Pink champion

Landing rules

The most common way to grow a plant is from seeds. Planting is considered more favorable in the period from February to April. Seeds are scattered into pots on loosened light soil and sprinkled a little on top, then thoroughly sprayed with water. To maintain moisture, an equal amount of peat and clay is added to the soil mixture. Spraying the soil must be carried out frequently. The containers with seedlings are covered with foil or glass and opened daily for 30 minutes for airing.

From the moment the first sprouts appear, it is recommended to spray boiled warm water on them, and to introduce fertilizers with the first leaves. It is necessary to fertilize seedlings 2 times a week during watering.

When 2-3 strong leaves appear, petunias should be dived, planting 1-2 shoots in separate containers. On day 30 after planting, the seedlings can be transplanted into a larger pot (up to 9 cm in diameter). In open soil, planting of 3-month-old seedlings is carried out at the end of spring, when the likelihood of cold snaps decreases.

Place in the garden

Astlba has earned fame as a plant for shady places, which is given special attention in garden design. The species and varieties of astilba really prefer partial shade with good moisture, because in nature they are found under the canopy of a deciduous forest and near water bodies

Astilba in the design of the site can be used in single and group plantings, as a tapeworm and container plant. It will organically fit into a mixborder, a rabatka or a curb, especially in shady areas, to decorate the near-trunk circle of a tree or shrub. Dwarf and drought-resistant varieties can revive the alpine slide. However, the plant will look most organically near a reservoir.

The most popular combination is the host and astilbe flower garden. Plants get along well, and the contrast of whole and dissected leaves allows you to emphasize the individuality of each of them. It can be argued that Astilba and Hosta are the best partners. although this plant is successfully combined with a huge number of species.

Astilba with various bulbs will look quite organic. Carved leaves will be an excellent background for spring-flowering species, small-bulbous, hyacinths, tulips, saxifrage. Astilbes look spectacular in the company of daylilies, phloxes, irises, bells, tall cereals. For the foreground, geykhera, badan, geraniums are suitable.

The delicate foliage of astilba is an excellent backdrop for flowering bulbs. In summer, the grown astilbe will hide the sloppy leaves of faded tulips and daffodils

Different varieties and types of astilbe can organically complement each other. You can always choose dwarf forms for the foreground and tall ones for the background. Different colors of flowers, texture and shape of the leaves will create the necessary contrast.

Unpretentious, frost-resistant, shade-tolerant and many-sided astilbe is a real gift for a florist. Even "without shine", with whatever flowers the astilbe is planted, it is able to decorate the site, and the variety of cultural forms make the plant truly universal.

Astilba: photo of undersized varieties

Of the undersized varieties, the Japanese Astilba Lollipop (Lollypop) with glossy feathery leaves of a dark green color and dense diamond-shaped erect inflorescences of a delicate coral-pink shade should be especially noted. Reaches a height of 45 cm and is great for growing in containers.

Chinese astilba, planting and caring for which in the open field will not be difficult, belongs to the Vision in White variety. It grows up to 60 cm in height and is distinguished by lush dense pyramidal inflorescences of a beautiful creamy white shade.

The following varieties are also popular:

• Japanese astilba Red Sentinel (Red Sentinel) up to 60 cm high with dark carmine-red diamond-shaped inflorescences and glossy green leaves with a reddish tint;

• hybrid astilba Sugarberry up to 40 cm high with well-stuffed and rather lush pyramidal light pink inflorescences and feathery dark green leaves;

• astilbe simple-leaved Aphrodite (Aphrodite) up to 50 cm high with light crimson-red openwork inflorescences and unusual leaves, which acquire a bronze-red hue in spring.

Color palette

Kabloom yellow

On the market, under the Kabloom series, 2 types of yellow calibrachoa are sold:

• Calibrachoa kablum yellow F1;
• Calibrachoa Yellow.

I must say that we are talking about the same culture. It's just that different seed suppliers (Agronika, Pan American Seed and other breeders) have given the flower its "name". The traditional way of propagating a plant is by cuttings. In recent years, gardeners have been actively experimenting with the cultivation of Kablum Yellow calibrachoa from seeds.

As a rule, in packs they sell 3, 5, 100 and more dragees. Both regular and plasma seeds are available.

Flowers of yellow Kablum F1 are distinguished by the uniformity and saturation of the yellow hue. The base of the corolla is slightly darker than the petals. As already mentioned, this is a morphological feature of culture. Otherwise, the plant does not stand out from the group of adjacent varieties of calibrachoa:

• corollas formed by 5 petals of regular shape reach no more than 3 cm in diameter;
• the leaves are narrow lanceolate and short, with a light down;
• stems are prone to woodiness and dense branching.

Kabloom deep blue

Blue calibrachoa can be found more often than others in the gardens of the middle lane. Again, if you focus on the name of the series, then the color of the petals of the plant should be dark blue. But! In fact, the bells' shade tends to be a deep purple with a traditional yellow center. Dozens of small Kablum Deep Blue flowers bloom and wither throughout the summer-autumn season, replacing each other.

The bush is standard compact (35x35cm), spherical in shape. The length of individual stems of an ampelous annual can stand out against the background of the total mass. However, the plant always looks well-groomed. Lanceolate pubescent leaves are attractive and decorative in their own way.

Kabloom deep pink

The annual is characterized by the features that are standard for the Kablum series:

• highly branched, spreading and at the same time compact bushes;
• small narrow-lanceolate leaves with dense pubescence;
• lignified shoots on adult plants;
• miniature pink (with a raspberry tinge) bells and a yellow "neck".

Traditionally, single capsules of Kablum Deep Pink form seeds. For those who plan to grow seedlings of pink calibrachoa, it is recommended to buy dragees from trusted manufacturers.

The shade palette of Deep Pink is highly dependent on weather conditions. In general, the range of colors is wide: from deep pure pink to light raspberry color. Despite possible deviations in shades, the variety is very recognizable and loved by many gardeners.

Kabloom white

Calibrachoa White bushes look very elegant and solemn, however, like all white flowers. The annual is equally harmonious in group compositions and single plantings. Of course, you should not expect a perfectly snow-white color from the corollas of this series. The yellow center of the bells is the hallmark of all Kabloom representatives.

The vegetative mass of the white caliber is densely branched, the foliage is traditionally pubescent, and the stems with shoots of the second and third rows are partially lignified. The bush reaches a diameter of 30-35 cm.

Kabloom sunset

The introduction of the Kablum Sunset calibrachoa has puzzled many gardeners. The breeding practice does not stand still, continues to amaze plant-growing lovers with new products.

Bushes of orange annuals are standardly compact, vegetative mass with fluff, miniature flowers. Only bad luck.If earlier it was easy to attribute this or that sample to the Kablum series (because of the even monochromatic color of the petals and the yellow "throat"), then in the case of Kablum Sunset f1 you can make a mistake.

Corollas are clearly colored in 3, not 2 colors:

• light orange;
• dark orange (closer to the base);
• yellow (middle).

So is it Kablum? A rhetorical question.

Astilba: photo of tall varieties

There are many varieties of astilba that grow up to 90-100 cm. The following varieties should be distinguished:

• Astilba hybrid Arends Amethyst 80 to 100 cm high, with narrow inflorescences of an unusual lilac-amethyst shade and beautiful light green matte leaves;

• Astilba Arends Diamant 85-90 cm high with characteristic wide paniculate snow-white inflorescences and leaves with a pointed apex;

• astilba hybrid group Arends Cattleya (Cattleya) height from 70 to 90 cm with bright pink rhombic inflorescences and green toothed leaves;

• astilbe Thunberg Straussenfeder 75 to 100 cm high with branched dark coral pink racemose inflorescences beautifully drooping above the shiny green foliage.

To create the most spectacular landscape in the garden, it is recommended to use several types and varieties of astilba. The photos discussed above will help you choose exactly those varieties that best match the design idea.

It is better to combine with each other varieties of this beautiful plant that are approximately the same in height, or create a multi-tiered flower bed using varieties of different heights.

Planting and leaving

White astilba should be planted outdoors, giving preference to areas with moist soil and thin shade. It is not recommended to plant bushes in a sunny place, because due to the large amount of light, the flower can quickly fade, its foliage will quickly turn yellow at the edges. In addition, it will have to be watered often and to protect it from drying out of the soil, cover its top layer with bark, straw and pebbles. Before you start planting astilba, you need to carefully prepare the landing site, namely: dig up the ground, remove all debris, weeds and fertilize well.

Planting flowers is usually carried out from the end of March to the beginning of May, you can also plant plants in the fall, but in this case, the time must be calculated in such a way that the plant has time to get stronger before the cold weather. The depth of the planting pit can be different, it is determined individually for each astilbe, taking into account the size of the roots. The root system should be placed freely in the hole so as not to deepen the bush too much; it is recommended to put a hydrogel on the bottom of the hole. It will keep the soil moist.

After planting, the plant should be well looked after, providing it with regular watering, fertilization and timely pruning. In addition, in the areas where astilba is grown, soil mulching is additionally carried out. In order for a flower to grow quickly and please with lush flowering, it must receive a complex of trace elements. Fertilizers are recommended to be applied 3 times in the period from May to August: the first top dressing should consist of liquid fertilizers that simulate plant growth, the second is performed during flowering (organic and mineral dressings are well suited), in autumn the bushes are sprinkled with a layer of ash to ensure better flowering on next year.

To maintain a decorative appearance, astilbe should be periodically trimmed. This procedure takes place in several stages: the first time the bush is cut off after flowering (it is cleaned of dried inflorescences), the second - in late autumn or spring before new shoots appear. Despite the fact that white astilba is a perennial plant, its ground part dies off closer to the onset of winter, so it also needs to be cut off.

All varieties of white astilba can grow without transplant for no more than 10 years. In order for the bush to bloom well every year and be lush, it is recommended to transplant at least once every 3-4 years (terry astilba is especially demanding for this).This is necessary, since the rhizome of the plant grows, there is little space for it, so it appears above the surface of the earth and is exposed to the negative effects of cold weather in winter and sun in summer.

It is best to transplant the bushes in early spring or autumn, for this they are dug up and divided into separate parts. The transplant is very simple: the planting hole is preliminarily prepared, it is filled with mineral fertilizers, the plant itself is watered abundantly and planted. To fill the voids between the ground and the root, it is necessary to compact the soil, after a few days the bush will successfully take root and begin to grow.

Popular varieties

This perennial is different in size. Gardeners are offered dwarf, undersized, medium-sized varieties with a height of 30, 60, 90 centimeters, respectively, as well as tall ones, which can reach one and a half meters. Flowering times may also vary. Lush flowers can appear on the bushes at the very beginning of June and end flowering only towards the end of the season. There are only about 200 varieties of astilba. It should be noted that they belong to 10 varieties. Pink astilbe looks gentle and at the same time spectacular; it often attracts with its appearance. Consider its most popular varieties.

"Unique Silver Pink" represents bushes up to 35-45 centimeters high. The flowers are pale pink, open in June and wither in July. They have a very pleasant delicate aroma.

Planting and caring for Chinese astilba

Lush flowering, unpretentious care, shade tolerance are the main advantages of this charming plant. The bushes of the Chinese astilba with panicle inflorescences can become a decoration of any landscape. But in order for them to develop well and feel comfortable in the garden, you should adhere to some rules when planting and further care:

Site selection. The right place for a garden with Chinese astilba will guarantee its rapid growth.

When choosing it, it is important to take into account the flowering period of the variety, for example, astilbe, blooming in July, prefer a shaded corner, and early and late species can delight with beautiful inflorescences both in the shade and in the sun. The best condition for long-term flowering will be land with high groundwater.

Soil preparation

The plant prefers fertile soil. It is not acidophilic and does not require special soil acidity, but it feels better at a pH level of 5.5 to 6.5. It is important that the top layer of the earth contains sufficient amounts of phosphorus and potassium. When planting a culture in planting holes, it is advisable to add bone meal, peat and humus.
Timely watering. The culture loves moisture and can tolerate flooding, but a prolonged drought will cause its death. The bushes should be watered frequently, especially during the hot season.

Mandatory mulching. Chinese Astilba has an unusual root structure. When they grow, they crawl out above the surface of the earth, for this reason, the culture dries up quickly in summer, and can freeze in winter. To avoid such troubles, it is advisable to mulch the soil surface around the bushes well; straw, bark, sawdust or small pebbles are suitable for this. In summer, mulch will help the plant retain moisture, and in winter it will create additional insulation.

Regular feeding. The culture loves fertilizers, so it is advisable to add vermicompost to the soil monthly. In April or May and early June, watering with an infusion of nitrogen-containing fertilizers or mullein will give a good result. At the end of flowering, in order to increase winter hardiness, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers must be added to the beds.

Pruning. After the Chinese astilbe has faded, the dry buds must be cut off. This is done if the collection of seeds is not planned so that the plant does not waste extra energy for planting them.

Advice! Astilba feels best in conditions of thin shade and constantly moist soil.

For good wintering and moisture retention at the time of drought, the soil around the plant must be mulched.