Chinese astilba: varieties, selection, agricultural technology

Astilba Chinese is considered an ideal plant for beginner gardeners. The culture is grown both in gardens and in front gardens and outdoor summer cottages. This unpretentious representative of the flora is characterized by a spectacular appearance due to the presence of bright panicles.

Astilba Chinese is able to transform any garden and area with its beauty and attractiveness. She refers for perennials with late flowering. Herbaceous plants for open ground, which include this culture, are distinguished by a strong root system. The height of the culture is usually between 0.5 and 1.5 meters. Astilba foliage is characterized by a complex structure, openwork.

Her color can be either bright green or emerald green. The leaves near the roots are larger than the stem leaves, which are attached to a thick petiole. The culture of this variety blooms with special originality, in this phase it forms high-density inflorescences, the length of which is about 0.3-0.35 meters. Astilba inflorescences have a candle-shaped or elongated rhombic shape.

Astilbe is classified as an excellent honey plant, for this reason it can be planted near apiaries. The plant can also be used for food, for example, as a seasoning for meat dishes, which is practiced in China. This culture was also recognized as a medicinal one, since its parts contain flavonoids, isocoumarins and phenolcarboxylic acid. Perennial leaves are used to treat kidney ailments, normalize blood pressure, and also to tone the whole body.

The pink herb has different hybrid forms, which differ from each other in the flowering period, the color of the buds, foliage, and the height of the stem. This perennial can have the following varieties according to the flowering time:

• early flowering, which blooms in the first days of summer;
• medium flowering, the flowering phase of which occurs in the middle of summer;
• late blooming, which bloom in August.

The most interesting dwarf varieties of Chinese astilba are considered to be the following.

• "Pumila". This plant differs from the rest in its growth and color of the buds. An adult perennial can grow up to 40 centimeters. "Pumila" blooms with beautiful lilac-pink flowers. The culture perfectly tolerates low temperatures, surviving even at -28 degrees.

• "Vision in White"... The plant boasts a well-developed root system. This variety is presented in the form of a compact bush, in height does not exceed 0.45 m.When flowering on the culture, white dense inflorescences are formed. This representative of the flora does not require special care, prefers a shaded area for growth.

In addition to dwarf varieties of Chinese astilba, gardeners often prefer medium-sized representatives of this culture. These include the following plants.

• Milk and Honey - the original variety of Chinese astilba, which has memorable external characteristics.This spreading and densely leafy bush can grow up to 100 cm in height in the shade, and in a well-lit area - no more than 0.7 m. The variety is characterized by the presence of brownish internodes. In an adult plant, the leaves have a spring green color and unusual edges. The jagged foliage is inherent in delicacy and originality. The culture begins to bloom in mid-July and ends at the end of summer. The buds appear to be a fluffy pearl white, but can later become pinkish. The aroma of Milk and Honey is subtle, sweetish. Perennial responds well to regular soil irrigation.

• "Purple Rhine" has large and powerful inflorescences about 0.3 meters long. The buds are bright pink with a lilac tint. The flowers of the culture are small and quite fragrant, their blooming occurs in the middle of summer. This variety is characterized by the abundance and duration of flowering. Chinese astilbe forms compact, pyramidal shrubs. The foliage of the perennial is shiny, dark green in color. The variety is classified as frost-resistant.

Such varieties are classified as tall Chinese astilbe.

• "Visions in red"... This herbaceous perennial grows up to 0.3 m in height and width. This Chinese astilbe is recognized as one of the most attractive in appearance. The culture has purple-red buds that are located on red shoots. The flowering period of Vision In Red is about a month. The variety is characterized by good frost resistance and unpretentious care.

• "Purplekertse" - this is one of the highest astilbe. Its normal height is 0.9-1 meter. Perennial foliage is characterized by rigidity, rich green color, shine and a shade of bronze. The inflorescences of this plant variety have a lilac, violet, purple hue and a magnificent shape. The beginning of flowering of this culture is considered to be the end of July - the beginning of August, the phase lasts until the end of summer. Astilba is resistant to the sun, short-term drought.

• Dauria - a bush that can reach a height of 100 centimeters. The foliage of the plant is complex, shiny, delicate. In the inflorescence there are small flowers with pink, lilac, white color. The beginning of flowering culture is considered June - early July, the end of the phase occurs in a month and a half.

• "Superba" is a vigorous shrub with a height of 100 to 150 centimeters. With its shiny green attractive foliage, as well as pink and lilac panicles, Astilbe is awe-inspiring. The culture grows quickly, blooms profusely at the end of summer.

Chinese Astilba is a beautiful herb, when choosing which it is worth considering some points. Due to the large number of varieties of this culture, the gardener will need to give preference to the one that will look harmonious on the site. When choosing an astilbe, you need to take into account its adult height. This type of plant can bloom at different times, so if you want to decorate the area at the beginning, middle or end of the summer period, you should take this moment into account.

An important indicator of the decorativeness of the Chinese perennial is the color of its blooming buds, which are white, pink, purple and others.

Since Chinese astilba is a spreading and tall plant, it should be planted in a spacious area, while the distance between crops should be at least 0.3 m, and ideally - 0.5 m.A perennial does not need bright sunlight, it will do cultivation in shaded areas. The best option would be the presence of openwork penumbra. The herbaceous representative of the flora does not show whimsy to the composition of the soil, therefore any terrain is suitable for growing it.

Gardeners should remember that regular watering and high humidity are the key to abundant flowering of the culture. The best place for planting Chinese astilba is considered to be a flower bed near a reservoir or an artificial pond. The best option is loamy soil with an acidity of 5, 5-6, 5 units.

Before planting a perennial, you need to dig up the site, eliminate weeds on it, and add organic matter. You can fertilize the plant peat, humus, compost, wood ash, rotted manure. Also, the herbaceous representative of the flora reacts well to potash and phosphorus supplements. After the preparatory activities are over, you can begin to form the landing pit.

The hole depth should be 0.3 meters. The deepening should be moistened, then the roots of the seedling should be placed in it and sprinkled with soil. At the end of planting, you can start mulching, the layer of which should be about 3 centimeters. For this purpose, you can use peat or humus. The best time to plant a plant is April and May. It is worth waiting for stable warm weather and then start planting.

Without transplantation, the culture is able to grow in one place for about 5-7 years. After this time, the bush needs to be rejuvenated and transplanted. For this purpose, it is not necessary to dig up the entire plant; you can separate a part of it and plant it in a new territory.

This representative of the flora is not capricious, so he needs minimal care. However, the surrounding conditions should be as comfortable for him as possible, only in this way the astilba will give others its lush and beautiful buds. Gardeners should maintain the optimum acidity of the soil for the crop, as well as add soil when the root system grows.

A moisture-loving bush requires regular watering... It is required to irrigate a perennial often, but not abundantly, so that prevent moisture stagnation near the roots. Mulching favorably affects the condition and flowering of astilba. For this, you can use available materials, in particular, straw, bark or small stones. The plant responds positively to fertilizing and fertilization, they stimulate the development of green mass and flowering.

The Chinese perennial is quite resistant to diseases and parasites. The bush can hit nematodes. Fungicides are used to control microscopic worms. Due to the attack of the slobbering penny, the plant withers and deforms. You can destroy the pest "Karbofos", "Aktara". A common ailment of this plant is considered root rot and bacterial spotting.

Chinese astilba is considered a frost-resistant representative of the flora, so it is able to winter outdoors. To prepare the culture for winter, it is required to cut the entire stem under the root, and then mulch.

Breeding options.

• Bush division... It is a simple, common and not time consuming method to propagate a culture. The parental astilba is divided into several parts. Subsidiaries are planted in the soil in the spring.

• Buds located on the roots. In the spring, the bud is cut off with a part of the root, while the cut must be sprinkled with ash. The cut off shoot must be placed in a nutrient medium and covered with polyethylene. The next step is to plant the planting material in the ground in the fall, covering it for the winter.

• Seeds. This breeding method of the Chinese perennial is practically not used. Before planting, the planting material must be stratified, and then planted in the soil in the spring.

Astilba Chinese landscape designers are often used to decorate personal plots, since during flowering this plant has luxurious buds.The culture is in perfect harmony with other representatives of the flora on the territory, and can also advantageously complement the flower bouquet.

A slender and long shoot of a perennial can turn a lawn, a flower garden or the shore of a reservoir into a real work of art. Iris, primrose and hosta go well with astilba. Low-growing varieties can be used in alpine slides.

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