Astilba Weiss Gloria: variety description and characteristics, planting and care rules

Astilbe is an unusual, graceful and spectacular perennial ornamental plant. It is distinguished by interesting carved leaves and large, bright, conical panicles, consisting of hundreds of delicate flowers. Culture is widely used in landscape design. Astilbe called Weiss Gloria, which is an outstanding representative of its species, is no exception.

History of selection

On the basis of 40 known species of astilbe growing in the wild, about 300 varieties have been bred. Astilba Weiss, or White, Gloria refers to Arends astilba. Received as a result of intraspecific crossing of Astilbe x arendsii Weisse Gloria.

Botanical description and plant characteristics

Astilba is native to the USA and East Asia, less common in the Kuril Islands. More than 40 species of these plants are known. Astilba Weiss Gloria is a perennial plant with beautiful and abundant flowering, intended for growing in a shady garden. The bush has good growth energy, the shoots are thin, but strong, resilient, numerous.

Plant width - 40-50 centimeters, height - 65-75 centimeters. In spring, the leaves are painted in a light greenish color, in summer they become shiny, juicy, dark green in color, with brownish edges. The inflorescences are numerous, diamond-shaped, large and dense. Astilba flowers are small, delicate, creamy white, sometimes with a slight yellowish tinge.

The diameter of the inflorescences is mainly 10-12 centimeters, and the length is 20-25 centimeters. Weiss Gloria blooms in mid-July and continues to delight gardeners with flowers for 3 weeks.Moreover, the plant stands out not only for its abundant and spectacular flowering, but also for its decorative, carved leaves.

Advantages of landscape design

Astilbes are planted both in groups and single plants. In landscape design, a combination of different varieties, colors and sizes is widely used. Astilbe will easily fit into the flower garden - both in the foreground and in the background, it will brightly decorate the alpine hill.

An effective and useful way for plants is to plant them near the pool or pond, along the edges of garden paths. Astilba is indispensable as an original, flowering hedge or as a way to hide unsightly places on the site.

Combination with other plants

Weiss Gloria is used as a single plant (tapeworm) and in a variety of garden compositions with other plants. Looks great in combination with conifers, hostas, brunners, ferns, irises and bergenia. Effectively contrasts with bright varieties of geyher.

Requirements for growing conditions

Weiss Gloria prefers growing in partial shade or artificial shading during the hot part of the day. The soil should be sufficiently rich, moist, with a neutral acidity index. With a combination of such negative factors as poor, dry soil and constant open sun, the plant will quickly die.

Terms and technology of planting operations

Astilba planting in open ground is carried out in early spring or early autumn. Planting seedlings with a closed root can be carried out throughout the horticultural season.

Sowing crop seeds

An important condition for seed germination is stratification. To do this, take bowls, fill them with a substrate consisting of peat and sand in a ratio of 1: 1. You need to be careful - astilba has very small seeds, they are easy to deepen into the substrate.For convenience, the seeds are mixed with clean, dry sand before sowing. Seeds are scattered over the surface and gently sprayed with a spray bottle.

Then the bowl is covered with film or glass and removed for 3 weeks on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. After stratification, the dishes with seeds are placed in a room with a temperature of +20 C … +22 C degrees. After 3-5 days, the whole bowl seems to bristle, the surface of the substrate is covered with thin, hair-like green sprouts.

Planting astilba in the ground

When several true leaves appear, seedlings dive directly into open ground. For planting choose semi-shady places. At first, seedlings need artificial shading and protection from the wind. This will help the installation of arcs and stretching white agrofibre on them.

Before landing, the following activities are carried out:

1. The landing site is weeded, dug deep, organic matter (rotted manure, compost) is added in an amount of up to 2 buckets per 1 square meter and well spilled with water.
2. Prepare landing holes 20-30 centimeters deep. Between the holes, the distance is kept at least 30-40 centimeters.
3. Before planting in the wells, add a teaspoon of complex granular fertilizers and a few tablespoons of wood ash. Then everything is thoroughly mixed and spilled with water.
4. When planting, the seedlings are buried so that the growth buds are 4-5 centimeters below the soil level. After planting, the soil is slightly compacted, mulched and well shed with water.

How to care for a flower

Astilba is not a capricious culture, but also requires careful care and has its own nuances in agricultural technology. In particular, regular watering and fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are important.

Water Regularity

The most important condition for growing astilba is the regular provision of plants with moisture. It absolutely does not tolerate long-term drought, the soil must be constantly moist. In nature, it grows even on swampy soils. If Weiss Gloria is planted in a sunny place, during the hot, dry period, water twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.

When growing in the shade, regular, supporting soil moisture is carried out, preventing it from completely drying out. The gardener himself needs to develop a watering schedule based on weather conditions and soil type. Astilba is especially demanding for watering during the growth of peduncles and during flowering.

How and what to feed

For beautiful and lush flowering, astilba requires, in addition to nutrient soil, full and regular fertilizing with fertilizers. In the spring, during the beginning of the growing season, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are applied to increase the green mass.

Then, a few more top dressings are carried out, but already with complex phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. One - just before flowering, and the second - during it. It is advisable to apply complex fertilizers in the fall, when preparing the plant for wintering.

Insect and disease protection

Astilba, despite its refinement and decorativeness, is resistant to various diseases and pests. But with a low agricultural background on the site or the purchase of already infected seedlings, astilba is affected by strawberry and gall nematodes. This is the most dangerous, but rare pest, which is very difficult to fight. They use drugs like Nurell D, in high concentration, or a novelty - the biological product Nematofagin.

Before processing, all affected parts of the plant are removed, and in case of severe damage, the entire bush is removed. Astilba is also affected by slobbering pennitsa, but it is much easier to deal with it.A couple of treatments with insecticides such as Inta-vir will help. With high humidity, slugs often appear. To combat them, use traps with beer or collect pests by hand.

With constant humidity and cool weather, astilba is affected by root rot. It is especially dangerous for young plants - the disease can lead to their death. Control measures - removal of rotten and diseased roots, followed by soaking the root in a fungicide solution, for example, Fundazol. With bacterial spotting (dark spots on the leaves), several treatments are carried out with copper-containing preparations.

Formation of the crown of the bush

A big plus of astilba is that the plant itself forms a crown, without the help of a gardener. It is only necessary to carry out sanitary cleaning, removing all dried shoots, leaves and fading flower stalks, preventing them from weakening the plant.

Cropping consists of several stages:

• after flowering, all peduncles are carefully removed;
• carrying out a full pruning of shoots in the fall, after the arrival of frost, as in the case of remontant raspberries;
• it is possible to leave shoots for the winter to keep the snow cover. This further protects the root system. In the spring, after the appearance of new shoots, the old ones are cut to zero.

Transfer

Astilbe grows in one place up to 20 years, but over time, its beauty fades. To maintain decorative qualities, a bush is divided and transplanted every 4-5 years. The start of work depends on the strength of the variety and the conditions created.

Signs of the need for transplantation are a decrease in the duration and splendor of flowering, crushing of inflorescences, as well as the growth of roots near the surface of the soil.

In this case, the old astilbe is dug up in early spring, carefully divided into several parts, with at least one developed root bud, and planted in a new place.

Should plants be covered for the winter?

Astilba is a hardy plant. Only young plants of the first year of planting and old bushes, whose roots are above the surface, are subject to freezing. A 15-20 cm layer of mulch is enough to protect against frost, no more shelter is required.

Reproduction features of Astilbe Weiss Gloria

When astilba is propagated by seeds, all the signs of the mother plant are not preserved, they are split. Effective methods of reproduction, while maintaining the variety - dividing the bush and green cuttings.

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