Astilba care in autumn and preparation for winter
Astilba is a beautiful perennial herb that invariably delights with the delicate beauty of its fluffy Christmas trees-inflorescences and lace leaves. In natural conditions, the queen of the shady garden is found in mountainous regions where the climate is monsoon, even at an altitude of almost 5000 meters. Therefore, this perennial is very hardy and frost-resistant enough, and it will be quite comfortable in various regions of our country, where the winters are quite cold.
How to properly care for this perennial in the fall, what should be done to prepare it for winter? All this will be discussed below.
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Features of caring for astilba in autumn and in preparation for winter
As you already understood, this perennial is distinguished by its hardiness and good resistance to frost, so there is a temptation to do nothing at all in the fall. So what activities should be done in the autumn months in order to properly prepare astilba for the cold season?
This flowering plant especially needs care. in the first year after planting... In order for a young bush to get stronger and to endure the winter perfectly, you should not let its buds bloom in the first season. Therefore, peduncles should be removed immediately, even before the formation of inflorescences on them. In this case, all nutrients will go to the active growth of the root system.
The soil around the young Astilba follows water and loosen regularlyso that more oxygen flows to the roots (better air exchange). At the same time, do not forget to remove weeds that prevent young plants from developing. When the shrub grows, it will push out all the weeds itself, and there will be no need to fight them.
By the way! About, how to properly plant and care for astilba. read more in this article.
Plants that are more than 5 years old are especially sensitive to autumn care - their rhizomes grow strongly (including upward) and become more sensitive to cold if there is little snow (or no snow at all) in winter. In this case, you just need to not only mulch the trunk circle, but also cover the plant with non-woven material (lutrasil, spunbond) or spruce branches so that the root system does not exactly suffer from severe frosts.
Important! In the fall, you can also propagate and transplant astilba by dividing the bush. This is especially true for bushes over 5 years old.
Thus, in the fall, caring for this perennial is reduced to the following procedures:
- top dressing;
- pruning flower stalks and dried stems;
- mulching the soil around the plant - a shelter for the winter.
You should dwell on each of these procedures in more detail so that amateur gardeners who want to grow this flower on their site can enjoy its active flowering every year.
Autumn feeding
In the autumn (after flowering), you should definitely take care of applying fertilizers under each astilbe bush.
Important! You should know that organic fertilizers applied in the autumn will decompose completely only by the spring. Therefore, all the nutrients obtained in the process of their decomposition will be delivered to the plant only when it starts growing in the spring.
To feed astilba in the fall (after flowering), fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus is applied under them. These minerals allow the root system to regain its strength after abundant flowering and prepare for the coming frost. Under each bush, no more than 1-2 tbsp should be applied. spoons of such a complex fertilizer (30-40 grams of each per 1 square meter of the garden). In order for the fertilizer to penetrate to the roots faster, it is better to do this in autumn not in dry form, but in liquid form (dissolve in 10 liters of water). If the fertilizer is applied dry, then after that the bushes should be watered abundantly.
Pruning astilba in autumn
There are many varieties of this perennial, and they bloom at different times (from June to September).
Advice! It is not at all necessary to immediately remove the faded panicles at the end of the flowering of astilba, they look very attractive even when dry, which means they can make your autumn garden even more colorful.
Before pruning, you should prepare the necessary equipment for this procedure. Usually, the stems are trimmed with a garden pruner. In order not to expose the bushes to possible infection, before starting the procedure, the instrument is placed for half an hour in a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Why cut astilba in the fall
It is advisable to have time to trim the peduncles before the plant starts planting the seeds, since such a procedure is often useless (unless, of course, you want to collect seeds and propagate in this way), and the plant will spend its energy on it.
Another opinion! Some gardeners, on the contrary, think that dry inflorescences of faded astilbe spoil the aesthetic appearance of the garden. It is much better if the shrub is still green without dry panicles.
Therefore, most often, after flowering, astilba is not completely cut off, but only those peduncles that have finished flowering are removed.
A little later, after the first frost, the rest of the above-ground part of the bush is cut off, because the cut perennial is easier to cover for the winter.
When is it better to prune astilbe - in autumn or spring
As a rule, astilba should be cut in the fall: inflorescences - after flowering, and the remaining aerial part of the bush - after frost. But, in principle, this can be done in spring, if the plant does not need a complex shelter.
Timing of pruning astilba in the fall
The timing of pruning a plant in the autumn period differs in different regions of the country, depending on specific climatic conditions. The fact is that the above-ground part of the astilba is cut off after the first autumn frosts have passed (dried shoots and leaves will darken and wither from frost). In different regions of Russia, pruning is carried out from early October to mid-November.
Advice! If you do not want to bother, then together with the aboveground part, you can cut off the dry inflorescences (which by this time will have laid seed pods), and not do this immediately after they have faded.
How to properly prune astilba in the fall
Sometimes novice growers cut this flower incorrectly - leaving too high hemp (10-15 centimeters). The stems sticking out of the stumps will look very ugly, and it is not very convenient to cover them.
Therefore, all dried and drooping stems are cut only at the root. Then, to protect from frost, the bushes are spudded, pouring a layer of mulch. For this purpose, you can take high-moor peat or rotted manure, humus. The thickness of the mulch layer should be between 5 and 10 cm.
Video: pruning astilba in the fall
Astilba's shelter for the winter
If flower growers grow astilba in the southern regions, then it is possible not to cover it for the winter - there are warm winters, and even the root system of adult plants, growing to the surface of the soil, will not freeze over the winter. It's another matter if your climate is colder.
Do I need to cover astilba for the winter
In principle, the frost resistance of this perennial is quite high, so it does not freeze out even in frosts below -25 degrees. However, in this case, those roots that are too close to the surface of the soil may freeze, which means that the buds may freeze. As a result, in the next season, the vegetative mass of Astilba will grow less actively, and the flowering will be less abundant.
Therefore, sheltering perennial bushes for the winter is as important a procedure as autumn pruning.
How to properly cover astilba for the winter
In the early years, it is enough to spud the trimmed bushes and cover them on top with a layer of mulch (peat, coniferous litter, compost are suitable). But older plants, which are more than 5 years old, need to be covered better, especially if there is too little snow in the regions in winter or the thaw period in winter is replaced by a strong cold snap.
In this case, a square fence is made of boards or bricks around each bush. Then dry foliage is poured inside, and a layer of non-woven material (agrofibre, spunbond) is pulled on top, the edges of which should be pressed to the ground with stones or bricks so that the strong wind does not rip it off.
What are the features of preparing Astilba for winter in different regions
There are some nuances of preparing this perennial for winter in different regions of our country.
In the middle lane (Moscow region)
In the Central lane (Moscow region), if the winter is expected to be snowy and not too cold, then it is enough just to mulch the cut perennial. Additionally, you can cover with spruce branches, straw or other non-woven material that allows air to pass through. In this case, the greenhouse effect will not appear under the shelter (there will be no damping off).
In the Volga region
In the Volga region, where the winters are not too cold, this perennial can be sheltered for the winter, as in Central Russia.
In the Urals and Siberia
In the Urals and Siberia, winters are colder, and the earth can freeze to a depth of 0.8-1.0 m, therefore, astilba should be covered not only with a layer of mulch, but also a frame should be made around it with an indispensable stretching of the covering material from above.
Typical mistakes in caring for astilba in autumn and in preparation for winter
Many beginners believe that astilba tolerates the cold season perfectly and does not need any activities in the fall. As a result, in the next season, these flowers grow worse, and flowering may be weak.
Major mistakes, which beginner growers allow during autumn care and preparation of astilba for winter:
- fertilizers are not applied in the autumn;
- incorrectly trimmed (or not trimmed at all);
- do not mulch or cover for the winter.
Taking care of this perennial flower in the fall is important if the gardener wants to enjoy its bloom during each following season. Indeed, in fact, there is nothing difficult in properly preparing the astilba for winter.