How to feed astilba in the spring. Astilba - autumn care, preparation for winter

grassy perennial astilba, which is distinguished by its decorative effect, the duration of lush flowering, shade tolerance, is valued by flower growers. Astilba garden plant planting and care in the open field does not require special rules, but the competent execution of simple rules will allow you to decorate a shady garden for the whole season.

plant botany

Native spaces for astilba are broad-leaved forests of Japan, America, and eastern regions of Asia. In the wild nature of Russia, two types of astilba can be found in the Far East.

Astilba is a perennial plant with an adventitious root system that grows unusually - vertically upwards. The stem part grows over several years, becomes thickened and covered with a large number of roots.

During the season, the astilba flower is decorative with its wonderful inflorescences with transitions from pink to white. With the onset of cold weather, the upper part of the herbaceous plant dies off.

In the selection of astilba, there are varieties of medium height and tall, reaching a level of two meters.

Astilbe blooms in early summer, decorating the landscapes of parks, gardens and squares. The flowering of curly inflorescences of the flower lasts about a month.

Features of growing astilba

astilba unpretentious plant, attracts gardeners with its features of growth in open ground:

Astilba is the queen of the shady garden. It blooms luxuriously in the shade of large trees. Bright sunlight shortens the duration of flowering, bright panicles of inflorescences become faded, fading in the sun;
This plant prefers soils that are moist and rich in humus. In dry areas, the bushes lose their decorative effect;
The rhizome grows unusually, rising about 4-5 cm above the soil surface, it becomes bare. An important condition for growing a healthy, strong bush is hilling the plant at the end of the season;

Gardeners who are unfamiliar with the nuances of growing astilba get a heavily frozen plant that is not capable of full flowering.

Plantings of astilba can grow in one place without a transplant for more than 15 years. A prerequisite for maintaining the decorativeness of the bush is annual top dressing, moistening the soil around the bushes, hilling. The following top dressing of old bushes is necessary:

For spring dressings, fertilizers are used, which include nitrogen, hilling with humus is sufficient for a grown rhizome;
During the period of bud formation, the bushes are fed with fertilizers, which are based on potassium, for example, by watering with a solution of potassium nitrate (2 tablespoons of fertilizer diluted in 10 liters of water). About 500 ml of prepared fertilizer is applied under each bush;
Faded plants are fertilized with phosphorus compounds. For each adult bush, about 20 g of superphosphate will be required.

Fertilizers can be applied in liquid form or granules, mixing them with the soil around the bush. Top dressing should be completed by mulching.

Astilba propagation methods

Powerful root system astilba is a source of new seedlings. This is the easiest way to get the desired type and variety of flower. The most convenient time for dividing the bush is early spring.

The rhizome must be dug up, shake off the ground and divide the rhizome so that the separated part has a root at least 5 cm long, adventitious roots and 3-4 growth buds. The procedure is performed using a sharp knife.

Important. From the excavated astilbe rhizome, intended for division, it is necessary to remove dead and rotten parts of it. Planting material must be sufficiently moist. Instances with elongated, deformed sprouts should not be used for propagation. Such a plant will be sick for a long time, take root poorly, a young plant will lose its decorative effect.

The seat must be prepared for each plant individually:

The area allotted for planting astilba is dug up on a spade bayonet;
Fertilize the soil with bone meal and complex fertilizers at the rate of 30 g of top dressing and two handfuls of flour per 1 sq.m of beds;
Adding peat, humus, compost to the soil completes the design of the seat;
Under each bush, plants dig a hole, the volume of which should correspond to the size of the rhizome and be freely located in it;
At the bottom of the hole, place bone meal, mineral fertilizer, ash, hydrogel added along with fertilizers will provide the necessary soil moisture.
The plant should be planted so that the growth point is above the soil surface, a strong deepening of the bush is excluded;
After planting, the soil around the bush is compacted, this procedure is necessary to remove the void of the rhizome;
A new planting, and stilbs should be additionally watered and mulched, covering the soil under the plant with crushed bark or peat crumbs. The mulching layer should be at least 2 cm. This way you can maintain the necessary soil moisture, protect the roots of the planting material from drying out.

A culture grown from a separated part of the rhizome will retain all the characteristics of the species and variety, and will make it possible to obtain a plant of the desired selection.

Important. The rhizomes of the plant grow in a vertical upward direction. At the same time, its lower part gradually dies off, which eventually deprives the root of nutrition. Hilling the bush will prevent this process. Timely watering is a prerequisite for growing astilba.

Perennial seed propagation is mainly used by breeders, since there is a high probability of cross-pollination during the flowering period. Varietal characteristics in this case, as a rule, are not reproduced:

Inflorescences have a changed color;
The brushes may have a sparse structure;
General appearance plants are less decorative;
The timing of flowering is changing downward.

To grow astilbe from seeds, only high quality seeds from reputable companies should be used.

In order for a seedling grown from seed to form a strong, well-developed root structure, it should not be transplanted for the first five years.

Basic Rules seed propagation astilbes are as follows:

Treatment of seeds with cold for three weeks, followed by their ventilation and drying in a warm, bright room. This procedure improves seed germination;
Prepare containers for planting seeds by filling them with a nutrient mixture consisting of three parts of peat and one part of sand;
For the convenience of sowing small astilba seeds, they are mixed with sand;
Distribute the unprepared surface of the soil mixture in an even layer;
Moisten the seeds using a spray bottle. Watering from the sprayer should be continued for a month until the seeds germinate;
With the advent of the first leaf, the seedlings dive, carefully pulling each seedling out of the soil mixture. Pinching the spine, remove one-third of the length;
Plant seedlings in another container, the soil in which should be moistened, which will ensure easier seed survival;
Planting seedlings of astilba in open ground perform in a year, so the seedlings grow very slowly;
Flowering occurs only in the third year.

The third method of propagation of astilba is carried out by separating the kidney from the mother bush. To do this, it is necessary to rake the soil from the base of the bush, freeing the kidney, which is cut out with a part of the rhizome. No more than 2-3 buds can be cut from one bush.

When planting astilba in open ground, a kidney with a root is given the opportunity to take root in a greenhouse. To do this, a soil mixture of peat and sand is distributed over the surface of the soil and the prepared parts are planted in holes. Next, the seedlings are watered and planted in open ground in the spring of next year. In the same year, astilbe plantings will please with their flowering.

In the second year of a plant's life, it should be fed with solutions of organic and mineral fertilizers. Young plantings with the onset of cold weather should be covered.

Important. Astilba is a real decoration of the garden, if a shady, moist area that is comfortable for it is chosen for planting. Early or late varieties astilbes can be planted in sunny areas. Astilba, blooming in July, feels comfortable in the rarefied shade of the garden; in sunny areas, the plant drastically reduces the time and splendor of flowering.

Astilba care rules

So that astilbe plantings do not get sick, are not attacked by pests, you need to pay attention to them, provide proper care taking into account the characteristics of the plant:

It is necessary to ensure timely watering of the bushes of a plant that has a peculiar growth of the root system. Young roots formed on vertically growing stems need nutrition and watering, so the top layer of soil under the bush must be provided with moisture and top dressing.

On hot, dry summer days, the plant should be watered early in the morning and in the evening with the obligatory root mulching of plantings. Young plants may dry out due to lack of moisture;

The astilba flower is responsive to regular feeding. They provide long and lush flowering. Astilba cultivation technology provides for top dressing at least twice a year. Perform the first feeding in early spring with the appearance of new shoots with a complex fertilizer containing nitrogen;

The next mandatory top dressing is autumn. For this procedure, fertilizer solutions containing phosphorus and potassium are used. Watering is carried out carefully, avoiding getting the solution on the stems of the plant. After top dressing, the soil around the bushes needs to be loosened and sprinkled with mulch.

In late autumn, the grassy aerial part of the bush is pruned. Cut the stems at ground level;

Pruning of inflorescences after flowering is allowed. New leaves will grow in their place.

Proper preparation of planting astilba flowers for wintering will allow you to get healthy bushes in the spring. The astilba plant during the growing season forms roots above the soil surface. So that the roots do not freeze out in frosts, mulching of the bushes should be carried out, the gaps between the bushes should be covered with spruce branches and sawdust. Put spruce branches on top of the bushes to ensure snow retention over plants in winter.

Astilba pests and diseases

All types and varieties of astilba are resistant to pests and diseases, since an adult plant is able to independently destroy weeds in which pests and pathogens breed. Therefore, astilba is planted and cared for with minimal effort.

However, this plant has pests that require human help to combat:

Pennitsa drooling - a sucking insect, sucks the juice from the plant. penny larvae, settling in the axils of the leaves, in dwellings made of lumps of foam, also feed on astilba juice. Plants damaged by the penny practically do not grow, flower stalks develop poorly. If the saliva has multiplied strongly, you can treat the plant folk remedies, for example, infusion of wormwood;
The strawberry nematode is a worm that gnaws through the buds and leaves of astilba, disrupting the movement of the juice. Damaged areas die off, plants are oppressed, their growth and flowering stops. Upon detection of nematode worms; affected plants should be removed immediately and burned, chemicals do not give a good result;
Small worms no larger than 2 mm salt on the roots of plants, forming pathological swellings, galls on them. These formations prevent the full functioning of the roots. A plant affected by a nematode must be destroyed. New plantings at this location are not recommended.

Astilbes different colors amazing garden decoration. It looks great in the form of single inclusions in a shady garden, in group plantings, as well as by pools and ponds.

Astilba is a great plant for your front garden. It can boast of different colors of inflorescences, and flowering periods. She also has varieties with red foliage (Erika, Fanal, Granat).

The soil

Astilba is more suitable for heavy loams. On them, plants bloom a little later, but they bloom longer and more magnificently.

Landing place

These plants do best in shady places - under the canopy of trees or shrubs. Such shade-loving, among other things, is explained by the peculiarities of the formation of new roots and the development of renewal buds.
Moist soil and partial shade are optimal for astilba, but the nature of cultivars is very flexible, some varieties can adapt to other conditions. Many Astilbes thrive in full sun. And they bloom profusely in the sun, but not for long, and their foliage becomes lighter.

Landing

When planting, holes are dug 20-30 cm deep and wide, 1-2 handfuls of bone meal and ash are added to each, 25-30 g of mineral fertilizers (the norm per 1 sq.m), humus is added. All this is mixed and spilled with water. Planted astilbes are covered with mulch with a layer of 3-5 cm. The distance when planting between plants is 25-35 cm.

Care

Under natural conditions, where astilba lives, there is a constant layering of the soil due to dying parts of plants and river sediments. The rhizome grows upward, along the way "dressing" with young adventitious roots. Therefore, it is useful to add moisture-intensive and fertile soil every year with a layer of 2-3 cm. And since young roots are located in the upper layer, it is very important to maintain moisture and fertility in it.
In autumn, astilba inflorescences can not be cut off, let them hold back the snow. Winter hardiness of astilba is quite high. In the spring, break off the branches, lay around the bush, sprinkle with earth or compost. The shoots gradually rot, and organic matter accumulates in the soil.
Astilba is practically not affected by diseases and pests. But in shaded areas, it is accompanied by gout, which greatly depresses the plant. Care is this: weeding, loosening, abundant watering, which does not allow the top layer of soil to dry out, in which young roots develop, removal of faded inflorescences (if you do not want the look of the flower garden to deteriorate).

Watering

The plant's moisture requirement is medium to high. To form long inflorescences, astilbes are watered abundantly in August-September; to increase the diameter of the inflorescences, mulch the soil in May, especially if the spring is dry and hot.
Astilbe does not tolerate long drought. Poor soil, open sun, coupled with a lack of rain, can destroy the plant. To prevent this from happening, astilba should be watered 2 times a day - in the early morning and evening.
In addition to watering in the sun, plants save fertile soil, thickened planting and mulching. Astilba does not tolerate overheating of the upper part of the rhizome, while mulch helps to reduce temperature and moisture loss, keeps the soil loose, prevents the appearance of weeds and, very importantly, creates favorable conditions for overwintering.

Fertilizers and top dressings

It is important that plants have enough phosphorus and potassium in the root layer of the soil.
In one place, Astilba can grow for 5-6 years, but with careful care it can live without a transplant for up to 20 years, although the inflorescences become smaller. Annual top dressing helps to maintain the decorativeness of old plants - first in spring, after regrowth (fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen), then immediately after flowering or in autumn (potassium and phosphorus - 20-25 g active ingredient per plant). Carefully loosen the soil and then mulch.

Choose a place to land

In the wild, astilba grows under the canopy of foliage near water bodies, therefore, the best place for planting the plant is partial shade and moist soil.

Astilba feels good in the shade of trees and shrubs, but the shading should not be strong.

It should be noted that astilbe varieties have now appeared that allow planting it in sunny areas, subject to abundant watering and careful mulching of the soil in order to preserve moisture. Flowering is abundant, but short-lived.

Choose pickup time

For planting astilba, the end of March - the beginning of May or the beginning of autumn is suitable.

prepare the ground

Astilbes grow well in moist and light soil.

A bed about a meter long should be dug up to a depth of no more than 30 cm, after which two handfuls of bone meal and approximately 30 grams of complex fertilizers should be added to the soil.

Removing the remnants of weed roots and adding peat, humus or compost to the soil is the final step in preparing the beds for planting.

Now that the soil is ready, you can go directly to planting the plant. Astilba planting rules vary depending on the material that is supposed to be used for planting.

The name Astilba means "very brilliant", derived from the Greek words "a" - very and "stilbe" - brilliant.

Let us first consider a method suitable for flower growers who take special pleasure in watching how a magnificent bush grows from a small seed. The most favorable time for planting seedlings is mid-March - early April

Read about behind the bush.

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Step-by-step instructions for planting astilba seeds

To improve the germination of seeds, they should be placed in a place with a temperature of -4 ° to + 4 °, and after twenty days, transfer them to a warm, bright room with temperatures above 18°.
Fill containers for planting with a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 3: 1.
Given that astilba seeds are tiny, they must be mixed with sand before planting in the soil.
Spread the seeds evenly and gently over the surface of the soil.
Using a spray bottle, thoroughly water the seeds.
Within 3-4 weeks, do not allow the soil to dry out.
Seedlings should be picked after the appearance of the first leaf:
remove each seedling from the soil; pinch off the root one third of the length;
Plant the sprout in a separate container with thoroughly moistened soil.
In early June, plant seedlings in the ground.

If you intend to plant a finished seedling obtained from an adult plant, the following astilbe planting method will come in handy.

Planting a divided bush

It is advisable to mulch the soil around the bush after planting.

This method is very popular among lovers of ornamental plants.

For planting, a part of an adult astilbe bush with 1-3 buds and a root 3 to 5 cm long is used.

Planting a plant in the spring will allow you to observe the lush flowering of a new bush in the fall of that year.

For planting a seedling, a bed one meter long is allocated, in which holes are formed with a depth and width of approximately 20-30 cm, at a distance of approximately 25-35 cm from each other. A mixture of 25-30 grams of mineral fertilizers and 1-2 handfuls of bone meal with ash is poured into each of them. All this is mixed and filled with water. The place for landing astilba is ready. It remains only to cover the planted bush with a layer of mulch, consisting of needles, bark, foliage or sawdust.

This method of transplanting astilbe allows you to plant it even during the flowering period, subject to abundant and regular watering for two to three weeks.

Experienced gardeners use another planting method.

Planting cuttings with a "heel"

In early spring, a renewal bud is cut out from the bush, which is a bud of an overwintered plant, from which an escape began to develop, along with a piece of root. This part of the rhizome is called the "heel".

Such cuttings are planted in greenhouses using a fertilizer mixture formulated in the same way as when planting in the ground. This substrate is poured onto the soil with a layer 5-7 cm high.

For planting astilba in the garden, you will have to wait a whole year, but flowering will begin within a few months after planting.

Transfer

At the age of five, astilba needs a transplant, which is carried out in spring or early autumn.

Transplantation can be carried out without completely digging out the plant: it is enough to separate part of it, cover the place of pruning with ash and add fresh soil to the hole formed, and transplant the resulting seedling to a new place. After such a separation, astilba will please with its flowering already on next year.

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Care

In order for the planted plant to remain healthy as long as possible and please its lush bloom he needs to be taken care of properly. Astilba care includes a series of actions that take into account the characteristic features of the plant.

Watering

Astilbe roots grow upwards, releasing young roots, as a result of which it is very important to prevent moisture loss in the upper soil layer.

On hot days, it is necessary to water the plant twice a day: in the morning and evening hours, accompanying watering with soil mulching, which will prevent the soil from drying out. Insufficient soil moisture threatens to kill young plants and is the cause of withered, twisted leaves and crushing of inflorescences in adults. On the other hand, abundant watering in August-September contributes to the lengthening of the inflorescences.

top dressing

To maintain lush and long flowering, it is necessary to feed the astilba twice a year.

The first is carried out when young shoots appear in early spring. Complex fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are suitable.

The turn of the next top dressing comes in the fall, after the astilbe has faded. This time, preference is given to phosphorus and potassium compounds, mainly in liquid form, in order to avoid burns on the stem. After top dressing, the soil needs to be loosened and mulched.

pruning

Astilbe pruning, during which the aerial part of the plant is cut off at soil level, is done in late autumn.

After flowering, you can cut off all faded inflorescences, whose place will soon be taken by new leaves.

Preparing for winter

Astilba will tolerate the most severe frosts well, if you remember that the roots of the plant growing upwards come out onto the soil. Mulching will help save bare roots from freezing. In late autumn, fill the gaps between the bushes with needles or sawdust and cover the bush with two layers of spruce branches or bark.

Protection from pests and diseases

Pennitsa slobbering

Astilba is quite resistant to diseases and pests.

But it happens that she suffers from slobbering pennitsa and a couple of nematodes: strawberry and gall.

pennitsa affects the foliage, causing the leaves to turn yellow and curl, and the plant begins to wither.

leafhoppers living in saliva-like formations suck out leaf tissue. In addition, they are known as carriers of phytoplasmic and viral diseases. In the fight against them, karbofos, mospilan, aktara, rogor and confidor are used.

Infects foliage and strawberry nematode, the consequence of which is the deformation of the leaves and brown and yellow spots on them. All this has a depressing effect on the plant, and its growth slows down.

gall nematode harms the roots, living in the growths formed on them. Sick astilbs grow and bloom poorly, and with a serious lesion they die. You can stop the spread of pests by destroying the infected plant or by applying the phytoverm preparation.

Photo of astilba

A selection of photographs of this beautiful plant, some varieties are marked

Increasingly, in dachas and household plots you can find a beautiful shrub that literally catches the eye with a lush scattering of unpretentious flowers of different shades of lilac, purple, red, white and cream. This is what attracts summer residents and landscape designers, which retains its decorative qualities until the onset of cold weather. What is this bush? This is Astilba, a native of Asia, which can still be found in the northern parts of the American continent. Despite the fact that this shrub easily tolerates cold, you still need to know how to prepare astilba for winter. What are the features of caring for her in the fall? We have already considered growing astilba in the garden earlier, but here's what you need to do in the fall for the astilba bush, what the plants are preparing for winter, they haven't said yet. It's time to pay attention to it.

Astilba - care in anticipation of winter

When to prune a plant?

Since there are many varieties of astilba that bloom in different time, then it cannot be said in general terms that this shrub is pruned after flowering has ended. Some plants bloom already at the end of June, while others - with the onset of cold weather. After flowering, only flower stalks are removed. Summer residents and owners of home gardens are in no hurry to prune, because the shrub is beautiful even without its variegated inflorescences. Its spreading leaves unusual shape continue to please the eye until the beginning of October.

Astilba pruning is done when the leaves of the shrub begin to darken and dry. In this form, the plant is already losing its decorative qualities. How is astilbe pruned for the winter? To remove the aerial part of the shrub, you will need a pruner, it is in the arsenal of any gardener. Before starting work, it is necessary to disinfect the tool in order to avoid infection of the bush with various diseases. Prepare a solution of manganese: several crystals of the substance per liter of water. Treat the pruner blades on all sides. After cutting off the branches of one plant, process the tool again. So carry out the pruning of all the bushes.

Remove shoots, leaving young buds. They are always located slightly above the rhizome. So that they do not remain bare, astilba must be spudded. After loosening the soil near each bush, make a small mound about 4 centimeters high.

Mulching astilba

Astilbe mulching is carried out after pruning and hilling the plant. It is necessary to protect the root system and new shrub buds. Mulch is a kind of blanket covering the plant, serving as protection from the cold, evaporation of moisture residues and the reproduction of weeds. Thanks to mulching, the soil at the roots remains loose, which allows it to breathe, protecting the roots not only from the cold, but also from decay. Despite its amazing hardiness, astilba needs such protection in autumn and winter, especially when it comes to a one-year-old shrub or a four-year-old plant. During this period, the astilbe root system is either still too weak or already outdated, and therefore requires special attention.

As a mulch, gardeners can use various means - peat or rotted manure, as well as sawdust or bark.

How to fertilize astilbe in the fall?

In order for the plant to please you with its beauty in spring, it is necessary to fertilize the soil layer for the winter. Astilba will respond with gratitude if you use potash-phosphorus fertilizers as a top dressing. For each individual plant, 20 grams of this substance is enough. In order for the soil to be enriched with nutrients by spring, it is recommended to use humus. Decomposing very slowly, this fertilizer will enrich the soil just in time for the growing season of the plant. But if the soil in your area is rich in organic matter, you can not do this.

Do I need to cover astilba for the winter?

If astilbe is already well established in your area by winter, which is located in middle lane, then you don’t have to worry about shelter for the plant. It belongs to the cold-resistant, therefore it is able to withstand cold winters. Mulching will be enough. However, if the plant is planted in the northern regions, it is better to make a shelter for the winter. It is also necessary for plants that were planted more than four years ago. With age, their roots are exposed, and the shrubs themselves lose their viability. Such astilbes can die in frost conditions that are not accompanied by snowfall.

How to make a shelter? Some gardeners use sawdust as a “spread”, others prefer hay or dry leaves, which are enough in every garden in the fall. When covering the soil, the main thing is to follow one rule - to use only materials given by nature. They do an excellent job of retaining heat and preventing excess moisture from penetrating the soil. And these are just the conditions under which you can be sure that the beautiful astilba will safely survive the winter cold. Some gardeners cover shrubs using polyethylene. But, since it is not a breathable material, a greenhouse effect is created under it. Such conditions are unacceptable for astilba - its roots can rot in winter.

Owners of personal plots are very fond of and appreciate astilba for its beauty and unpretentiousness. If this plant flaunts at your dacha, then you should know that a healthy and strong plant will definitely survive the winter, if you create suitable conditions for this. Only young and old astilba bushes require special attention. Take care of them, as described in this article, and in the spring you will receive a reward for your labors - again enjoy their charm and beauty.

Gardeners appreciate astilba for its long flowering, unusual appearance, shade tolerance and the ability to tolerate waterlogging of the soil. The plant is beautiful not only during flowering. Its openwork leaves on reddish petioles are decorative from spring to late autumn.

The culture is suitable for cutting and forcing. Lush astilbe panicles are an unsurpassed decoration of bouquets and flower baskets.

What does astilba look like when it blooms

Astilba is a representative of the saxifrage family, the closest relative of other common garden flowers: saxifrage, geyher, bergenia. More than 400 varieties have been developed with a variety of sizes, flower colors and leaf shapes.

Varietal astilbes have a height of 15 to 200 cm. The color of the flowers is white, red, pink and purple. Flowers are collected in inflorescences-panicles, up to 60 centimeters long. The leaves are large, complex-pinnate, dark green to bronze in color.

Astilba blooms in June-August, and in September you can collect boxes with small seeds from it. Flowering takes 3-5 weeks. In sparse shade, flowers will live longer than in the sun. In the sun, flowering is shorter, but twice as magnificent. Panicles do not last long when cut, but they can be dried and used in winter bouquets.

Astilba does not have a root, but a rhizome that goes vertically or obliquely into the ground. It is covered with adventitious roots and daughter buds. The lower roots are old and gradually die off. The upper roots are young, growing rapidly. Thus, the bush gradually grows up and rises above the ground.

Table: types of astilba

View	Description
David	Height up to 150 cm. The flowers are lilac-pink, panicles are located horizontally or look down. Flowering in July-August
naked	Height up to 20 cm. Leaves of bronze color. Flowering in June and July
Chinese	Height up to 100 cm. The leaves are covered with reddish fluff. The flowers are lilac, pink and white. Inflorescence length up to 30 cm. Flowering from June to August.
Japanese	Height 70 cm. The plant grows rapidly, forming a circle of a meter diameter. Flowers white or pink, fragrant. Inflorescences are diamond-shaped, up to 30 cm long. Blooms in the middle of summer
Thunberg	Height up to 80 cm, leaves serrated along the edges. The flowers are white, the width of the panicles is 10 cm, the length is 25 cm. The inflorescences are rare, directed downwards. Blooms in July-August

Preparing for landing

In order for astilbe to quickly take root, you need to choose a place and time of planting. The plant prefers organically fertilized loamy soils.

High varieties are planted at a distance of 0.5 m from each other, low ones after 20-30 cm. White and light pink varieties look better in the sun, dark ones in the shade.

Before planting, they dig up the earth, remove the rhizomes of weeds, and add organic matter.

If an astilba rhizome is purchased in a store, it is better to soak it for an hour in warm water before planting. A little potassium permanganate can be added to the water to make a pale pink solution.

When propagating astilba by seeds, stratification will be required:

Place the seeds in a cold place with a temperature of -4 to +4 degrees, mixed with wet peat.
Soak in the cold for 20 days, making sure that the peat does not dry out.
After 20 days, transfer the seeds to heat - 20-22 degrees and sow.

For planting, dark areas are chosen, preferably with a close fit. ground water. You can plant astilba on the shore of a garden pond. Sandy soils that do not retain moisture well are mulched with a layer of peat on top.

Landing algorithm:

Dig a planting hole about 30 cm deep.
Pour organic matter into the bottom.
You can add a tablespoon of any complex fertilizer to the hole; containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or two handfuls.
Mix fertilizer with soil.
Fill the hole with water.

Astilba is planted in the mud, deepening the root collar by 5-6 cm. When the water in the hole is absorbed, pour a 3-4 cm layer of dry earth on top - it “bans” moisture in the rhizome area and will not allow it to evaporate quickly.

Astilba grows slowly, so it is better to plant it more densely - 20 by 20 cm. Such plantings become dense the very next year. After 2-3 years they can be thinned out.

Astilba does not blend well with other colors. It is easier to plant it in mono-plantings, using one variety. Can be planted in groups of several varieties with flowers of the same color, but different bush heights.

Care and cultivation of astilba

Flower care consists of loosening, weeding, watering, soil mulching. Faded panicles are best cut so that they do not set seeds - this will keep the plant strong in preparation for wintering.

Astilbe is often associated with the rhizomatous weed, which strongly inhibits cultivated plants. During care, it is important to choose gout rhizomes from the soil, trying not to damage the underground part of the astilba.

In autumn, several buds form at the base of the shoot formed this year, from which rosettes of leaves will develop. Flower stalks will appear from the rosettes next year. From small buds located on the stem below, rosette leaves will develop only the next year. So astilbe annually rises 3-5 cm above the ground. Therefore, the plant must be sprinkled with fertile soil every year.

Transfer

Astilba bush can not be transplanted for an average of 5 years. Then it needs to be dug up and divided or thinned out:

Separate the part of the bush with the rhizome with a shovel.
Sprinkle the cuts with wood ash.
Fill the hole in the ground with fresh soil.

Watering

Astilbe loves watering. The topsoil must be constantly moist, as young roots can only develop in moist soil. The flower is watered at least once a week, in hot weather - 2 times a week. Astilba is not afraid of fungal diseases, so it can be watered both under the root and by sprinkling.

Even after a short drying of the soil, the leaves wither, the inflorescences become smaller and the astilbe takes on a sloppy look. To prevent this from happening, astilba is mulched with any crushed organic material: sawdust, bark, dry leaves. The best mulch compost is not only a covering material, but also a concentrated organic top dressing that astilba loves.

Fertilizers and top dressing

The main fertilizers are applied even when astilba is planted. The flower loves organic. Up to a liter of humus should be added to the planting pit and mixed well with the ground.

Potassium and phosphorus mineral compounds are used for top dressing - they increase the frost resistance of the plant. For each bush, 20-25 g of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is applied. In the spring, to accelerate the growth of leaves, the plants are fed once with a solution of urea at a dosage of a teaspoon of granules per 5 liters of water.

How to propagate astilba

The flower is propagated by dividing the rhizome, cuttings, seeds, renewal buds. The division of the bush allows even the old lower parts of the rhizomes to be used for propagation, since after dividing into them, dormant buds wake up.

Astilbe can be divided no more than 1 time in 3 years. Plants are dug up in the spring or at the end of August. The rhizome is cut into 4-5 parts and immediately planted in a new place at a distance of 35-40 cm from each other.

Kidney renewal

In early spring, before the young shoots have grown, cut off the buds from the stem with a small piece of rhizome.
Plant the buds in a box filled with peat and coarse sand 3:1.
Water.
Wait for rooting - it will happen in 3 weeks.
Plant young plants with leaves in a permanent place.

cuttings

When the shoots reach a height of 10-15 cm, cut them off and divide into cuttings.
Plant in a box filled with a mixture of peat and sand 1: 1, pour, cover with foil.
Spray with a spray bottle 2 times a day.
Keep the air temperature during rooting in the range of 20-22 degrees.
If a peduncle forms at the cutting, break it out.

Astilba seeds do not germinate well, so this method of propagation is used for breeding purposes. Seeds are sown in autumn or spring on a garden bed and are not covered with soil. The bed should be located in the shade. Seedlings will appear in 10-15 days, and in the autumn sowing - in the spring.

As soon as the first true leaf grows, seedlings are seated at a distance of 15 cm from each other. Fortified plants can be transplanted to a permanent place. Young plantings for the winter are covered with foliage.

What is Astilba afraid of?

The plant has few diseases and pests. Occasionally she is affected:

drooling pennitsy;
gall nematode;
strawberry nematode.

Young leaves sometimes suffer from late spring frosts, but this does not prevent the plant from throwing out new leaves and blooming at the right time. Astilba withstands harsh winters, but suffers greatly from spring temperature drops and wetting.

The most decoratively valuable varieties with large inflorescences can freeze slightly. Such plants in snowy winters need to be additionally covered:

Prune the bush in autumn.
Install a light frame over it.
From the inside, fill the frame with leaves.
Tighten with spunbond or lutrasil from above.
To protect against moisture, cover the entire structure with polyethylene and press the edges with bricks.