2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Among herbaceous perennials, astilbe is in the lead in terms of decorativeness and duration of flowering. With proper planting, the bush will grow independently for many years and delight with flowering. Read on for details on how to grow this perennial
Description and types
They say about astilba “planted and forgot”, indeed the bush will bloom for a month and a half, even if it is in a shady place and is deprived of your attention. The plant belongs to the Saxifrage family, has many varieties, differing in the height and color of the buds.
Paniculate inflorescences of red, pink, blue, lilac, white, bush height 30-150 cm. All types have openwork foliage, the plant independently keeps a rounded shape, the root system does not grow to the sides. In the spring, it quickly starts to grow, and the whole warm season has a decorative appearance. I will list the popular varieties of astilba grouped by the color of the inflorescences:
• lilac: America; Siegfried; Astilba David; Chinese; Cattleya;
• white: White Wings; Deutschland; Washington; Korean;
• pink: Pink Lightning; Color Flash Lime; Straussenfeder; Arends; Deft Lays; Rose Perle; Gloria Purpurea;
• red: Vesuvius; Garnet; Red Charm.
Landing place
Astilba is not picky about the composition of the soil, it develops well on loams and with high acidity. It grows well in elevated areas, in lowlands and in places with close groundwater. It blooms for a long time in all conditions, although many varieties love the shade.
For planting, it is better to choose places near water bodies, where there is more moisture. On sunny grounds, many varieties of astilbe, without your participation, will not give a lush bloom. Trouble-free planting will be areas in the partial shade of shrubs, under trees, on the north side of the house.
astilba
When choosing a place, varietal characteristics must be taken into account. White and pink-flowering species grow well in the open sun, the only drawback of this location affects the duration of flowering, it is reduced and lasts no more than 3 weeks.
Medium flowering varieties (July) - shade lovers. From an excess of ultraviolet light, the foliage loses its juiciness, becomes smaller, the peduncles come out short and quickly fade. Early and late Astilbe are not picky, they grow well both in the sun and in the shade.
Landing rules
Seedlings obtained by division, with open roots, are planted from April to May. When planting several bushes, the required distance is maintained. 50 cm is left between the tall ones, 30 is enough for the undersized ones.
In the planting holes, make them nutritious and comfortable for growth. The size for the cut is needed 30 cm deep, 20 wide. Pour a layer of rotten manure + compost + peat into the hole. Immediately add the nutrient components in the form of a complex fertilizer (30 g of any mixture), half a glass of ash. Mix all this with a scoop.
After planting, compact the soil, water, mulch, sawdust, pebbles, straw, wood chips, etc. can be used. The mulch will retain moisture, help the young plant to overwinter, the layer height is no more than 5 cm.
various
Care
Astilba is unpretentious, requires attention only in the first year after planting. Care comes down to regular watering, this is necessary for rooting. In the future, the bush will grow on its own.
If astilbe is planted in the sun and you want to bloom abundantly, water in dry weather. Also, if the winter was little snow, water the plant in the spring. A bush can grow in one place for more than 20 years. To maintain an aesthetic appearance and abundant flowering, starting from the 8th year of life, start feeding astilba: in the spring, cover the bush with humus, before flowering, pour with a solution of potassium nitrate (2 tablespoons + 10 liters of water). At the end of summer, plant superphosphate in the soil - 1 matchbox per plant.
Reproduction
Growing from seeds takes a lot of time and effort. Usually, the division method is used to reproduce astilba. An adult bush is needed, which is divided into several parts. Each separated plant must have at least three buds. This procedure is carried out in the spring after waking up, before the start of intensive growth. The bush, for reproduction, can be completely dug out or divided into parts right in the ground.
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