bergenia, some of them are grown in cultivation. In addition, breeders have developed dozens of varieties and hybrids of bergenia.

Listen to the article

Planting and caring for bergenia (in brief)

Landing: sowing seeds in a box for seedlings - before winter, picking seedlings - in early June, planting seedlings in open ground - in early August. The strongest seedlings can be planted in open ground in early June without picking.
Bloom: The timing depends on the species: some can bloom as early as the end of April. Flowering lasts about one and a half months.
Lighting: partial shade, but can also be grown under diffused light.
The soil: light, loose, moist, slightly alkaline.
Watering: if the season is dry, the first watering is carried out during budding, then during flowering, then after another 2-3 weeks. If precipitation is normal, watering is not necessary.
Feeding: in early spring after pruning, then two weeks after flowering, complex compounds are added to the soil mineral fertilizers in liquid form.
Reproduction: seeds and dividing the bush.
Pests: slobbering pennies and nematodes.
Diseases: ramulariasis.
Properties: The rhizome of the plant has medicinal properties. Preparations made from it have anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, wound-healing, antimicrobial, diuretic, and astringent effects.

Bergenia plant - description

The genus Badan includes evergreen perennial and annual plants from 6 to 35 cm in height with a thick horizontal rhizome, basal rosettes of large leathery, shiny dark green leaves on long petioles and goblet-shaped flowers of white, red or pink, collected in dense panicles , blooming in late spring or early summer. One inflorescence can have up to 120 flowers. The fruit of the bergenia is a capsule.

Bergenia in landscape design looks very impressive against the background of stones next to variegated and narrow-leaved crops - hostas or phlox. We will tell you all about how to plant and care for bergenia in the open ground, as well as what medicinal properties bergenia and contraindications.

Sowing bergenia

Bergenia is sown before winter. Place the flower soil in the box, make grooves 5 mm deep in it at a distance of 3 cm from each other and water them warm water, place the bergenia seeds in them and seal them. The box is taken out into the yard and placed under the snow. At the beginning of March, a box with crops is brought indoors and kept in partial shade at a temperature of 18-19 ºC.

Caring for bergenia seedlings

Shoots will begin to appear in three weeks. Caring for bergenia seedlings involves loosening and moistening the soil as its top layer dries, ventilating the room and thinning the seedlings. When a green crust or plaque forms on the surface of the substrate, you need to carefully loosen the soil, because this phenomenon indicates that oxygen has stopped flowing to the roots of the seedlings as a result of excessive watering.

Bergenia pick

In May, bergenia seedlings are planted in a box at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other in a row with a row spacing of 15 cm. A couple of weeks before planting in open ground, hardening procedures begin: the seedlings are taken out to the balcony or terrace every day, gradually increasing the duration of the session. When will the seedlings be able to carry out fresh air whole day, it is planted in open ground.

Planting bergenia in open ground

When to plant bergenia in the ground

Planting and caring for bergenia is not at all difficult - the plant is unpretentious and resistant to cold. Bergenia is planted in early August. Some gardeners prefer not to pick seedlings, but to immediately plant them in open ground in early June. But sometimes it seems that the seedlings are still too weak for the garden, so plant only the most developed seedlings in June, and pick up the rest and move their planting to August.

How to plant bergenia

The bergenia plant has a weak, horizontal root system, so it prefers light, loose, moist and slightly alkaline soils. The roots of the plant often protrude from the ground, and to prevent them from overheating in the sun, choose a place for the plant in partial shade, on the north, north-west or north-east side of the site. If this is not possible, and you are forced to plant the plant in a sunny area, mulch the soil around the bergenia after planting - this measure will protect the soil from drying out and the bergenia root from overheating. And keep in mind that bergenia does not tolerate even short-term stagnation of water in the roots.

Make holes in the soil 6-8 cm deep, arranging them in a checkerboard pattern 40x40 cm. Throw a handful of sand at the bottom of each hole for drainage, then roll over the seedling with a lump of earth and dig it in. After planting, water the seedlings. Bergenia develops very slowly, so be patient and care. Bergenia blooms from seeds in the third or fourth year.

Caring for bergenia in the garden

How to grow bergenia

Growing and caring for bergenia usually does not involve any problems. In the spring, after the snow has melted, remove the leaves from the plants that have been damaged during the winter - not all, but only the damaged ones, cut off heavily overgrown shoots and apply complex mineral fertilizers. The next feeding is carried out two weeks after the bergenia blooms, when new leaves begin to grow. Kemira-combi is used for this purpose by dissolving one tablespoon of the drug in 10 liters of water. This amount should be enough for 2 m² of land.

Caring for bergenia involves timely watering of the plant. The first time the soil is moistened during budding, then during flowering and 2-3 weeks after it, but only in the case of a complete absence of rain. If it is summer with precipitation, there is no need to water the bergenia. To protect the soil from overheating and drying out under natural conditions, dying leaves of bergenia are used, but in culture, to maintain the decorative appearance of the area, dead leaves are torn off (precisely, they are torn off, without leaving cuttings), and to protect the root system, the soil under the bushes is mulched.

Propagation of bergenia

Bergenia is propagated by seeds and vegetatively by dividing the bush. We have already told you about growing bergenia from seeds. As it grows, bergenia forms new rosettes with roots lying close to the surface, so digging them out without damaging the mother rhizome is very easy. Separate rosettes with heels from healthy, developed, middle-aged plants with large leaves. This is done after flowering - from May to August. Each segment of the rhizome must have at least three buds. The leaves are removed from the cuttings, leaving only 2-3 of the youngest leaves. The divisions are planted in prepared holes to a depth of 3-5 cm at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. Cuttings root easily. In the first year, the rooted plant grows a rosette, and bergenia will bloom in the second or third year.

Bergenia transplant

Bergenia can grow in one place for several decades; it does not like frequent transplants. Bergenia grows in breadth and can become aggressive, taking over territories intended for other plants. Therefore, every 5-6 years the bergenia is transplanted. When to replant bergenia? Simultaneously with dividing the bush - in the first half of September. Plant parts are planted at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other. The first two weeks after planting, the plants are watered abundantly.

Pests and diseases of bergenia

Just like astrantia, tenacious and other unpretentious garden flowers, bergenia is very resistant to diseases and harmful insects, but unfavorable growing conditions, namely high soil moisture, can provoke the development of fungal infections. In such cases, bergenia can be affected by ramulariasis. The disease can be diagnosed by brown spots with a reddish border on the upper side of the leaves of the plant, while a slightly noticeable whitish coating appears on the lower side. As the disease develops, the affected leaves dry out. Diseased leaves should be removed, and the plant should be treated with Fundazol or other preparations containing copper - Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride or copper sulfate.

Among the pests, bergenia growing in partial shade can be affected by slobbering pennies and nematodes. Slobbering pennies can be dealt with with Actellik or Aktara by carrying out a two-stage treatment of the plant at intervals of a week on a dry day at a temperature of no lower than 21 and no higher than 28 ºC, but it will take a long time to fight the nematode: you need to dig up the bush, keep the rhizome for half an hour in a strong solution of potassium permanganate, then why the bush should be transplanted to another place, and the soil in which the nematodes have grown needs to be treated with insecticides several times, but it will be possible to grow any plant in this place only after a year.

Bergenia after flowering

How and when to collect bergenia seeds

Bergenia produces many seeds, the size of which is approximately 2 mm. Choose the largest and most beautiful inflorescence, wait until the flowers begin to fade, and put a gauze bag on the inflorescence so that the ripened seeds do not spill onto the ground. The seeds are collected in September: the inflorescence is cut off below the bag, transferred to a ventilated dry room, dried for several weeks, the seeds are shaken out of the flowers, cleaned and stored.

Preparing bergenia for winter

Some types and varieties of bergenia, as well as young plants, may suffer from frosts - such bergenia in the fall should be covered with dry leaves or covered with spruce branches. But the types and varieties of bergenia, adapted to the conditions of the middle zone, winter well without shelter. Do not trim withered and dried leaves in the fall - this can be done in the spring.

Types and varieties of bergenia

The following types and varieties of bergenia are grown in culture:

- grows in nature on wet rocks of Central Asia, Afghanistan, the Himalayas and China, sometimes it is found at altitudes of up to 3000 m above sea level. At first, this species was named after the leader of the expedition to the Western Pamir region, Gorbunov, but later it was given a different name. Badan Strechi is a living relic. It has ovate, oblong, glossy, ciliated leaves with rough teeth along the edge. The leaves are 8-10 long and 3-5 cm wide. They are well preserved under snow. Lilac-pink or white flowers up to 15 mm long on peduncles up to 40 cm high are collected in racemes. Streche bergenia blooms in July-August. The best varieties this type:

Gazebo– a miniature plant up to 20 cm high with leaves 4-6 cm long and white, gradually turning pink flowers;
Beethoven– a variety up to 40 cm high with snow-white flowers, pink peduncles and brown calyxes;
Alba– natural form with white flowers.

aka medicinal bergenia, aka Mongolian tea, aka Chagyr tea, aka early flower. This amazing plant grows in Transbaikalia, Altai, Sayan Mountains, Kazakhstan, Northern Mongolia, China and Korea, choosing rocky slopes and cedar forests at an altitude of 700 to 2500 m above sea level.

It is an evergreen herbaceous perennial with a powerful creeping and branched rhizome and shoots of two types - rosette vegetative and flowering leafless, reaching a height of 40 cm at fruiting. The leaves of the vegetative shoots are large, leathery, glossy, obovate, bright green in color, becoming fiery red hue.

Bell-shaped flowers with white, pink-lilac or lilac-purple petals up to 12 mm long are collected in dense inflorescences. Flowering begins in June and lasts 3-4 weeks. They use bergenia for tanning leather, and for tea they collect old, withered leaves that have overwintered under the snow. The best decorative varieties bergenia thick-leaved are considered:

Senior– bush up to 40 cm high with lilac-pink flowers;
Hydroruspe– a plant up to 60 cm high with pale pink flowers collected in inflorescences up to 20 cm long. The flowering of this variety lasts almost two months;
Purpurea- a bush up to half a meter high, with purple-red flowers up to 1 cm in diameter.

– a plant up to 40 cm high, an intraspecific variety of thick-leaved bergenia. The leaf of Bergenia cordifolia is round, coarse in texture, dark green in color. Bell-shaped, deep pink or lilac flowers, collected in inclined racemes, bloom in May. There are varieties with lavender and white flowers. The plant has been in cultivation since 1779;

Hissar bergenia (Bergenia hissarica)

– endemic to the Gissar Range, a rare relict species. The rhizome of plants of this species is powerful, the leaves are rosette, basal, obtuse, oblong, obovate, glabrous, matte, densely ciliated along the edge. Peduncle up to 20 cm high. White or barely pinkish flowers are collected in 6-8 pieces in a one-sided brush;

Hybrid bergenia (Bergenia x hybrida)

– this species includes the most commonly grown hybrids:

Abenglut- a bush up to 30 cm high with bright green leaves, which turn bronze-brown in autumn, and bright purple, sometimes double flowers;
Frau Holle– a variety with snow-white flowers and swamp-colored leaves, the petioles of which become bright purple in cold weather;
Shneekenigin– plant up to 50 cm high with large round leaves with wavy edges and tall purple peduncles on which large cup-shaped flowers open white, gradually turning pink. The variety is grown for cutting;
Morgen Rothe- a variety that blooms twice per season with bright pink flowers collected in branched racemes;
Baby Doll- a bush up to 30 cm high with beautifully shaped flowers of pale pink color, gradually turning into dark cream.

In addition to those described, bergenia hybrids Sieberlicht, Glockenturm, Ballouley, Bassingham White, Sunshade, Magic Giant, Walter Kinley, Sunningdale, Eroika, Pink Dragonfly and varieties named after great composers - Bach, Bizet, Bartok, Borodin, Brahms - are often grown in culture. .

Bergenia is an unpretentious plant that is ideal for growing in a flowerbed among garden plants. Planting bergenia plants in open ground and further care it turns out to be so easy that even a beginner can successfully cope with the task of growing a perennial garden crop.

However, certain nuances associated with planting and further care still need to be taken into account.

Features of planting bergenia

Before planting bergenia, it is advisable to choose a suitable site. Loose, light soil is ideal for the crop, which will help the plant’s root system receive nutrients, moisture and oxygen.

The plant should not suffer from drought, bright sun, or stagnation of water. Otherwise, even an unpretentious bergenia may cease to please its owners. Planting bergenia in open ground is recommended in an area that is in partial shade.

Further care of the plant involves careful monitoring of the condition.

The plant does not have special requirements for the composition of the soil. It is advisable that the site have soil with a slightly alkaline reaction. However, even on a slightly acidic substrate, bergenia can adapt, as a result of which it will delight for long periods flowering and even reproduction.

How to properly care for bergenia

After the bergenia has been planted in, it is very important to take care of further proper care. The plant is considered unpretentious, but it may be vulnerable to unfavorable growing conditions:

Bergenia does not tolerate dry soil. For this reason, regular and abundant watering is recommended.
The lower leaves should not be removed, despite the fact that they have lost their decorative effect. It is the lower leaves that cover the root system of the plant and retain moisture. If you still want to clean the sockets, you should mulch the soil surrounding the ornamental plant. After the plant grows, the foliage covers the soil. It is not surprising that bergenia is a ground cover plant. It should be noted that in those places where bergenia grows, there are no weeds, so weeding the soil also ceases to be relevant.
Bergenia usually blooms in the second half of spring. The exact timing of flowering depends on the plant variety. After flowering, the shoots are carefully trimmed with scissors, unless it is necessary to obtain seeds for further propagation of the ornamental crop. With proper care and favorable weather, bergenia can bloom again in late summer - early autumn.
Almost no fertilizing is needed. If you apply too much fertilizer, the flowering of bergenia will deteriorate. Only once a summer can you feed with complex fertilizer, which is recommended to be diluted beforehand.
In the fall, you will need to remove old leaves that have died. It is not advisable to cut off old leaves with scissors or a knife. The leaves must be carefully torn off, but the petiole must also be removed.
Badan perceives the transplant negatively. For this reason, it is not advisable to replant plants unless absolutely necessary. Bergenia can successfully grow and develop in one area for 10-12 years, but at the same time the plant will grow in breadth. Taking into account the growth characteristics of bergenia, you should properly plan plantings and protect others ornamental plants, vegetable or garden crops. In addition, the spread of aggressive bergenia can be limited by curbs and stones.

Timely planting of bergenia in the open ground and further simple care are the main tasks for gardeners, which must be successfully completed for long-term cultivation and further propagation of the plant.

How to prepare bergenia for winter

Bergenia is resistant to adverse weather and low air temperatures. Many varieties can withstand air temperatures down to minus 35-40 degrees, and snow protects the plant from this temperature regime.

In snowless winters, bergenia has a more difficult time, because its root system is close to the surface, and it can freeze.

During periods when there is no snow, it is advisable to take care of a special shelter for the plant. It is advisable to protect the bergenia from adverse weather with straw, spruce branches, and fallen leaves. Only in the spring can you remove the shelter, since positive air is already considered favorable for the plant.

In regions where winters differ in temperatures only down to minus 10 degrees, bergenia does not need shelter.

Plant diseases and pests

Planting bergenia in open ground is the first step towards long-term cultivation of the plant, the care of which will be very easy. Beginners may also be pleased that the plant will exhibit resistance to pests and diseases.

How does bergenia reproduce?

Propagation of bergenia is a specific and long procedure. Propagation is usually carried out using seeds and dividing cuttings.

Growing bergenia by seed propagation

Bergenia is black and very small. During the first years, seedlings develop slowly, so they form miniature short rosettes. Seedlings need constant watering and careful monitoring of their condition. Besides late autumn seedlings need to be covered with dried leaves.

In addition, the seedlings must be planted with a substrate that consists of compost, sand and loamy soil (the ratio should be the same).

Experienced breeders note that for effective propagation, it is recommended to plant bergenia in early spring in a specially prepared container, which can subsequently be placed under snow in winter. Then the container must be returned to heat.

For constant growth on the site, seedlings can be planted in the second year after mid-summer.

Growing bergenia by cuttings

For propagation using this method, only strong, healthy plants are used. In this case, the age of the plants should be average. Before planting, part of the branch with the apical bud and rosette is separated, and almost all the leaves are torn off. After a few days, you can see how the branch will take root.

It is best to plant cuttings at a distance of about 40 centimeters from each other, and the rosette should be placed in previously prepared soil. The procedure for caring for bergenia seedlings is similar to adult plants.

What problems can there be when growing bergenia?

When growing bergenia, certain problems may arise. After planting bergenia in open ground, with further improper care, which consists of crowding of plants, high humidity, spots may appear on the leaves, blackening or necrosis of tissues may begin.

You can deal with this problem by performing the following tasks:

spraying with special fungicides;
carrying out proper watering;
vacuum of the existing landings for air flow to the bases of the sockets.

It is important to note that the most dangerous are nematode worms, since in the worst case, completely diseased ones need to be dug up and destroyed.

Regular care and constant monitoring of bergenia prevent unwanted problems associated with growing the plant.

How bergenia is used in landscape design

Bergenia can be successfully grown both in the shade and in the sun. This plant is considered universal. Many summer residents can plant bergenia in flower beds where there is a lack of sunlight and improve the perception of their private territory.

Bergenia can be skillfully used in design. The plant grows independently thanks to creeping rhizomes and can be used as ground cover for a flower bed. Dense planting of bergenia prevents the appearance of weeds. However, this will only be useful in general landscape design, because many ornamental plants, vegetable and fruit crops will not get along with bergenia.

Bergenia goes perfectly with deciduous trees and bulbous plants. Such landing options deserve special attention summer residents

Proper planting of bergenia in open ground and further easy care care of the plant contribute to its successful cultivation.

For decorative purposes, bergenia is an interesting plant and is becoming increasingly popular among amateur gardeners. It can develop and bloom well in partial shade, in places where most plants suffer from lack of light.

It is difficult to find a plant as unpretentious as bergenia. As for planting, caring for and propagating this perennial, they will be so simple that even any novice amateur gardener can grow bergenia.

Bergenia and its varieties are usually propagated by generative and vegetative methods.

Generative method or growing from seeds

First, bergenia seeds are sown in containers (pallets). This step allows the sprouted seedlings to grow stronger in the most favorable conditions, and the number of dying plants decreases.

Seeds produce a large number of seedlings at the same time. After the seedlings reach 10-15 centimeters, they will need to be planted in the ground.

The disadvantages of seed propagation of bergenia include its long period and germination problems that sometimes appear, as well as late flowering of young plants that will bloom only in a couple of years.

To increase the number of seedlings, bergenia seeds are first placed in a fungicide solution. When growing seedlings, it is necessary to ensure that the tray does not dry out and to regularly loosen the soil.

Vegetative propagation

Vegetative propagation: bergenia cuttings before planting

This method of reproduction is the easiest and fastest in comparison with generative reproduction.

Propagation using the vegetative organs of the plant will in most cases bring better results.

Landing

Planting bergenia is possible in three main ways, namely: planting plants from containers (pallets), planting with rhizomes with rosettes in them, planting rhizomes with existing dormant buds.

Planting bergenia from a container (pallet) into open ground

Planting planting material from a pallet or container is possible at any time of the year, from spring to autumn.

But still, it is recommended to plant seedlings obtained from seeds in the spring so that they can grow stronger over the summer and accumulate organic matter for winter.

When planting seedlings from a container, they should be removed along with the earthen ball and transplanted into holes of appropriate sizes.

If the bergenia in the container has grown, then it should first be divided by shaking off the soil and cutting the rhizome. The divided parts are also planted in a permanent place in the ground.

Planting with rhizomes with rosettes

In this case, part of the rhizome must be carefully dug up and, with a lump of earth, transplanted to a new place. As an option, you can even take a rhizome that does not have dormant buds, but has rosettes of leaves.

This method is the most gentle method of planting bergenia. However, this is only possible when the plant is replanted immediately or after a short period of time. This method of transplantation is suitable for the entire growing season of the plant, with the exception of flowering time.

Early autumn is preferable for planting time.

When planting, some of the leaves should be removed and only the top two or three leaves should be left. The cuttings should be planted in a light and loose substrate and buried to the rosette. The distance between rhizomes with rosettes should be at least thirty centimeters.

How to grow spray roses find out at the site.

Planting bergenia with rhizomes that have dormant buds

If bergenia is planted with rhizomes with dormant buds, then in this case part of the rhizome should be dug up and cleared of soil. The section of rhizome to be dug up for transplantation should have more than five to six dormant buds.

Under special conditions, such rhizomes can be stored for a long time. The components of these conditions are darkness, cold and coolness. To store rhizomes, they must be covered with aerated paper or straw.

Before planting, those rhizomes that have been without a substrate for a long time must be kept in water for two or three hours, to which a little potassium permanganate or copper sulfate should be added for prevention. The roots can also be treated with a fungicide solution.

Soil selection and preparation

Bergenia is a winter-hardy plant. He is not afraid of harsh winters. However, at low temperatures, if there is no or little snow cover, the leaves and flower buds of bergenia may freeze.

This plant will take root in both partial shade and sunny areas. In cases where the shade is deep and if the soils are rich in organic matter, bergenia will be able to quickly grow a powerful leaf mass, but it will almost never bloom.

If you take alpine slide or rockeries, then bergenia should be planted on them on the northern, northwestern and northeastern slopes. Bergenia will also feel great on the banks of garden ponds. In this case, the soil must have a well-drained layer. The perennial does not like wetlands and places where rain (melt) water stagnates.

Among the peculiarities of planting is the fact that in one place the bergenia will develop well for 7-8 years. However, even in the case of frequent transplants, the plant will not have time to recover, which leads to diseases.

When preparing the mixture for planting, you need to take two parts of sand with small pebbles (crushed stone) and mix them with one part of turf soil (leaf compost). At the bottom of the planting hole should be poured thick layer crushed stone

Bergenia care

The leaves of the perennial bergenia plant live for two years, then they die. The end of the second year of their life is expressed in a change in leaf color from green to pinkish-yellow. After some time, the leaves completely turn brown, and then dry out and fall off, forming a kind of mulch around the bushes that protects the soil from overheating.

In the spring, after the snow melts, old leaves need to be removed and shoots that are too long should be shortened. Bergenia should be watered regularly. After two weeks have passed since the end of bergenia flowering, when new leaves and rosettes begin to form, the plant must be fed with a solution of mineral fertilizer.

Bergenia does not require care, but it is better to plant it on the sunny side - this will ensure its lush flowering

Certain plant varieties may suffer from frost. Therefore, it is better to plant them on south side houses and buildings, as well as under the crowns of large trees, close to bushes, while avoiding northern winds and lowlands.

Bergenia varieties

Badan has a sufficient number of different varieties. The most common variety is the thick-leaved bergenia, which has fleshy leaves containing water reserves. Based on the hybrids bred by breeders with his participation, the following varieties appeared:

variety "Britten", which has white and pink flowers;
variety "Purple Glocken", which has bright drooping purple flowers;
variety "Abenglute", which has dark pink double flowers;
varieties "Morgenrote" and "Sunningdale", which are late bloomers, blooming in the summer.

In addition to the varieties described above, there are also heart-leaved and purple bergenia, Pacific and others.

Bergenia varieties can be viewed in the gallery:

Pest and disease control

Bergenia is almost not affected by pests. This is due to its chemical composition.

One of the pests of bergenia is the slobbering pennitsa, which likes to breed in its shade. Chemicals are used to combat it.

Also, the bergenia plant can be affected by nematodes, which are roundworms. When they multiply massively, the plant dies. When it is transplanted, nematode eggs remain on the roots. The area where they settled must be treated with chemicals and no plants should be planted on it for at least a year.

The main disease in bergenia is rotting of the rhizome, which is caused by fungal pathogens. This disease can affect the plant in clay soils with existing poor water drainage, as well as on heavy substrates.