Astilba Fanal: variety description and characteristics, planting and care rules

Unpretentious, shade-tolerant plants that do not require complex care, a real find for gardeners and landscape designers. Large inflorescences of a bright perennial - Fanal astilba, will decorate any garden. How to plant and grow a flower, protect it from diseases, pests, winter frosts, today's detailed discussion will be about this.

A brief history of breeding

Astilba is a perennial plant native to Japan and China. The history of selection has more than 150 years, but the flower has gained the greatest popularity in Europe since the middle of the 20th century.

Astilbe belongs to the Saxifrage family, it was discovered by the French breeder E. Le Moine. It was his name that was given to the first of the bred varieties. Astilba Fanal was bred in 1930. Its creator is the German breeder Georg Arends. That is why the full name of the Astilbe Arends flower is Fanal. Fanal is translated as "beacon" or "light of the lighthouse", this variety received such a poetic name for large scarlet inflorescences that are hard to miss.

Botanical description and culture characteristics

Medium-sized (up to 60 centimeters) herbaceous perennial that prefers shady areas and well-moistened soil.

Appearance of the bush and branching of the root system

A flower with a powerful and developed rhizome, a straight stem and long (up to 40 centimeters in length) pinnately dissected leaves.

Young astilbe leaves have a reddish tint, as they grow, it changes to rich green, while the redness of the stems and petioles remains in the adult plant.

All about flowering

Bright crimson inflorescences reach a length of 20 centimeters, have the shape of a panicle. Astilba blooms not very long - no more than 20 days. It blooms in late June-July, depending on the weather conditions in the region. Flowers are used to decorate the landscape, cut astilba bouquets look great.

Plant propagation

After the plants bloom in August-September, they form boxes with seeds. Seed germination persists for several years.

When propagating a flower, it should be borne in mind that varietal plants cannot be propagated by seeds, as they lose their "mother" traits, but varietal seeds are sold in gardening stores and it is quite possible to get beautiful flowers from them. Seeds are scattered over the surface of loose soil, not buried in the soil, and moistened with a spray bottle.For better germination, they are pre-stratified by placing them in a refrigerator with a temperature of -4 … +4 ° C for 20-30 days. Then they are left in a room with a temperature of +20-23 °C.

Astilba can be propagated by dividing the bush. To do this, you need to dig a bush and with a sharp knife or shovel divide it into several shares with a full-fledged root system in each part. They are placed in new places. The procedure is performed at the end of March, beginning of April. In this case, the plants will bloom this season.

Important: when buying Fanal astilba and other types of astilba, you should choose plants that have grown in your area; plants brought from afar may not take root well and then bloom very poorly, not justifying expectations.

If it is decided to carry out propagation by renewal buds, in this case, you need to take a piece of rhizome with a bud or a young shoot that has already appeared. It is placed in a container with soil, lightly sprinkled with earth (3-5 centimeters) and covered with polyethylene.Within 2 weeks the plant takes root. It is grown and placed outdoors in the fall or next spring.

Frost and drought resistance

The flower does not tolerate drought well, needs frequent watering, for astilba it is better to choose areas with close groundwater.

It perfectly tolerates even very severe frosts, the rhizomes can withstand -40 ° C, and the aerial part of the plant dies off every year.

Susceptibility to diseases and insects

Astilbes are highly resistant to pests and diseases, but some diseases can still suffer:

From bacterial spot - in this case, black spots appear on the foliage. Copper preparations are used to treat plants.
Root rot occurs if the plant is systematically flooded with water. Despite the flower's love of moisture, the roots may begin to rot. In this case, the plant is dug up, foliage, damaged roots are removed and transferred to a less humid area.
Phytoplasmic diseases and viruses cannot be cured; in case of disease, the plants are destroyed. When buying plants, you should give preference to astilbes grown in your area.
From insects, nematodes can cause damage to a flower - gall and strawberry, these are microscopic worms that feed on flower juices. The infected plant withers, ceases to bloom, the leaves become wrinkled. In this case, the astilbes are removed from the site and not planted during the next season.
Another pest is the slobbering pennitsa - a cicada that eats the stems and leaves of a flower. At the site of the appearance of the pest, you can notice a foam resembling saliva, hence the name of the insect. If there are few of them, you can collect the pests manually or treat the plants with Aktara, Intavir in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Proper plant care is the key to normal growth, development and beauty of planting.

Seating algorithm

Let's take a closer look at where and how to plant astilba so that it takes root and becomes a decoration of the garden.

Timing

Astilba can be planted outdoors in spring or early autumn, but spring planting is preferable, because the plant has time to take root and settle in a new place before autumn. In autumn, the flower is planted in open ground in the first half of September. It is transplanted every 4 years.

Choosing the best location

For planting, choose a fertile, well-moistened area, a lowland or a place with a close occurrence of groundwater is suitable. Astilba is planted in the shade or partial shade, with good watering it may well take root in a sunny area, but the flowering time in this case can be greatly reduced.

Disembarkation Technology

The selected area must first be dug up, weeds removed and rotted manure or peat applied at the rate of 1-2 buckets of fertilizer per square meter.Then you need to make several holes, a depth of 20-25 centimeters. Flowers are planted at a distance of 40-50 centimeters from each other.

Before planting a flower, add a handful of wood ash or a complex mineral fertilizer to each hole in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. The rhizome with part of the bush is placed in a hole and sprinkled with soil for 3-5 centimeters.

How to organize proper crop care

The condition of plantings, their decorative effect and the appearance of the area planted with astilbes depend very much on care.

Irrigation and fertilization

Astilbe watering Fanal should be plentiful and regular, the soil in the area with flowers should be loose and slightly wet, astilbe can withstand short-term drying of the soil, but prolonged drought will kill the plant. After watering, the soil is mulched to prevent the astilba roots close to the surface from drying out.

Feed the plant 2 times a season. The first top dressing with nitrogen fertilizers is carried out in the spring, when young shoots appear. After flowering, phosphate and potash fertilizers are applied. They must be diluted with water according to the recommendations on the package. Dry compounds can burn the plant.

Loosening and mulching the soil

Loosen should be very careful not to damage the roots, which are close to the surface of the soil in astilba. So that during watering they do not become bare and do not dry out, you need to periodically rake up the soil and mulch it using compost or peat.

Shaping a bush

The bush is lightly pruned after flowering, removing dried leaves and withered inflorescences. Full pruning is carried out in late autumn, when preparing the flower for winter.

Transfer to a new location

Astilbe Arends Fanal is transplanted every 4-5 years. The plant is transferred to a new place along with an earthen clod. Do it in autumn or spring when there is no heat.

If you need to divide the plant during transplantation, you should use a sharp knife, and then sprinkle the cut with peat or wood ash.

Prophylactic treatments for insects and diseases

To prevent root rot, periodically water the flower with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate, sprinkle the soil around the plant with wood ash. To protect the aerial part of the astilba from diseases, it is sprayed with copper or iron sulphate, Bordeaux liquid is used.

Pests are harvested by hand or suitable insecticides are used (Intravir, Aktara).

Important: when using insecticides, you must use a respirator, goggles and gloves.

The compositions are prepared strictly according to the instructions.

Shelter for the winter

The plant is very frost-resistant, but care must be taken not to expose the roots located in the upper soil layer. In late autumn, the aerial part of the plant is removed under the root. To do this, use a sharp garden pruner, previously aged in an intensely pink solution of potassium permanganate.

After pruning, the planting is spudded and mulched. The protective layer of soil should be 5-10 centimeters. Work is carried out in late October, early November, depending on the region.

Astilba Fanal is a very unpretentious and beautiful plant, which is why it is becoming increasingly popular with gardeners. After all, even a beginner can grow a bright and original flower.