Red astilba: varieties and rules for their cultivation

How to plant?

Glauks or Canadian spruces are generally well adapted to the Russian climate, and planting them does not require particularly difficult or lengthy preparation. But the tree needs protection from sunburn in the spring or summer, depending on the region. The cultivated form is adapted to growing on stony soil, tolerates short-term waterlogging of the territory. But in general, spruce needs a well-drained soil, with high air permeability, allowing water and nutrients to pass to the roots. Acidity is suitable weak or moderate, relevant for loamy, sandy loam soils.

For planting a tree, a site is selected with a groundwater level no closer than 1.5 m from the soil surface

It is important not to allow rotting of the root collar, which is fatal for the plant. The best solution would be to choose a moderately shady area where the needles contact with the sun's rays in the morning.

If there is no shading, it must be created by covering the tree on the south side. But even a dull shadow is quite dangerous and will lead to fading of the color of the needles.

It is recommended to purchase seedlings for placement in the open field at the age of 4-5 years, when they have already developed lateral shoots. It is safest to choose ephedra in containers or together with a lump of soil wrapped in burlap.

When preparing the pit, a section of soil 60 cm in diameter to a depth of 70 cm is selected.The bottom must be drained using broken brick or expanded clay - the layer thickness should be about 20 cm. The planting soil is poured into the pit from the mixture:

• sour peat;
• clay;
• sand;
• turf;
• rotten leaves;
• 150 g nitroammophoska.

They are filled with up to 2/3 of the volume of the recess dug in the ground, then filled with water and left for 2 weeks. Only after that you can proceed to the practical part of the landing. You need to act in a specific order.

1. Measure the distance to the root collar, remove excess soil from the pit, and immerse the seedling in it. If the root is wrapped in burlap, it is not removed.
2. Pour the rest of the planting mixture over the root, carefully compacting the soil as the hole fills.
3. Check the placement of the root collar in the pit. Correct it if curved.
4. Create a side around the rhizome from excess soil. Further, abundant watering is carried out.
5. After the liquid is completely absorbed in the pit, the soil surface is mulched using the bark of conifers, if planting is done in autumn, and sour peat in the autumn.

Conditions for growing astilba

Optimal illumination is sparse shade or shading during the hottest part of the day. However, the nature of cultivated plants is more flexible and many varieties have "forgotten" in what conditions their wild relatives live.

Indeed, some Astilbes feel great in the open sun. Flowering is more abundant here, but shorter, and the foliage is slightly lighter. When choosing a place, the timing of flowering is very important. Early and late varieties bloom well and for a long time both in the shade and in the sun, but for mid-flowering plants it is better to look out for shaded corners, since the bright July sun dramatically reduces the time of their flowering.

Most astilba varieties can grow in areas with fairly high groundwater and even tolerate stagnant water.

In natural conditions, astilbe grows in the countries of East Asia, on the islands of the Japanese archipelago, in North America.

Astilbe does not tolerate long-term drought. Poor soil, open sun and lack of rain can destroy the plant.In such cases, astilbe should be watered twice a day - early in the morning or in the evening. Fertile soil, thickened planting, mulching with shavings or bark will also help plants.

Astilbe very poorly tolerate overheating of the upper part of the rhizome, and mulch helps to reduce overheating, moisture loss, preserves soil looseness, prevents weeds and, which is very important, creates favorable conditions for wintering. In flower beds, it is best to mulch the plants immediately after planting, covering the entire surface of the soil with a mulch layer of 5 cm

Some Astilba tolerate relatively dry soils well - ah. arendsii "Federsee", a.korcana, well-grown bushes a.chinensis "Superba", "Purpurlance". And there are those that can grow on heavy clay soils - these are representatives of the group of Chinese hybrids - x chinensis "Pumila", "Visions", "Vision in Pink", "Vision in Red".

Most of the plants are powerful herbaceous shrubs with a spreading crown of a pyramidal or spherical shape with rich green foliage.

It is important that astilbes have enough phosphorus and potassium in the root layer of the soil. We pour 1-2 handfuls of bone meal and 25-30 g of complex fertilizers into the breeding ridges in transverse grooves (1 m long)

When planting in a flower garden, pits 20-30 cm deep and wide are dug, 1-2 handfuls of bone meal and ash, 25-30 g of mineral fertilizers (norm per square meter) are poured into them, humus is added. All this is mixed, spilled with water. The planted delenki are covered with mulch with a layer of 3 cm.

In favorable conditions, astilbe grows rapidly. Astilbe is divided and transplanted every 4-5 years, especially rapidly growing after 3-4 years. This is due to the rapid vertical growth of the rhizome. Gradually, old bushes bulge too much, young roots located at the base of the buds end up at the very surface and dry out quickly, which greatly reduces the duration and quality of flowering - the peduncles become smaller, the inflorescences are smaller.

However, in principle, astilbe can grow in one place for a long time, up to 15-20 years. To maintain the decorative effect of old plants, you should take care of fertilization annually. Astilbe is fed first in spring after regrowth (nitrogen fertilizers prevail), then immediately after flowering or in autumn (potassium and phosphorus - 20-25 g per plant)

Carefully loosen the soil and then mulch again.

Landing

It is recommended to plant this perennial closer to the middle or end of May, depending on the weather. First of all, it is required to organize the site on which the flower bed will be located. Varieties with medium flowering are best placed in places protected from the sun; for late and early ones, this moment does not play a special role.

To begin with, the soil is dug up, weeds are removed, fertilizer is applied, which can be used, for example, manure or humus. You will need 2 buckets for 1 m2. Next, holes are made with a depth of about 20-30 centimeters. A distance of at least 30 centimeters should be maintained between the bushes. Growth buds are covered with soil by 5-6 centimeters.

After the seedlings are planted, they are covered with earth and compacted. Mulch is introduced, which is preferable to take humus or peat. This will help protect young shoots from adverse weather conditions, temperature extremes and direct sunlight.

Reproduction methods

In order to get young seedlings, you can use several breeding methods:

• dividing the bush;
• root layers;
• division of the kidneys;
• using seeds.

At home, astilba can be propagated by cuttings and root layers. To obtain planting material, the mother bush must be carefully removed from the ground and divided into the required number of seedlings with a sharp garden tool.Each part should have a piece of rhizome, some root shoots and an aerial green part. It is best to divide the bushes in early autumn or early spring.

All the resulting planting material must be placed in planting containers with peat soil or buried in light sandy soil at a depth of no more than 10 cm. The entire surface of well-moistened containers must be covered with moss or spruce needles. If the planting material was collected in the fall, then it will be possible to plant it in open ground as early as next spring, and spring seedlings should be replanted in the fall.

The simplest method of reproduction is by dividing the kidneys. To obtain planting material, it is necessary to separate the renewal buds from the mother bush in early spring with a sharp tool. The resulting cuttings must be planted in a greenhouse, in which the soil should be mixed with sand and gravel. Before planting, it is imperative to treat all sections with wood ash.

Plants grown from seeds at home do not always have varietal genetic characteristics and often have the following negative characteristics:

• color change;
• rare arrangement of flowers;
• low level of decorativeness;
• short flowering period.

Those gardeners who, despite the complexity of the seed reproduction method, nevertheless decide to sow seeds, it is imperative to take into account the recommendations of specialists. In early spring, it is necessary to fill all prepared planting containers with nutritious peat soil and put them in a warm and bright room for warming up. The seeds must be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the container and covered with a thin layer of vermiculite, which will provide the required level of moisture. In comfortable conditions, the first shoots will begin to appear in 2-3 weeks. After the formation of several true leaves, the seedlings can be transplanted into open ground.

Astilba: varieties

TOP 10 most popular breeding varieties of this plant.

Amethyst

Refers to early flowering. The bush grows up to 1 m in height, has small, carved leaves of a greenish-brown hue. Flowers are collected in blue-violet panicles. The diameter of the flowers is about 5 cm. There is almost no smell. Blooms early, blooms for more than a month. Hardy, prefers shade and abundant irrigation.

Arends

Arends

The hybrid blooms in mid-summer. The bushes grow up to 160 cm. The leaves are small, dark green, there are few of them on the bush. Flowers are collected in large panicles (up to 50 cm), pink, large, exude a delicate delicate smell. This astilbe blooms all summer long, loves good lighting, does not tolerate severe frosts.

Visions Red

Belong to the Chinese varieties. It blooms from the end of July. Grows compact. The length of the stems of the plant is no more than 30 cm. The variety has large, shiny, bright green, carved leaves. Flowers of a purple hue, collected in spreading panicles. The variety can withstand frost, prefers shady places.

Gloria white

It has a height of no more than 70 cm. Leaves with long petioles, dark green, with white edges, carved. The flowers are united in lush inflorescences, small, very brittle. The flowers themselves are small and emit a strong smell. The shrub grows in the southern regions of Russia, because it does not withstand frosts.

Astilba Garnet

Astilba Garnet

It belongs to simple garden perennials and can grow up to two meters in height. The leaves are "glossy", openwork, located closer to the roots. The flowers are dark red, large. Panicles occupy more than half of the stems and have a slight honey smell.

Astilba Diamant

Is the result of hybrid crosses by the breeder Arends. The perennial shrubs are spreading, about 1.5 m tall. Small green leaves of medium size grow, as a rule, at the roots. The flowers are white, large (up to 8 cm in diameter), collected in panicles, emit a light aroma. The bushes bloom for about 40 days. Flowering begins in mid-July.The variety grows well in the Moscow region.

Variety Europe

Belongs to Japanese early flowering, has low spreading bushes. This astilbe is distinguished by bright openwork green leaves. In paniculate inflorescences, the flowers are large, pale pink. Flowers have no smell. The buds bloom from the end of spring. This variety is frost-resistant, loves shady places and a lot of moisture.

Lavender variety

This is an early flowering shrub, spreading, tall (up to a meter). Leaves grow more often at the roots, dark green in color, shiny, small. The perennial has a lot of them. This is how the variety differs from others. The inflorescences are not very lush and long (their length is only 25 cm). The flowers are small, lavender in color, emitting a strong smell. It can bloom all summer long, grows well in sunlit areas.

Astilba Montgomery

Astilba Montgomery

Similar to the previous variety. It is distinguished from other varieties by leaves. They are shiny, large, strongly divided, triple in the plant. There are much fewer of them than the Lavender variety. There is no smell of flowers.

Hybrid Nemo

It differs from the previous ones in a shorter stem length, large leaves, bright pink flowers of large diameter. The variety is popular among gardeners for the reason that it does not succumb to diseases common among this genus of plants.

How to take care of it properly?

Astilba belongs to unpretentious plants that do not require complex agricultural technology, and growing even in the country will not cause difficulties. After winter, the shrub rises slightly above the soil level, therefore, after the snow melts, it is necessary to fill the entire root zone with nutritious soil to the level of the growing point. To prevent the root system from drying out, it is better to mulch this area.

Due to the peculiarities of the root system, in which there is a gradual dying off of the lower processes and the growth of the upper ones, the flower needs regular and timely watering

During the period of inflorescence formation and during flowering, it is necessary to pay special attention to soil moisture, which should be carried out 2 times a day. It is strictly forbidden to water the plants with cold water.

In order for the flower to have the strength for abundant and bright flowering, experts advise novice gardeners not to forget about regular feeding. The flower reacts positively to both organic and mineral fertilizers, but it is still better to give preference to organic matter, which will not only provide the bush with all the necessary nutrients, but also improve the structure of the soil and increase the amount of humus. Experts recommend fertilizing flowers with rotted manure and compost-peat substrate.

If the owners prefer mineral fertilizing, then at the beginning of spring the soil must be fed with nitrogen, and phosphorus must be added during the flowering period. Potassium is needed for a flower only at the end of autumn. Timely introduction of these minerals will not only significantly increase the flowering time and the number of inflorescences, but will also help the flower to form the required amount of high-quality seed material. If you organize the fertilization system correctly, then you can not transplant the plant for 15 years.

To improve oxygen access to the roots, it is necessary to regularly loosen the root zone and remove weeds in a timely manner. The flower needs only sanitary pruning, which consists in the spring removal of all dead and deformed parts, as well as in the removal of dry and faded inflorescences that prevent the formation of new inflorescences. You can remove all unnecessary parts with a special sharp garden tool.

Despite the flower's resistance to low temperatures, it is better to cover the plantings with non-woven material or spruce branches at the beginning of winter, which will protect the bushes from the harmful effects of spring frosts. Flowers require special attention to themselves in early spring, after the complete disappearance of snowdrifts.For the rapid emergence of young shoots, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the surface of the earth from old branches, last year's dead leaves, as well as from various garden debris. It is during this period that old plants should be transplanted, the flowering intensity of which decreases 3 years after planting.

To speed up the flowering period, experts recommend outwitting nature a little and at the beginning of autumn the flower's root system is divided into small parts that need to be planted in ordinary flower pots. Throughout the winter, containers with flowers must be stored at a temperature of about 0 degrees, and already at the beginning of February, all prepared containers must be placed in a greenhouse, the air temperature in which is at +10 degrees.

Requirements for growing conditions

Weiss Gloria prefers cultivation in partial shade or artificial shading during the hottest part of the day. The soil should be sufficiently rich, moist, with a neutral acidity index. With a combination of such negative factors as poor, dry soil and constant open sun, the plant will quickly die.

Terms and technology of planting works

Astilba is planted in open ground in early spring or early autumn. Closed root seedlings can be planted throughout the horticultural season.

Sowing crop seeds

An important condition for seed germination is stratification. To do this, take bowls, fill them with a substrate consisting of peat and sand in a 1: 1 ratio

You need to be careful - astilba has very small seeds, they are easy to deeply burrow into the substrate. For convenience, the seeds are mixed with clean, dry sand before sowing. The seeds are scattered over the surface and gently sprayed with a spray bottle.

Then the bowl is covered with foil or glass and removed for 3 weeks on the lower shelf of the refrigerator. After stratification, the dishes with seeds are placed in a room with a temperature of +20 C ... + 22 C degrees. After 3-5 days, the whole bowl seems to bristle, the surface of the substrate is covered with thin, hair-like, green sprouts.

Planting astilba in the ground

When several true leaves appear, the seedlings dive directly into the open ground. Semi-shady places are chosen for planting. At first, seedlings need artificial shading and protection from the wind. Installing arcs and pulling white agrofibre on them will help with this.

Before landing, the following activities are carried out:

1. The planting site is weeded, dug deeply, organic matter (rotted manure, compost) is introduced in an amount of up to 2 buckets per 1 square meter and spilled well with water.
2. Landing pits are prepared with a depth of 20-30 centimeters. The distance between the holes is maintained at least 30-40 centimeters.
3. Before planting, a teaspoon of complex granular fertilizers and a few tablespoons of wood ash are added to the holes. Then everything is thoroughly mixed and spilled with water.
4. When planting, the seedlings are buried so that the growth buds are 4-5 centimeters below the soil level. After planting, the soil is slightly compacted, mulched and well spilled with water.

Diseases and pests of astilba

Astilbes practically do not get sick, occasionally they are affected by slobbering pennies, strawberry and gall nematodes. The larvae of the slobbering penny live in their frothy secretions, which are located in the axils of the leaves. They feed on leaves, impairing the growth and development of flower stalks. The easiest way to deal with a penny is by hand.

The strawberry nematode affects the buds and leaves of astilba; it can only be eliminated by completely destroying diseased plants. Gall nematode lives in the roots, causing the formation of galls on them. You can fight it by destroying diseased roots.

The most common pests seen on astilba bushes are slobbering pennies. They are easy to spot by the flakes of foam in the leaf axils, inside which leafhopper larvae sit.They feed on plant juices, weaken it, the leaves turn yellow and wrinkle.

You can fight them manually, if their number is small, extensive colonies are destroyed by treating the shrubs with actara or karbofos. Astilbe nematodes are dangerous for planting - strawberry and gallic. The first lives inside leaves, stems, buds, flowers, lays eggs in their tissues.

In the affected areas, necrotic areas of yellowish or brown color are formed. The second forms galls on the roots - outgrowths, inside which females lay eggs. It is possible to destroy nematodes, if detected in a timely manner, only with systemic insecticides, that is, those that are absorbed by plant cells and enter the pest's body along with food. Eggs in chitinous membranes will remain invulnerable; after the expiration date of the agent, viable larvae appear in 20-25 days.

Note! nematodes develop immunity against poisons, so re-treatment must be a different drug.

Spraying and spilling of soil with solutions of aldicarb, carbofuran, fenamiphos, prepared according to the instructions indicated by the manufacturer on the package, are effective. The microbiological preparation Nematofagin BT, created on the basis of the predatory fungus Arthrobotrisoligospora, which is harmless to beneficial insects, animals and humans, has shown itself well against root gall nematodes. Bushes heavily affected by nematodes are destroyed.