prize for their pretty flowers and showy leaf , coinage in theBergeniagenus are tough , undestroyable , clumping evergreen plant that thrive in a wide range of conditions , including freeze weather .
In tardy wintertime to former spring , eye - catching panicle of dainty garden pink , purple , or white flower bloom atop stalwart , just stems .
Then in fall , the large glossy immature leaves take on beautiful nicety of bronze , Burgundy wine , maroon , and plum tree , remaining colored through the stale month – a striking and welcome splash of color on a gray or snow-white background !
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And although they have excellent cold-blooded tolerance , harsh weather conditions can desiccate or shred the showy leaves and freeze / thaw cycles can gasp plant crowns out of the soil .
To ensure they stay healthy and happy through the insensate month , a few preventative steps are all that ’s need for the plants to restart full-bodied growth again in spring !
Inour pathfinder to growing bergenia , we discuss how to train these modest - maintenance perennial in your landscape .
If you ’re ready to learn about bergenia winter care , let ’s get down to the inside information .
Here ’s what you ’ll find ahead :
What You’ll Learn
Bergenia BASIC
Protect the Foliage
Mulch the rootage
recurrent bergenia plants are grown as much for their attractive sheeny foliage as they are for the spires of pretty mauve , pinkish , or white flowers .
Also acknowledge as “ pigsqueak ” for the noise created when rub the thick , rubbery will together , these hardy evergreens can be cultivated in wanton nuance to full Dominicus .
They favour rich soil and mediocre moisture , but must be planted in a well - draining site .
Overwatering is one of the few issuing bergenia plants ca n’t handle , and too wet or poorly drain soil can cause problem like root and crown rot .
Popularly grown as a ground screen for umbrageous country , bergenia also makes a handsome addition to mixed bed , border , and containers or incottageor gravel gardens .
And while bergenia has good drought resistance once lay down , in sunny pip they ’ll take more frequent lachrymation to preclude them dry out completely – water supply deep when the top column inch or two of soil is juiceless .
They also handle a wide range of temperatures , with most diverseness suitable forUSDA Hardiness Zones3 to 8 .
Along with their bounce clusters of pretty , Alexander Bell - shaped efflorescence , bergenias delight with their lush green foliage that transform into fulgurant , deep dark glasses of bronze , burgundy , plum , and scarlet in fall , keeping their coloration through the moth-eaten season .
They provide the dear foliage colors with full sun vulnerability in winter , although in the summer the plant choose a piddling bit of shade , especially in hot afternoon sunlight .
Planting them under the canopy of deciduous trees likelilacs , maples , andblack walnut – yes , they’rejugloneresistant ! – is a commodious room to provide the year - bout lighting they enjoy .
And while most varieties can breeze through cold snap and freezing temperatures , cold winds can induce the handsome leaves to tear or become dehydrated , causing the boneheaded tissue to brown and dry out out in random spots and along the margins .
To keep the leaves vibrantly colorful and healthy in freezing temperatures , water plants deeply before the terra firma freeze .
plant life that are well - hydratedbeforefreezing temperatures arrive are well equipped to do by conditions extreme than drought - stressed specimens .
The best elbow room to keep the leave whole and goodly is to plant your line in locations that are protected from the worst of the time of year ’s abrasive winds .
Use natural elements like berms , evergreen plant barriers or hedges , largeboulders , fencing , or a rostrum to create windbreaks .
If you do n’t have natural windbreak , you could still protect your plants with an easily retrace windscreen .
To make a screen , infix a few stake in a half circle in front of the industrial plant where they ’re exposed to airy conditions .
Staple some cleared plastic sheeting to the stakes , ascertain the plastic extends all the way down to the earth – burying a few inches at the bottom is helpful – and rises six to 12 inches above your plants .
Remove the screen once cold breaking wind have slack off for the time of year .
Occasionally , less hardy motley may tolerate leaf harm and die back if run into with cold temperatures outside of their usual hardiness orbit .
idle or damage leaf can be dispatch in early spring once all peril of Robert Frost has passed .
Bergenia have a well - earned repute for excellent cold-blooded tolerance , with many motley able to hold temperature as low as -35 ° F – that ’s cold !
They do best in hummus rich grunge with average or light moisture , but in wet condition or standing piss , issues like crest and root rot can be problematic – and when compound with freeze temperatures , the outcome can be virulent .
To keep the root zone healthy and job free during the cold months , insure your pigsqueak is planted in well - drain soil .
You do n’t want the grime to dry out out too quickly though .
Give your plants what they necessitate for secure roots in the originate season , and they ’ll be in the best form to withstand the sorry of wintertime ’s weather , like heaving from freeze and thaw cycles .
“ Heaving ” is used to describe a common winter problem that occurs from repeated freezing / thaw cycle , where stop dead temperatures are replaced by lovesome ones , which are then followed by another freezing .
This warming and freeze action of piss in the soil can do a plant ’s summit and take root mass to lift , twist , and heave above the soil line , disrobe them of their insulating cover .
The result vulnerability of the crown and source to rough conditions and freezing temperatures often causes irreparable damage .
To protect your plant life from heaving in freeze / thaw cycles provide them with a duncish wintertime mulch .
Winter mulch is good appliedafterthe first punishing rime . This is because the mulch help to modulate the land temperature . When air temperatures pop to fluctuate , the land temperature remains in a more stable country .
Apply three to four inches of holey natural materials such as bark mulch , conifer needles , evergreen plant bough , pebble , or straw . Using porous stuff helps to prevent trapping and pooling of surface water .
circularise the mulch over the full root zone , snuggling it up close to the base of the foliation , but not underwrite it .
As spring near , pull the mulch off from the crown area then remove it only once all risk of frost has passed .
Handsome, Glossy Leaves
Bergenia species are attractive evergreen with a rugged nature and excellent cold hardiness , but they still need a little assist to get through wintertime in the practiced shape possible !
To keep the handsome , glossy leaf intact , give the plants a deep lacrimation before the ground freezes – drouth - stressed specimens are more susceptible to scathe from freezing conditions than well hydrated plants .
Also , a natural shelterbelt , or one you make yourself , is the best way to avoid the shredding and desiccation of leave-taking from cold wind .
Give your flora a decent , boneheaded mulch to keep them in the ground and prevent the crown and ascendent from heaving during freeze and thaw cycles .
And formore hint about grow bergenia in your garden , have a read of these guides next :
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Lorna Kring
