Schaublatt, Rodgersia – Planting and Care

The record sheet doesn’t like blazing sunshine. The Rodgersia therefore prefer to develop their true natural beauty under the following site conditions:

• Light shade in a sheltered location.
• Humous, fresh and well-drained potting soil.
• Waterlogging cannot be tolerated.

The record sheet feels particularly at home in the shelter of large trees or at the edge of the garden pond. The saxifrage plant can easily accept a place under the morning and evening sun, as long as there is enough irrigation water there. The choice of the planting site should therefore be made carefully, because with the right care, the record sheet will spend many years there. Once the gardening enthusiast has made the decision, planting takes place in the following steps:

• The recommended planting time is early spring.
• Dip the root ball in a bucket of water.
• The planting hole is twice as large as the root ball.
• Loosen the bottom of the hole with the rake.
• A drainage made of gravel and potsherds prevents waterlogging.
• The excavated material is mixed with compost, sand and horn shavings.
• Pull the root ball apart slightly before planting.
• Place and dig in the center of the planting hole.
• Create a pouring edge that slopes down towards the middle.

In the last step, the record sheet is cast on well. The distance to the next plant should be no less than 80 cm to 100 cm so that the plant can develop unhindered in the years to come.

Multiply

Since record sheets can be quite expensive to purchase, the experienced hobby gardener will strive to propagate the decorative perennial himself.

sowing
Since most record sheet plants are hybrids, sowing seeds you have collected yourself is rarely successful. On the one hand, the capsule fruits are filled with seeds; however, these are so thin and tender that 1 gram consists of at least 12,000 seeds. In addition, it is a botanical lottery which attributes of the parents and grandparents will prevail. It is therefore advisable to purchase single-variety seeds from specialist shops for a few euros. The fragile seeds germinate particularly well in seed trays on damp cotton wool or moss, covered with cling film. The following rule of thumb applies to record sheet seeds: the finer the seeds, the higher their light requirements. Therefore, they must never be covered with earth. They are kept slightly moist with a water sprayer and germinate in a warm,

This process is accelerated when willow water is used for humidification because it contains a natural growth hormone. The strongest seedlings are then transplanted into 9 cm pots, which are filled with potting soil and further cultivated in a cooler place. During the winter, the young Rodgersia have enough time to develop a strong root system. They should not be exposed to direct heating air during this time, so a place in the cool stairwell or in the winter garden is preferable. Since young record sheet plants could be seriously damaged by late frosts, they are only planted outdoors after the ice saints in mid-May and then cared for like adult specimens.

Division
record sheets do not tend to proliferate; nevertheless they form underground rhizomes that can be used for reproduction. For this purpose, part of the root area of ​​the plant is exposed in spring and a rhizome about 10 cm to 15 cm long is cut off with a sharp knife or a spade. The root piece must have at least one bud. The resulting wound is immediately treated with a wound sealant or pure charcoal ash. At the new location, the soil is loosened up well and enriched with compost and horn shavings before the rhizome is used there. The vigorous plant will sprout quickly.

maintenance

Choosing the right location is an important part of successful cultivation. In addition, the following information on care should be taken into account:

• The lighter the location, the more abundantly it is watered.
• Leaf or bark mulch regulates the moisture content of the soil.
• Give a dose of complete fertilizer in spring and summer.
• Alternatively, fertilize regularly with good garden compost and horn shavings.
• Leave fallen leaves in autumn to protect them from frost and snow.
• Cutting is not absolutely necessary.
• If necessary, the faded stems are thinned out in spring.
• Only cut back close to the ground if the record sheet spreads too much.

It does not harm the record sheet if it is cut or thinned in autumn. In this case, however, the hobby gardener foregoes the ornamental value of the Rodgersia seed heads during the cold season when they are covered by hoar frost or snow.

The most beautiful types of record sheets

Thanks to their respectable visual effect, the record sheets have gained a regular place in the long list of easy-care ornamental plants that also approve of a place in the light shade. This fact has motivated the breeders to create a large number of successful varieties, some of the outstanding specimens are presented below:

Chestnut-leaved record sheet (Rodgersia aesculifolia)

• Growth height 70 cm to 120 cm
• Cream white flower color
• bronze-colored, horse-chestnut-like leaves
• well suited for the pond edge

Record sheet ‘Die Schöne’ (Rodgersia henrici)

• Growth height 70 cm to 100 cm
• Flower color pale pink
• multiple award-winning, valuable variety
• bronze-colored leaf shoots that turn greenish
• also thrives in a sunny place

Feather-leafed ‘Chocolate Wings’ (Rodgersia pinnata)

• Growth height 50 cm to 80 cm
• drives a colorful play of colors from spring to autumn
• chocolate-colored leaves that gradually turn green
• pink flowers with dark red eye
• wonderful foliage in autumn
• one of the most spectacular varieties

Pedunculate record sheet ‘Pagoda’ (Rodgersia podophylla)

• Height of growth 80 cm to 130 cm
• impressively large, serrated leaves
• brilliant white flowers from June to July
• bright wine-red autumn colors
• loves the cool penumbra

Pedunculate record sheet ‘Smaragd’ (Rodgersia podophylla)

• Height of growth 80 cm to 110 cm
• emerald green leaves on strikingly tall stems
• brings structure to every shade bed
• Creamy white flowers from June to July

Henry-Schaublatt (Rodgersia pinnata ‚Superba‘)

• Height 90 cm to 120 cm
• flowers pink from June to July
• fan-shaped, dark green leaves
• needs a little more water than its fellow species
• therefore ideally suited for the edge of the garden pond

Elder-leaved record sheet ‘red skin’ (Rodgersia sambucifolia)

• Height of growth 100 cm to 140 cm
• light pink flowers on dark red stems
• Leaves sprout dark red and then change to green
• brings color to every garden area

Schaublatt ‚Bloody Mary‘ (Rodgersia pinnata)

• Growth height up to 60 cm
• dark red foliage
• deep red flowers
• breathtaking effect in the shady place
• withstands root competition under old trees

Use and beautiful companion plants

The occurrence of the majestic and long-lived Rodgersia species in their home region of Central and East Asia is the inspiration for local gardening enthusiasts for use in their own gardens. They like to settle in the vicinity of large trees, where they form a harmonious plant community with vigorously growing ferns and other grasses. The chestnut-leaved record sheet welcomes the native glossy shield fern (Polystichum aculeatum) with its curved, glossy fronds, the high splendor spar (Astilbe Thunbergii) with the overhanging flower panicles or the evergreen giant sedge (Carex pendula).

An exotic-looking scenario arises when the leaflet ‘Chocolate Wings’ is combined with the white star umbel Astrantia major ‘Shaggy’, the forest cranesbill (Geranium sylvaticum ‘Album’) or the silvery Caucasus forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’). When emerald green meets pure white, an exciting optical interaction is created that no one can escape. Therefore, an arrangement of stalked record sheet ’emerald’ with the lily grape (Liriope muscari ‘Monroe White’) is a sign of the highest level of horticultural skill. If the stiff gold sedge (Carex elata ‘Bowles Golden’) is added, light effects are created that make you forget any shadowy depression.

Garden enthusiasts are faced with a particular challenge when it comes to choosing suitable companion plants for the elder-leaved record sheet ‘red skin’. Of course, nothing speaks against letting the plant appear as a spectacular solitaire. In this case, however, the chances of a sensational staging with the Blue Larkspur (Corydalis elata ‘Blue Summit’) are foregone. Here the dark red parts of the plant of the record sheet meet steel blue flowers and result in a breathtaking contrast that no observer can escape. Incidentally, this effect is also achieved in the vicinity of the ‘Bloody Mary’ record sheet with its deep red flowers and dark red foliage.

Finally, the question of which plant combination the hobby gardener uses, who is only interested in filling the ground under the record sheets without being distracted from the effect of the Rodgersia, remains open. In this case, a shade-compatible ground cover with white flowers is recommended, such as the foam blossom (Tiarella cordifolia), the snow pod (Tiarella cordifolia) or the shadow flower (Maianthemum bifolium).

Diseases and pests

Record sheets have so far proven to be extremely resistant to conventional diseases and pests. Occasionally there are reports of gray mold infestation, which mainly occurs where the massive plants were planted too close together, so that there is a lack of vital air circulation. The leaves covered by the velvety gray coating should be removed immediately so that the infection does not spread any further. The cutting tool used must be thoroughly disinfected with alcohol or spirit. Leaves that have already fallen must never be left on the floor, but are also disposed of. However, they have no business being on the compost, because the gray mold fungus is quite long-lived. It is better to burn the diseased parts of the plant or to throw them in the household waste. The administration of nitrogenous fertilizers should be restricted when gray mold appears. In addition, mulching is avoided for some time so that the excessively moist soil can dry out.

Conclusion
So far, has there been a barren gap in the garden in a shady corner by the pond, on the dusky wood edge or in the dim corner of the perennial bed, where no plant really wants to thrive? How good that there are numerous types of record sheet that are particularly comfortable in such locations and develop splendidly there. Not only do the imposing ornamental leaves transform previously neglected corners of the garden into lavishly filled eye-catchers, but also the countless white and pink flowers from June to July. Those who expect demanding maintenance in view of these attributes will be pleasantly surprised at the frugality, which is limited to regular fertilizing and watering. It is to be expected that Rodgersia will provide even more topics of conversation in the future,