Astilba, cultivation and care

Astilba refers to the herbaceous perennial plants that make up the Kamnelomkov family. In the garden culture, 10 of its species are used, on the basis of which breeders brought out various hybrids with high decorative properties. Lush, airy inflorescences of red, tender lilac, pink, cream and white flowers - that's what astilba is. Growing and caring for her are not too complicated. It is not demanding of sunlight, it feels fine in the penumbra. She loves moisture and fertilized, loose soil.

Different varieties of Astilba differ in different flowering periods, from early to late. Its inflorescences are adorned with gardens from the beginning of July until the end of summer. Planting on the plot of the plant various periods of flowering, you can admire Astilba for most of the summer. To diseases the plant is stable and can grow up to 5 years without a transfer in one place.

We'll figure out how to grow an Astilbe on your site. You can propagate it in several ways: cuttings, buds of renewal, bush division, seeds. Of these methods, reproduction by the kidneys and dividing the bush is practically used. In autumn, the lower part of the rhizome of astilba dies, on top of it new kidneys develop. This is the buds of renewal, thanks to which astilba remains.

Cultivation from seeds is used mainly in breeding work.

Planting Seeds

For seeding a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 3: 1 is used. The ground for planting is poured into boxes and moistened. Seeds, mixed with sand, distributed over the surface (they do not need to be covered with earth), they are sprinkled with water and covered with a film. Periodically, the soil should be moistened. Seeds arise about a month later. In the phase of the first real leaf, they are dived into individual pots. There will be an increase in astilba. Growing and nursing continue in spring already on a permanent place. When planting between plants, observe an interval of 50 cm, because in the future they will grow. When planting seeds, plants bloom only for the third year.

Kidney budding resumption and bush division

The plant can be planted in these ways in spring and autumn. Although it is preferable to do this in the spring, from April to May, and in the southern regions - starting in March. Landing in the beginning of autumn is also possible, but you have to put astilba in such a way that it gets stronger before the cold weather. At too late planting the plant can freeze. In the autumn planting, you can even plant a flowering plant.

It is necessary to take into account when planting the conditions that an Astilba likes. Growing and caring for it will be easier if you find a place for it in the penumbra, on wet and loose ground. The soil needs to be dig, add humus, peat or compost, moisten, remove the roots of the weeds. Holes for plants make a shovel on the bayonet, put in them a fertilizer (any complex or Kemir) for 30 grams, add bone meal and ash.

When planting by division, the rhizomes are cut in such a way that on each part there are from 1 to 3 kidneys, and the rhizome has accessory roots. If the plant is used for group planting, between bushes should be at least 50 cm, in small astilbe - 30 cm. If the bush is planted in the spring, the plant will have time to blossom in the summer.

When reproducing by kidneys take from the mother's specimen the so-called bud of renewal with the part of the rhizome adjacent to it. The kidneys root in the litters. Soil for this take the same as when sowing seeds. The astilba is planted on a permanent place for the next summer.

All fresh planting of astilba should be mulched with a layer of up to 5 cm, using for this purpose peat, bark of trees or shavings.

Astilbe Care

Actually, we have already dismantled, what needs to be astilba. Cultivation and care of it should include, first of all, regular watering. The earth under the plant should not dry out. Therefore, in extreme heat it must be watered in the morning and in the evening. The soil is periodically loosened and necessarily mulched. Especially you should not forget about this in the autumn, because otherwise the roots of the plant can freeze to frost. Fertilize Astilba in spring with a predominance of nitrogen, and at the end of summer - with the predominance of phosphorus and potassium.

These simple rules allow the plant to grow well and delight people with its wonderful colors.