Astilba "Weiss Gloria": description, tips for growing and reproduction

Astilba "Weiss Gloria" is a decorative flower that is very popular among gardeners and landscape designers. The variety stands out noticeably among other plants in garden plots and adjacent territories of country houses. Astilba is quite unpretentious, while it should be borne in mind that this moisture-loving plant does not tolerate prolonged drought. On fertile, well-loosened soil, the white "Weiss Gloria" will become a real decoration of the site.

The breeding of this culture was facilitated by painstaking work of the breeder G. Arends in the 20s of the XX century... He bred about 80 hybrid varieties of this plant, which were included in an independent group and were named Arends astilba. They are all perennials up to 100 cm in height with a powerful woody root system and cord-like roots. This group includes the beauty "Weiss Gloria", impressive with its lush inflorescences.

Astilba grows as a small bush, its height is no more than 70 cm. Towards the middle of summer, lush diamond-shaped flower stalks begin to bloom above the bush. The peduncle is 25 cm long and about 12 cm in diameter. Throughout the first week of flowering, astilba flowers have a snow-white hue. Then they gradually begin to acquire a yellowish color. The leaves also change color. Initially, they are shiny, light green, as they grow, they darken, they have a brown border and brown specks. Despite the small size of the bush, the leaves grow up to 50 cm, making the plant look sprawling.

When choosing a place for the Weiss Gloria astilba, preference should be given to areas with high humidity. Loams with well-equipped drainage will be most suitable. An important role in the life of Astilba is played by its closest neighbors in the area. They should protect the soil near the bush from drying out, and the plant itself - from overheating during hot daytime hours. One of the best examples of neighborhood is the host. Its large, round leaves will create the shade necessary for astilba.

For planting, you should choose an adult plant with a well-developed root system without rotten roots. In this case, it is more likely that astilba will be accepted. The plant is planted in a pre-prepared hole 0.3 m deep. The bottom of the hole is sprinkled with ash and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, then thoroughly watered. After that, the seedling is placed in the hole, the roots are covered with soil and compacted. The plot in the immediate vicinity of the plant is mulched, the thickness of this protective layer should be about 5 cm. Dried grass and peat masses can be used as mulch.

Astilba "Weiss Gloria" does not need special conditions, it will grow well in any soil. If possible, it is better to plant it in clay soil.

Astilba is an unpretentious plant, only watering and feeding require special attention. Excessive dryness of the soil can lead to the death of the flower, so watering should be moderate, but regular. It is also recommended to periodically loosen the soil, weed and remove dry inflorescences. During the summer, you need to make three mineral dressings at intervals of a month.

The main feature of astilba is that buds appear on the upper part of the rhizome every season. The annual growth of the trunk is from 3 to 5 cm, while the lower part dies off. Because of this, astilbe needs mulching. It will serve as a thermal protection for the plant in winter, maintain sufficient moisture and softness of the soil, and prevent the germination of weeds. As mulch, you can use needles, dry grass, peat and compost mass.

Astilba is propagated by dividing the bush. This procedure can be carried out no more than 1 time in 5-6 years.

One of the prerequisites for good growth and lush flowering of astilba is regular watering. The plant is unable to withstand prolonged drought. Experienced gardeners recommend always keeping the soil moist near the bush. In its natural environment, it is often found in wetlands. Planted in a sunny area "Weiss Gloria" in the hot season should be watered twice a day. If astilba grows in shade or partial shade, the gardener should maintain moderate moisture in the soil and prevent it from completely drying out. In this case, the irrigation schedule is set taking into account weather conditions.

To ensure lush bloom, Weiss Gloria should be fertilized regularly. In the spring (at the very beginning of the growing season), it is recommended to apply fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. This helps ensure green mass build-up.

The rest of the time, astilba is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. One top dressing is carried out right before the beginning of flowering, and the second - directly during. In addition, you can fertilize the plant in the fall, before preparing it for winter.

One of the advantages of astilba is that the plant is able to form a crown itself, without outside help. The gardener only needs to periodically carry out sanitary cleaning, removing dried shoots, leaves and wilted peduncles.

Pruning involves several steps:

• after the end of flowering, peduncles are removed;
• complete pruning of shoots in the fall is carried out after the arrival of frost.

Astilba is quite resistant to diseases and all kinds of pests. In rare cases, "Weiss Gloria" can be affected by strawberry and rootworm nematodes. It is a rare but dangerous pest that is difficult to control. In practice, such drugs as "Nurell D" and "Nematofagin" have proven their effectiveness. Before you start processing, you need to remove the parts of the plant affected by the pest.

Sometimes astilba is struck by a drooling penny. To eliminate this problem, you need to treat the plant 2-3 times with insecticides, for example, the drug "Inta-vir". Excessively high humidity attracts slugs. To combat these pests, beer traps are used or collected by hand.

Humidity combined with cool weather can cause root rot to attack astilba. It is most dangerous for young plants, which often leads to their death. As a control, the following measures are applied: removing the affected roots and soaking the remaining roots in a fungicide solution. You can use "Fundazol".

In adjoining plots, astilbe is planted both singly and in whole groups - as part of flower arrangements. Landscapers in group planting often combine different varieties of astilba. "Weiss Gloria" fits well into any flower bed, can decorate with its chic snow-white flowers and an alpine hill.

An effective technique is to plant an astilba near a pool or home pond, along garden paths. In addition, the plant can help hide unsightly fate in the yard. Astilbe also harmonizes with conifers, ferns and hosts, looks good next to irises.

For more information on this astilbe, see the next video.