Dicentra (double-spore) is an elegant and unusual plant, whose name is associated with the romantic legend of unrequited love.
The flowers in its shape resemble a heart split in half, therefore it is popularly called a “broken heart” or “heart flower”.
In Europe, the center is known as the "heart of Jeanette", "ladies 'medallion", "lady in the bathroom", "slippers of the Mother of God", "ladies' trousers."
It is easy to grow a dicenter even for a novice gardener, because it is not fastidious in care: it is winter-hardy, resistant to many diseases and pests, multiplies easily, does not require frequent transplantation. The decorativeness of a broken heart is preserved throughout the growing season:
• in early spring, carved foliage can serve as a backdrop for primroses (daffodils, tulips, muscari, hyacinths, primrose);
• during flowering, the dicenter is good in itself;
• after flowering, the cap of cirrus leaves is preserved until late autumn.
The dicenter looks spectacular both in single landings, and as part of rabatoks, mix boarders, flower beds, in groups with shrubs.
Dizentra: types and varieties
About 20 types of dicenter are known in vivo. Among them there are both tall and dwarf plants with different root systems (rhizome and tuberous), annual and perennial.
The most spectacular of them is rightfully considered gorgeous centergrowing to 0.8-1.0 m in height. Flowers-hearts reach a diameter of 3 cm, are pure white (varieties Alba, Pantaloons), pink, crimson (Valentine) The most "elegant" variety of this type is considered Gold heart with pink flowers and golden leaves.
More modest in size is beautiful or taiwanese. A distinctive feature of this species is prolonged flowering, self-sowing, and rapid growth of rhizomes. Some varieties of this species have silver leaf color, while Spring gold foliage from bright yellow in spring becomes light green in late summer.
Wandering center sharply different from the "familiar" appearance of the "classic" magnificent dicentres. This is a dwarf plant with finely cut creeping leaves. Its flowers are similar to cyclamen flowers. Flowering lasts from July to September. It develops best in conditions with a cool climate. The efforts of breeders were obtained varieties with large flowers - Dragon Heart, Love Heart, Ivory Heart, Burning Heart.
Among the species diversity of the double-spore, there is also a liana - climbing center. It is distinguished by rapid growth, rounded leaves, yellow coloring of flowers (its second name is "golden tears").
From tuberous species of "heart flower" in horticulture cultivated to the caper (second name is "Dutch panties") and Canadian. These are miniature plants (height not more than 20 cm), having bluish fern-like foliage. They bloom in early spring. Due to their low resistance to tubers, these species are suitable for cultivation only in well-drained rock gardens and rockeries.
Dicenter: planting and reproduction
Types of dicentres have biological differences among themselves and this must be taken into account when choosing a place of residence for them. However, they have common properties. So, “broken heart” is a shade-tolerant culture. In the shaded areas of the dicenter blooms later, but the flowering lasts longer, the color of the flowers is more saturated. In open sunny areas, this plant requires frequent watering, blooms less and paler.
Dicenter develops better in partial shade
The soil for the "heart of Jeanette" should be well-drained - this flower does not tolerate stagnation of moisture, otherwise there is a high probability of decay of the root system. Therefore, when landing in the holes, it is necessary to add drainage, and fill the rest of the volume with garden soil, fertilized with compost and limestone crumb. In the fertile areas of the dicenter, it grows rapidly and can remain in one place for up to 5 years.
Landing place "broken heart" is prepared from the fall. The land in the selected area is fertilized with humus (3-5 kg / m2) and dug up to a depth of 0.4 m, if necessary, loosening components are added - fine pebbles, expanded clay, brick chips, coarse sand.
For rhizomatous species, the dicenter (magnificent and beautiful) of the planting holes makes at least 0.4 x 0.4 m, the distance between the bushes in the row is 0.4 m.
Tuberous dicentres (napkin, Canadian, low-flowered) and vagabond are planted smaller and more compact - 0.2x0.2 m. These species will grow well only in rock gardens or rockeries, as do not tolerate waterlogged soils and often vyprevat not only in warm winters, but also in the rainy summer months.
When planting dicentric climbers, the frequency of planting does not matter: in a temperate climate, it is grown as an annual. It must be immediately supported.
Reproduction dicentres
"Broken heart" is propagated mainly vegetatively: by dividing the bush and cuttings. The seed method in the open field is very laborious and time consuming. Even if you can get seeds and shoots, such plants from seeds will bloom only for 3 years of vegetation. They are sown before winter and covered with foil or lutrasil.
It is much easier to propagate to the dicenter by dividing the bush. Moreover, a rapidly growing plant still needs this procedure every 3-4 years. When digging up rhizomes, one should be careful: they are easily damaged. Before dividing, the roots are slightly wilted.
Split bush dicentres
To obtain a large and lush bush in the future, 3-4 shoots are left in the divisions.
Cuttings are harvested in spring, cutting off shoots 10-15 cm high with a sharp knife at the very base. They are planted in a greenhouse or greenhouse and left there until rooting. Young plants are planted in a permanent place the next year.
Important! All parts of the dicentres are poisonous. Its juice, getting on the skin and mucous membranes, causes irritation and burns. Therefore, when working with a broken heart, you must use gloves.
Dicenter: care
When planting dicentres in a suitable place for her, growing and caring for her will not require a lot of labor. In early spring, as soon as the first leaves began to appear from underground, the soil around the bushes was slightly loosened and mulched with humus to preserve moisture. In case of spring frosts, you need to have covering material at hand to protect young shoots.
In the second year after planting, the rhizomes begin to be exposed, so every year it is necessary to add soil to them.
In dry, hot weather, the dicenter needs abundant watering. With a lack of moisture, it stops flowering and discards leaves. However, it is important to prevent soil overmoistening - the roots easily rot. The regularity of irrigation depends on the air temperature and the physical properties of the soil. So that the soil crust does not form, the earth under the bushes is loosened after watering.
To "flower of the heart" bloomed for longer, fading brushes must be removed. To stimulate the second flowering wave at the dicentres of magnificent flower stalks, they are cut at a height of 10 cm from the soil surface. In autumn, the dried-up ground part of the plant is cut short at the base, leaving "stumps" 3-5 cm high. In the northern regions, winter cover with lapnik or lutrasil is required on the arches, but in the southern regions this is not necessary - the plant can mate. Sawdust or peat as a heater should not be used so that the roots of the dicentres do not bulge out.
Dicenter: top dressing
The center is responsive to "good food." In spring, the earth is mulched with rotted manure or humus and superphosphate fertilizers are added. During budding and flowering, a second top dressing is performed. In the fall, after flowering, plants can be watered with mullein infusion (1:10).
"Burning heart" as a gift: distillation dicentres at home
If you want to surprise your loved one with an unusual gift in the winter, then the "flower of the heart" is perfect for this role - the dicenter is easy to distill at home. In the fall, the bush is dug up, transplanted into a pot and left in a cool room until January, occasionally watering. After that, in order for the plant to start growing, it must be rearranged in warmer conditions (+ 8-10C) and the amount and volume of watering should be increased. When sprouts appear, the pot is placed in a bright and warm place (up to + 20С) and they begin to water abundantly and regularly. Every 10-14 days, the plant is fed with fertilizers for flowering indoor plants. Flowering begins in February and lasts until April. In May, the dicenter is planted in open ground.
Dicenter: pests and diseases
The dicenter is highly resistant to disease. However, under adverse conditions, it is subject to their effects.
Ring spotting has a viral origin and progresses mainly in adult plants. A characteristic clinical picture of this disease is a spotted or circular “pattern” of a lighter shade than the color of the leaf blade.
The manifestation of ring spotting
There are no effective methods to combat this disease. It is better to destroy the affected plant in order to stop the spread of the virus.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus causes marble coloring on the leaves and their deformation. Affected dicentres cannot be treated; they must be destroyed.
In case of a broken heart disease mycoplasma the flowers turn green. With a severe defeat, flowers do not form at all, peduncles bend, leaves brighten, plant growth is inhibited.
For the prevention of diseases, it is necessary to fight with their carriers - cicadas and aphids. To destroy them, insecticides are used (Aktara, Biotlin, Fitoverm, Confidor, etc.).
Great damage to a broken heart the little bearsgnawing the roots. Damaged plants massively wither.
Medvedka
If you look at the beds well, you can see small minks in which the female Bears lay their eggs. Hatched larvae spread throughout the area and break through new passages, feeding on seeds and underground parts of plants. To combat the bear, comprehensive measures are needed:
• set traps with bait;
• pour crushed eggshells into minks or sprinkle seedlings with it;
• plant phytoncid plants along the perimeter of the plot, the smell of which repels the bear (calendula, chrysanthemum, marigolds, parsley, garlic);
• use ultra- or infrasonic repellents (Chiston-3, Anticrot, Ecosniper, Grad A-500);
• apply chemicals: Thunder-2, Medvetox, Grizzly, Bankol, Boverin.
With proper and timely care, the dicenter will decorate the garden with his tender "hearts" for a long time.
