Description of the brukentalia plant, recommendations for growing in the garden, methods of reproduction, possible diseases and pests, a florist for a note. Bruckenthalia refers to the genus of plants that are included in the Ericaceae family, or as it is also called Ericaceae. Places of natural growth are found in Asia Minor and central Europe. Prefers to settle in mountains, coniferous forests and subtropical meadows.
| Family name | Heather |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Evergreen, shrub |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (cuttings, rooting of cuttings or division of the rhizome) |
| Landing period in open ground | Rooted cuttings, planted in spring-summer |
| Disembarkation scheme | Between seedlings they stand up to 30 cm |
| Substrate | Light, sour |
| Illumination | Open area in bright sun |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture stagnation is not recommended, watering is moderate, drainage is recommended |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.2-0.25 m |
| Color of flowers | Light pink |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Spicate |
| Flowering time | June August |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Curbs and ridges, rock gardens and rockeries |
| USDA zone | 5–9 |
The genus received its scientific name in honor of Samuel von Brukenthal (1721–1803), a famous Austrian statesman during the Habsburg monarchy. This prominent aristocrat was the governor of Transylvania, was engaged in charity and philanthropy, librarianship and distinguished himself in the field of natural science.
In the genus, only one species is distinguished - Bruckenthalia spiculifolia or as it is also called Bruckenthalia subulate, Brunkentalia speculoli or Bruckenthalia spiculate. The plant is an ornamental shrub with evergreen foliage, which does not exceed 20–25 cm in height. At the same time, it measures half a meter across. The branches form a compact crown, which resembles heather (Erica) in its outlines. Shoots are thin, ascending upward, there are a large number of them in the crown. The rhizome has wide forms, on the root processes there is a whitish bloom, which is created by useful fungi. This “coating” helps the plant receive nutrients and aids growth.
On the branches with brown bark, densely arranged leaves are formed. In leaves, the contours approach needle-shaped, and since they are somewhat similar to the tops of the awl, therefore they call the styloid variety. At the same time, thanks to the foliage, the plant acquires a "fluffy" appearance. The leaf blade reaches almost 15 cm in length. The color of the leaves is a rich green hue, which does not change throughout the year.
In the process of flowering, buds begin to bloom on the tops of the branches, which form loose spike-shaped inflorescences (apparently, it was the outlines of the inflorescence that gave the specific name to the plant). The number of flowers in the inflorescence is multiple. The flowers are small in size, their color is light pink, but it looks very bright against the background of the leaves. Occasionally, flowers may have a slight purple undertone. When blooming, a pleasant rich aroma hovers over the plantings of brukentalia. This rich smell does not disappear, even if the buds are dried. The length of the inflorescences does not exceed three centimeters, but they effectively rise above the entire deciduous mass.
The flowering time directly depends on the territory in which this heather relative grows, but, in general, this period falls on the summer months. In its native lands, it begins in June, and in central Russia, flowers can bloom in early August. If climatic conditions are favorable, flowering is usually observed twice: in June, and then from the onset of August until the beginning of autumn.
After pollination, brukentalia produces fruit in the form of bolls, filled with numerous small, dusty seeds. Recommended for landscaping stone gardens and borders, the plant looks beautiful in rock gardens and rockeries. Perfect for cutting. But it should be remembered that Bruckenthalia does not differ in winter hardiness and it has a very slow growth rate, but only the only Balkan Rose variety, which is actively cultivated by flower growers in our region, can survive significant decreases in the thermometer column. For a year, the branches of the bush grow only 1.5 cm.
Recommendations for growing brukentalia in the garden, flower care
- Location for disembarkation. An open flower bed in a sunny place or with light shading will do. If the lighting is weak, the plant will stretch out too branches and its growth will be inhibited.
- Brukentalia shrub primer suitable light with high acidity (pH 4, 0-5, 5). Sour peat or peat mixture is used, to which sawdust and coniferous needles are added, and river sand for friability. It's good when 1 sq. m of substrate is mixed with 100 grams of garden sulfur. Before planting the plant, the soil is watered with acidified water using citric, malic or oxalic acid and garden sulfur is added to the soil (at the rate of 40-60 grams of the preparation per 1 sq. M.).
- Landing performed in mid-spring or mid-autumn. The size of the pit is 40x40 cm. A 10 cm drainage layer is placed on the bottom (expanded clay, pebbles or crushed stone). The seedling is placed in the hole so that the root collar is flush with the soil. Then the hole is filled with a substrate and watering is carried out. The distance between the seedlings should be at least 0.3–0.4 cm. After planting, the bushes are mulched with spruce sawdust or peat.
- Watering. If the brukentalia bush is adult (more than 4 years old), then moisture is needed only when the summer period is very dry. When the plant is 1-3 years old, watering is needed, if the soil dries up from above, then each bush should have 8-10 liters of water. When the summer turned out to be rainy and cloudy, the planting does not moisten.
- Pruning plants are carried out only when 2 years have passed from the moment of planting in open ground. Broken or diseased shoots are removed only during this period. During this time, you can pinch the branches, which will facilitate their branching. The haircut is performed in the fall, when flowering is complete. Shoots are cut so that the bush takes on a "shaggy" appearance.
- Fertilizers for a bush, brukentalia is performed twice. For the first time in the period of April-May, using the preparation "Kemira Universal" at the rate of 1 tablespoon for each bush or with the Peter Peat mineral agent "Urea" from the Mineral line. The second time you need to fertilize when flowering begins (June-August). This requires liquid fertilizers "HB-1", the dosage indicated by the manufacturer is not violated, or the Peter Peat drug "NPK 15-15-15" from the Mineral line is used. It is important to fertilize the plantings of brukentalia only if the substrate is moistened and the mulching layer is removed.
- Wintering. The plant does not differ in winter hardiness and in the fall it is recommended to mulch the bushes with a layer of sawdust, peat or coniferous needles. The thickness of such a layer is 15 cm, and cover with spunbond on top.
Brukentalia breeding methods
This evergreen shrub can be propagated by both seed and vegetative propagation.
Seeds show germination up to 75 percent. This method is the most laborious, and maternal traits can be lost by the young plant. Seed material is recommended to be purchased in specialized flower shops, but if there are brukentalia on the garden plot, then the seeds are collected from faded buds. Sowing is carried out in autumn in separate containers, the size of which is about 12x20 cm. 3-5 seeds should be placed in each pot so that future bushes are fluffy, and the root system does not differ in strength and with subsequent transplantation, not all seedlings can successfully take root. In addition, this procedure greatly inhibits the growth of young Bruckenthalia. Some growers recommend using pots made from peat, which are then placed in the ground without removing the plants from them.
For planting, a substrate of river fine-grained sand and peat is used, their parts are equal. If possible, use a ready-made commercial substrate such as Peter Peat, intended for conifers from the HOBBY line. The seeds are not sealed, but laid out on the surface of the pre-moistened soil. After sowing, all containers are moved together to put a piece of glass on top of them or wrap them in polyethylene. When leaving, which can last up to a month, the crops are aired twice a day and make sure that the soil does not dry out. The germination temperature is maintained at about 18–20 degrees Celsius. In order for the seeds to germinate faster, additional lighting can be carried out for 10-12 hours a day.
After two weeks, you can see the shoots and at this time they are thinned out in order to leave only the strongest seedlings of brukentalia. It is recommended to apply the first fertilization with liquid fertilizer with humus, for example Peter Peat "Vitality: healthy seedlings". Then such a drug, which is a growth stimulant, should be used only after 2-3 weeks. During this time, it is important to monitor that the soil is in a moderately moist state. When planting in a pot, up to 1/4 of the drainage from the total volume of the pot fits. Drainage - expanded clay or pebbles. Holes are needed in the bottom of the container to drain excess moisture.
In the summer, pots with seedlings of evergreen shrubs are taken out into the open air, but in a shaded place without direct sunlight. In winter, young brukentalia are kept at a temperature of 10-12 degrees, and transplanting to a permanent place in open ground is possible only when two years have passed from the moment of sowing, when the seedlings are sufficiently strong.
After flower buds begin to form on the plant, cuttings can be carried out. Cut blanks from an adult bush, so that the length of the cutting is 3-4 cm, and there are no buds on it. Before planting, the slices are treated with a rooting stimulator. All leaves are removed from the bottom of the workpiece. Cuttings are planted in planting pots at a distance of 2-3 cm. The soil for planting is used from soil mixed with peat and river sand. It is better that the substrate is fine and well sifted, since then it will be difficult to separate the accrete root shoots of Brukentalia seedlings. The planting depth is 1–1, 5 cm, the soil around the plants is not compressed, and they are sprayed with water from a fine spray gun. Water is taken at room temperature. The soil is brought to a slightly moist state.
Rooting is carried out at a heat of 21-23 degrees, while it is important to keep the soil in a constantly moist state. After about a month, the workpieces will root, but for this it is recommended to feed them using Peter Peat humic fertilizer "Vitality: healthy seedlings" or any other root formation stimulator. In May, seedlings can be taken out into the open air for 2-3 minutes, gradually increasing this time. After 14 days, young brukentalia are transplanted in separate pots, but planting in open ground is possible only after two years. Basically, it can be noted that up to 50% of cuttings cut during the summer are rooted, even without any processing.
To propagate with the help of layering, a healthy shoot is selected and bent to the soil, where it is fixed. The soil is watered abundantly, and then care for the layer should be the same as for the whole plant. After a year, when the cuttings take root (it has a growth), it is separated from the maternal brukentalia and transplanted to a prepared place in the garden.
It is possible to divide this evergreen bush only after 4–5 years; if this operation is carried out more often, the plant will lose its decorative effect. At the beginning of summer, the root collar is sprinkled with a peat layer of 0.5 cm. When the root processes grow in August, the bush is carefully dug up and divided into parts. It is important not to disturb the root ball too much.
Diseases and pests when growing brukentalia in the open field
When caring for ornamental trees and shrubs of brukentalia acutifoliate, the following difficulties may arise:
- Gray rot in which a grayish bloom forms on the branches of the plant, which subsequently provokes the leaves to fall off and the young shoots begin to partially die off. For cure, it is recommended to carry out treatment with antifungal drugs, such as "Fundazol" or "Topaz". If the lesion affects most of the branches, then a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid is used. Processing should be performed 2-3 times, with a weekly interval. The best time is March or late autumn.
- Powdery mildew usually appears as a whitish coating, which resembles a limescale deposit of a grayish-whitish color. Because of this crust, the plant does not have access to oxygen and young twigs and foliage begin to dry out. To combat this disease, spraying with antifungal drugs with a fungicidal effect is used. You can use the above tools.
- Mixed chlorosis manifests itself on the brukentalia in the form of a yellow spot, which begins to cover the leaf blades. This is because oxygen stops flowing to the root system due to too strong compaction of the upper layer of the substrate. In this case, it becomes waterlogged, and there is also a lack of potassium, nitrogen, magnesium and iron in the soil. In order to prevent this from happening, it is recommended to regularly apply complex mineral fertilizers (for example, Kemiru Universal (Fertika)).
- Deformed branches and flowers, measuring the color of leaves and flowers. If strange changes in the outlines of the shoots are noticed in the plant, or the shade of the leaves and blossoming flowers has become unnatural, then the reason for this is most likely a viral infection, for which there is no cure. It is recommended to immediately dig up the bushes of brukentalia and burn them so that the infection does not spread to other flowers in the garden.
- Shield. If we talk about harmful insects, then basically they do not infect this evergreen shrub, but occasionally the appearance of a scale insect is noticed, which lays eggs in large quantities on the back of the leaves. The pest resembles a brown plaque, and at the same time, a sticky sugary substance begins to cover all branches and leaves. If you do not take any measures, then such a sticky coating can soon provoke a fungal disease - sooty fungus. You should fight the scabbard by spraying insecticidal agents such as Actellik, Aktara or Fitoverm. Some growers use non-chemical means - green soap, tinctures of onion peel, pepper or garlic gruel.
To a flower grower on a note about brukentalia
Brukentalia has been cultivated in culture since the beginning of the 19th century, but compared to heather, this plant is little known. Her plantings, which are available in the botanical garden of the city of St. Petersburg, were delivered from the Regel-Kesselring nursery, which was also called the Pomological Garden. It happened in 1913, after which the resulting plants grew there until 1919.
Video about Brukentalia:
