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. Badan is distinguished by unpretentiousness, ease of care, excellent appearance. You can grow it yourself from seeds if you follow a number of rules.
Description
The Dragonfly Flirt (Bergenia hybride Dragonfly Flirt) is a dwarf perennial herb. 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. It usually starts at the end of April, but when grown in the garden, this period may shift.
Blooming badan Flirt lasts up to two months
The flowers are bell-shaped. Their diameter does not exceed 3-4 cm. Flowers are collected in panicles of 5-7 pieces. The color is bright pink with a purple core.
In natural conditions, badan grows in mountainous areas. Therefore, such a plant adapts well to adverse weather conditions. Due to its resistance to frost, Flirt badan can be grown in any climatic zone.
Hybrid history
Flirt variety is bred by breeding. The hybrid is obtained through multiple crossing of different types of bergenia, especially Bergenia Cordifiola, Bergenia Hissarica. The Dragonfly series also includes other hybrid varieties. They share many characteristics in common.
Among them:
- long flowering period;
- high adaptive abilities;
- low sensitivity to diseases, pests.
Some hybrid varieties bloom twice a season. However, the incense Flirt, cultivated by many gardeners, dissolves once.
Growing from seeds
Badan can be propagated by dividing the roots. However, this method is not relevant for all decorative varieties. The flirtation 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, a small container or wooden box is recommended. 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, let dry.
- Fill a 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 berry seeds in the holes and sprinkle lightly with loose earth.
- Cover the container with plastic wrap.
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 in another bright place.The soil in the container is sprayed from a spray bottle so that it does not dry out.
When the seedlings grow up, a pick is carried out. For 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 the pick, when the seedlings take root again, they need to be hardened. To do this, it is periodically taken out into fresh air. The length of stay on the street is gradually increased.
How and when to plant in open ground
Experienced gardeners recommend transferring seedlings in late May or early June. Some people prefer to abandon the spring pick and transplant the berry directly into the soil. Since the Flirt variety is resistant to adverse factors, it tolerates well both spring and summer planting.
A 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 sunshine, incense can lose its decorative properties.
Flirt 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, rocky areas are suitable for such a flower, on which other ornamental plants do not grow.
The soil
The soil should be loose. Almost all varieties of badan, 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 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 the seedling substrate and immediately watered.
The Flirt variety rarely blooms in the first year after planting.
The distance between plants should be at least 10 cm. Usually berry is planted in a checkerboard pattern.
Top dressing
To increase the flow of nutrients, complex mineral fertilizers are used. Top dressing is carried out twice a year. The first is required in the spring after the sanitary pruning of badan. The second time Flirt is fertilized after flowering, when seeds begin to form.
Top dressing is carried out by the root method. Fertilizers with nitrogen and potassium are applied in liquid form to make it easier for the roots to assimilate them.
Watering
Badan is considered a plant that is not demanding on moisture. A special need for fluid occurs only during the dry season 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 meet the plant's water requirement.
With heavy rainfall, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil. Excess fluid can make it too dense, which disrupts root nutrition.
Pest control
The Dragonfly Flirt variety is practically not attacked by insects. Pinnica and root nematodes are the most dangerous for bergamot. High soil moisture contributes to their appearance.
In case of parasite infestation, the plant should be treated with the preparation "Aktara" or "Actellik". These are potent intestinal insecticides. 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 lesions are possible only against the background of high soil moisture, as well as the spread of infections from other crops.
Possible diseases:
- powdery mildew;
- leaf spot;
- fusarium wilting.
The appearance of the disease in the spring leads to a lack of flowering
For the prevention of badan is treated with complex fungicidal agents. They are introduced into the soil, used for spraying.
Pruning
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 necessary for the bush to prepare for winter.
Another pruning is done 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 low-growing flowers
Flirt is ideal for planting in shaded areas
Many designers advise planting badan in rock gardens
Even in the absence of flowering, berry 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.
https://youtu.be/xz1lHixhXFA
Conclusion
Badan Flirt is an ornamental undersized plant, bred by selection. It is distinguished by a long flowering period, low sensitivity to diseases. Seedlings of Badan Flirt are grown from seeds and later transferred to open ground. Such a perennial is considered unpretentious to care for, so novice gardeners will certainly like it.
