Astilba is a perennial plant of the Saxifrage family. The peculiarity of the species, which consisted in the absence of shine of the leaves, served as the basis for the name.
It has a declined form - "astilbe", and not inclined - "astilbe" of a female or middle gender, depending on the source.
Culture Description
Astilba originally from Japan, is represented by panicle-shaped inflorescences of various shades. Her bush is formed by large dark green leaves. It grows up to 2 meters and has about 400 varieties and 40 species. There is a seed box. It blooms in the summer months, and in the cold, the entire part located on the surface dies, while the root hibernates safely. There are samples with hard and soft roots. They are based on the central rhizome, from which there are many processes. Over time, the process of dying off the lower ones, while new ones appear on top.
Types of Astilba
12 species of herbaceous plants are widespread, of which about 200 varieties were bred.
| Group | Description | Varieties, inflorescences |
| Arends | It is distinguished by strong, high bushes, reminiscent of a ball or a pyramid in their geometry. Shades - from white to red. Blossoms more time than other groups (30-40 days). |
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| Chinese | Growth a little more than a meter, stands out among others by small stem leaves. It is famous for the density of inflorescences reaching 30 cm in length. There are dwarf varieties with inflorescences resembling a cone. It takes a lot of sun. |
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| Japanese | A small plant (up to 80 cm), blooms earlier than other species. Unpretentious, easy to take root. It shows sufficient winter hardiness for the middle band. |
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| Simple leaf | She needs a humid climate and moderate temperatures, inflorescences add a small airy appearance to small plants (up to 50 cm). |
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Planting and care methods
The demands of gardeners are varied, and with them the methods of planting differ. So, for example, seeds include many nuances, but it allows you to develop new varieties, other options are simple to implement and guarantee speedy growth, but only involve propagation. However, in any case, the plant is not whimsical and only a couple of fundamental points will have a significant impact on its further cultivation.
Rhizome propagation
This is the most effective breeding option, which is used more often than others:
- The bush is removed from the soil, tearing it, while capturing 15-20 cm of the plot in a circle.
- Then pull out and shake off until the roots are exposed significantly.
- Then they cut a stalk with a piece of root so that it has at least 4 kidneys.
- The dried rhizome is removed.
- Between planted perennials observe a distance of 30 cm.
After six months, the plant will bloom.
Seed planting
The method is suitable for breeding new ones and allows you to grow already known varieties. Sowing begins in early March with the preparation of a special soil substrate. To do this, peat and sand are mixed in the same amount and laid out in a deep container. Coat the mixture with a little snow and distribute the harvested seeds on the surface. Its melting will be accompanied by moistening of the soil, saturation with its microelements and the seed will naturally plunge inside.
And after the snow has completely melted - they wrap the container in a bag and leave it in the refrigerator for several weeks. Seeds are not reached until seedlings appear. After they clean the seedlings in a warm (+ 18 ... +22 ° ะก), well-lit place until 3 leaves appear, and after that they are seated separately. Watering is carried out with a syringe under the root. Otherwise, there is a risk of damage.
Kidney propagation
The method gives the fastest results. The procedure begins no later than April, with the advent of new processes. The kidneys are cut off, capturing a little rhizome, and then the cut is disinfected with coal. Then induce peat with gravel in a ratio of 3: 1. To create a greenhouse effect, the container is covered with polyethylene. Already in open ground is planted no earlier than September, since at first they wait until the astilba gets stronger.
Landing rules
The optimal period for planting falls at the end of spring - the beginning of summer. A flower is not planted from the south side; moreover, they choose a place for it in the shade. Otherwise, the variety will still adapt to the abundance of light, but will soon stop flowering. The presence of a nearby artificial reservoir will be a plus. The soil is suitable loamy, with a high occurrence of groundwater. Another important factor is the acidity of the soil, it directly affects fertility. A neutral pH value of 7 is considered to be all higher - alkaline, and closer to 5 - acidic. For the plant, a slightly acidic indicator (5.5-6.5 pH) is chosen. Site preparation consists of digging and fertilizing it. The place is carefully weeded, and after that the earth is fertilized with manure. Two buckets per square will be enough. Planting pits are dug up to 30 cm in depth, they are poured into each little wood ash and mineral fertilizers. Before planting, cover the hole with a thin layer of earth, preventing the roots from burns. Pits abundantly watered. After planting, the soil is covered with peat.
After landing care
Over time, the rhizome dies from below, growing up. As a result, the plant loses its root nutrition, and it is precisely because of this that gardeners are particularly responsible for the hilling process, while monitoring the frequency of irrigation.
Watering
When inflorescences form or dry days come, it is necessary to carry out plentiful watering twice a day.
Proper outdoor care guarantees a long life to the plant (about 20 years) even without changing the plot. However, every 5-7 years, a transplant is still recommended to the plant.
Fertilizer
In the spring apply:
- Saltpeter;
- Urea
- Manure;
- Litter.
In summer, flowering plants are fed potash. In the autumn months, after flowering - phosphoric (20 g of superphosphate per bush). Before using purchased fertilizers, it is strongly recommended that you study the instructions, since the compositions and concentrations vary between manufacturing companies.
Winter preparations
To successfully winter the astilbe, shoots are cut off to the same level with the ground. Place cover with a small layer of mulch. This operation is required for recently planted bushes by the method of division of the rhizome. The plant rejuvenates when it is divided, however in the future the root can harden so much that it will be practically impossible to do this.
Diseases and Pests
In the middle lane is a relatively small variety of insects that can harm the culture (3 in total). The remaining pest populations are common in the homeland of astilbe. In order to prevent the appearance of unwanted guests, they get rid of weeds in time and do not do heavy crops. If it was not possible to avoid pests, then take immediate measures to eliminate them.
The slobber lays larvae in the leaf sinuses, and soon foamy lumps appear there. The leaves wrinkle from this and become spotty, then the bush itself withers. To combat pennies, both folk and chemical methods are used.
Lumps are sprinkled with wood ash, thus destroying the larvae inside, or resort to such means as karofos or actara.
Strawberry nematode causes damage to almost all parts of the plant - buds, leaves and flowers. Subsequently, they undergo deformation and acquire an undesirable brown spotting, while the development of the bush significantly slows down.
Growths on the root surface are considered a sign of the presence of the gall nemotode, it is inside these formations that the pest lives, even with small sizes. In the second term of the growing season, the nematode becomes easily noticeable. They first slow down the development of the bush, and after a while completely lead to its death. As a preventive measure, they try to inspect the plant more often, with symptoms of the disease - they destroy the perennial. Timely weeding is carried out, especially in the first growing season. Processed by Fitoverm.
Mr. Dachnik recommends: the use of astilbe in garden design
A plant can stand alone and draw attention from a general view, or supplement a part of some composition.
Astilbe is often decorated with trees and shrubs, placing perennials in their shade. It will look beautiful and natural by an artificial reservoir in the garden. It gets along well with green hosts and forms an aesthetic installation with them. It is universal due to its growth - short representatives are pushed forward, while two-meter varieties and species look great in the background. Often serves as a green hedge. Suitable for decoration borders, it is also often placed in a pot or decorate it with a lawn. Some species are suitable for flower beds.
Astilba well complement ferns, geraniums. There are many more plants with which astilba perfectly coexists and looks good.
