I’m talking about growing beautiful astilba - from seeds to strong seedlings

The corners of the garden hidden from the sun can sometimes be difficult to decorate. A good solution for shady flower beds will be graceful astilba bushes. Flowers are diverse in color and splendor, bloom profusely and for a long time, and with regular watering and top dressing, they will forgive the gardener for the lack of illumination. Astilbe is resistant to frost and climatic vagaries, does not succumb to most diseases and parasites, feels great both alone and in a large bush. In general, from whichever side you look, it is a wonderful perennial that can decorate any site with itself. I'll tell you more about it.

Astilbe. The illustration for the article is used under the standard license ©ofazende.com

Variety Description

Herbaceous perennial, a native of the American continents, is a family of Saxifrage. In the wild, he loves the corners of deciduous forests hidden from bright light, in gardens and greenhouses he also prefers shady places.

The flower has a strong and hardy rhizome, which easily tolerates wintering in the garden. The stems are tall (up to 2 m), petiolate leaves have a juicy green tint with a reddish tint and a simple or pinnate shape.

The buds are collected in groups in the form of a pyramid or panicle, the colors vary from pure white to deep red. Flowering time depends on the variety - the earliest bloom in June, the latest - in August.

There are many types of Astilba - about 200, among the most common I can name:

• Japanese variety;
• simple-leaved;
• Chinese;
• Arends.

The last of these includes a whole group of varieties with certain characteristics:

• large bushes;
• height up to 1 m;
• spherical or pyramidal shape of inflorescences;
• the main shades of buds are pink, white and red;
• flowering period - from early July to late August.

Differences of Chinese hybrids:

• height up to 1.1 m;
• large leaf size;
• the form of flower groups is a panicle;
• colors - white, lilac, purple;
• able to grow in bright light.

Characteristics of the Japanese Astilba:

• height up to 0.8 m;
• paniculate form of inflorescences;
• white or pink flowers;
• resistance to severe frosts.

Features of simple astilba:

• growth up to 0.5 m;
• inflorescences drooping;
• shades - white, coral, pink.

The species blend well in flowerbeds both with each other and with other plants: geyhers, ferns and hostas.

planting

Flowers are grown from seedlings. Planting period - end of March - beginning of April.

The step by step process is as follows:

1. To obtain an ideal substrate, equal parts of sand and peat are mixed, the finished mixture is steamed in a water bath or frozen in advance in the refrigerator for a couple of months.
2. Seeds are soaked in "Fitosporin" for disinfection.
3. To reduce the risk of damage to the roots, the flowers are immediately sown in separate pots 15 cm high.
4. The finished container is scalded with boiling water and filled with soil mixture.
5. Sprinkle a centimeter layer of snow or crushed ice on top.
6. The seeds are spread on the snow, after it melts, the grains are on the soil.
7. The containers are covered with foil and cleaned in the cold for 20 days.
8. After the emergence of seedlings, the pots are transferred to a warm place. Good conditions for young shoots: 23 ° C, 14-hour lighting, regular watering and airing.
9. The necessary picking is carried out when 3 sheets appear.
10. Plants are hardened 15-20 days before transplantation.
11. The timing of the transfer of seedlings is the end of May - the beginning of June.

For astilba, a northern shady area, near bushes and trees, is well suited. Preferably loamy moist soils, previously dug up and fertilized with compost (2 buckets per 1 sq. m). Hole size - 20x20 cm, 30 cm between the bushes and 30 cm deep. I advise you to put on the bottom of each hole 1 tbsp. l. diammofoski and 10 tbsp. l. ash for good growth. The shoots are transplanted with an earthen clod, watered well and mulched with peat.

Care

Astilba is unpretentious, in one flower bed lives up to 10 years.

Care measures are standard:

• regular watering;
• 3-stage top dressing (April - nitrogen, June - potassium, September - phosphorus);
• pre-winter pruning of the ground part.

A beautifully flowering perennial is able to decorate the backyard of a country house.

What flowers do you prefer?

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