Cultivation Of Astilba, Varieties And Hybrids

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

The plant in question has decorative leaves and flowers, but especially - openwork, as if saturated with air inflorescences. Their light, foamy pattern will decorate any garden, especially since astilba is a very unpretentious plant.

Astilbe (Astilbe) belongs to the family of saxifrage. Found wild in the Himalayas, East Asia, Japan and North America. There are more than 30 types of astilbe. These are perennial herbaceous plants from 30-40 to 150 cm tall, with dense rhizomes. Leaves are double or triple pinnate, less often simple. Small flowers are collected in apical paniculate inflorescences of white, pink, red or purple color. Bloom in June-July. Inflorescences can be pyramidal, rhombic, paniculate, but drooping are especially graceful. Moreover, the petals are short or long.

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It is generally accepted that moist soil and partial shade are optimal for astilba. This is true, however, many Astilbes feel great in the open sun.

Flowering is more abundant here, but shorter, and the foliage is slightly lighter. But astilbe does not tolerate prolonged drought in any case. During the dry period, plants should be watered every day or even twice a day (early morning and evening).

In open places, it is necessary to mulch the soil to protect the rhizomes from overheating. It is advised to mulch astilba immediately after planting, adding mulch (shavings or bark) with a layer of up to 5 cm.

Astilba grows rapidly in favorable conditions, so it is advisable to divide the rhizome every 5-6 years. "Longevity" will inevitably negatively affect flowering. Astilba can be transplanted at any time of the growing season, even at the time of flowering, however, it must be watered within 2-3 weeks after transplanting. But the best time for a transplant is here, near St. Petersburg and in the North-West region - in late spring - early summer. The distance between plants when planting in a permanent place is 30-50 cm, depending on the height of the variety.

Astilbe is fed for the first time in the spring after the appearance of aerial shoots (nitrogen fertilizers prevail), the second time immediately after flowering or in the fall (with potash and phosphorus fertilizers).

Reproduction of astilba

Astilba propagates by seeds, renewal buds and rhizome division.

Seeds. In March-April, they are sown in boxes filled with a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 3: 1. The seeds are very small (about 20,000 per 1 g), therefore, before sowing, they should be mixed with sand for even distribution over the soil surface. After sowing, they are not closed up, and are watered from a spray bottle so as not to wash off. Seed germination is low. Seedlings appear in 3-4 weeks. With the appearance of a real sheet, they must be opened. After a pick, the seedlings are ready for planting in the ground by June. Plants grown from seeds bloom in the third year.

Renal buds. In early spring, a renewal bud with a part of the rhizome is cut out from plants (propagation method with a "heel"). Rooting is carried out in greenhouses. The substrate is used the same as for sowing. It is poured into a 5-7-centimeter layer on ordinary fertile soil. Astilbe is planted in a permanent place next spring. In the same year, the plants bloom.

Division of the bush. This breeding method is the most common and widely used. The strips are prepared so that each one has 1-3 buds and a rhizome 3-5 cm long, preferably with adventitious roots. The division is best done in early spring, then by autumn the astilbe will bloom.

Distillation. For forcing, Japanese hybrid astilba varieties with a compact, low-growing bush are used. It is recommended to take young seedlings with 6-10 buds, grown from renewal buds, and not obtained by dividing old bushes. Selected plants are planted in autumn in pots of the desired size, which are placed in a cold greenhouse and covered with spruce branches or peat. In December-January, they are transferred to a room with a temperature of 10-14 ° C. When the leaves begin to bloom, the temperature is raised to 16-18 ° C, watered abundantly and often, sprayed with warm water. But when inflorescences appear, spraying must be stopped. Astilbe bloom 10-14 weeks after transferring them to the greenhouse. At later periods of transfer (February - March) flowering occurs faster.

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Astilba varieties and hybrids

It is difficult to say how many varieties of astilba exist in the world. Perhaps about 200-250, of which only 40-50 are widespread. The Catalog of Ornamental Herbaceous Plants of the Botanical Gardens of the CIS and the Baltic States (compiled by RA Karpisonova, 1997) contains 11 species and 85 varieties.

In Great Britain there is a collection of Henry Noblett, which has been awarded national status. There are 14 species and 165 varieties in it. I will try to note the features of the most interesting groups of astilba varieties (there are 12 groups in total).

Low hybrids of Chinese Astilba (A. chinensis (Pumila Hybrida) (PH)). Astilbes of this group are few in number. The most widespread varieties were G. Arends (1862-1952) red shades Finale, Intermezzo, Sere-nade. Newer varieties: Superba, Veronica Klose, Purpurkerze, Spatsommer. All of them bloom later than usual, in late August - early September, and therefore are especially valuable. In addition, these varieties are suitable for rock gardens.

Fringed hybrid astilbe (A. (Crispa Hybrida) (C.)). Like the previous group, it is formed from the varieties of G. Arends. Elata is the largest of this group. The rest of the varieties are miniature, with strongly dissected openwork fringed leaves, graceful inflorescences.

Japanese hybrids (A. (Japonica Hybrida) (JH)). Leaves are doubly pinnate, flowers are small, white or pink in dense, rhombic inflorescences up to 30 cm long. G. Arends was also the creator of the first varieties of this group.

Pink hybrids (L. (Rosea Hybrida) (RH)). There are only two varieties of G. Arends in the group: Peach Blossom and Queen Alexandra. These varieties in 1904 were awarded a gold medal at the London Exhibition. Suitable for forcing. Peach Blossom is a widespread variety.

This is just a small part of what can be told about this wonderful plant. I hope, however, that I managed to interest you.