If you want to decorate with flowers the shady corners of your garden, it is astilba that will be the best choice. This perennial flower perfectly feels in the shade of bushes and trees, due to its peculiarities of formation of the kidneys and roots.
Growing and caring for Astilba
How to care for astilba? Simple enough, because this flower as a whole is unpretentious, well tolerates Russian winters. However, even his own whims. The most important condition is a nutrient water-absorbing soil, the loamy, the heaviest is best. Increased attention to yourself requires this plant only at the beginning of growth, when the sprouts are still very small, and the roots - weak. When the roots expand, become strong, they are quite capable of drowning even the weeds .
If you are forced to plant this flower in the sun, on light soil, then watering should be abundant and extremely regular, and soil mulching is also required. As mulch, humus will be suitable - peat or larchwood. Such a withdrawal will allow the roots to develop normally without drying out. Many gardeners can not understand why Astilba leaves dry. It seems that the soil is right, and the place is shady, and the astilba grows poorly, the leaves dry. The reason for all these troubles is only one - poor soil moisture. A poor flower literally suffers from thirst! To avoid this, it is necessary to constantly maintain a moderate moisture content of soil and air.
If your dream is an astilba with lush, luxurious inflorescences, provide the flower with soil mulching in May and intensive watering in August. Water this beautiful flower in the early morning and evening, when the heat was already asleep.
The peculiarity of this plant is also that each season its roots and strive to get out of the earth outward, usually by 3-5 centimeters. This can be dangerous for the flower, because the roots can dry up, get damaged. It is not difficult to fight this phenomenon - just pour the soil to the roots. A good way out is to transplant astilba.
Prepare an astilba for winter is also easy - you just need to carry out autumn pruning at the soil level and mulching. From strong frosts protect the shelter of mulch, bushes can be covered with two layers of non-woven material. Before winter, it is possible to insulate Astilba with lapnika.
Reproduction and transplantation of astilba
These beautiful flowers multiply by dividing the bush. Astilba division should be done every three years, otherwise the roots will come out on the surface of the soil and will dry. The bush can be divided in spring in March or early autumn, in September. In order for the flower to blossom by the next season, each division must have two or three complete buds of renewal.
How correctly to plant astilbu? Plant seedlings at a distance of 40 cm. You can also propagate astilba with seeds, this is done: the seeds are planted in March in boxes with light soil, it should always be moderately moist. When there will be an Astilba sprout with two leaves, they can be planted. Planting of astilba (seedlings) on the beds is done in wet soil, the first two weeks
Astilba diseases are extremely rare, pests of this flower are also not dangerous.
Many beginning gardeners do not know what to feed astilba. Do this in the spring, when the shoots have grown, fertilizers with nitrogen. After the autumn blossom, autumn, it can be fed with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Dosage - 20 g. substance per bush. After top dressing the earth around should be carefully loosened and mulched.