Characteristics and description of astilbe variety Weiss Gloria, planting and care

Astilbe is an unusual, elegant 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

Based on 40 known species of astilbe growing in the wild, about 300 varieties have been bred. Astilbe Weiss, or White, Gloria belongs to the Astilbes of Arends. Obtained as a result of intraspecific crossing of Astilbe x arendsii Weisse Gloria.

Botanical description and characteristics of the plant

Astilbe is native to the USA and East Asia, and is less common on the Kuril Islands. More than 40 species of these plants are known. Astilbe 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, elastic, and numerous.

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

The diameter of the inflorescences is generally 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 application in landscape design

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

An effective and beneficial way for plants is to plant them near a pool or pond, along the edges of garden paths. Astilbe is irreplaceable 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 (solitary plant) and in a variety of garden compositions with other plants. Looks great in combination with conifers, hostas, brunners, ferns, irises and bergenia. Contrastes effectively with bright Heuchera varieties.

Requirements for growing conditions

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

Timing and technology of planting work

Astilbe is planted in open ground in early spring or early autumn. Planting seedlings with a closed root can be done throughout the entire gardening season.

Sowing crop seeds

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

Then the bowl is covered with film or glass and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 3 weeks. 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 entire bowl seems to bristle, the surface of the substrate is covered with thin, hair-like green sprouts.

Planting astilbe in the ground

When several true leaves appear, the seedlings dive directly into open ground. Select semi-shaded places for planting. At first, seedlings need artificial shading and protection from the wind. Installing arcs and stretching white agrofibre over them will help with this.

Before planting, the following activities are carried out:

1. The planting 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 watered well.
2. Prepare planting holes 20-30 centimeters deep. The distance between holes is maintained at least 30-40 centimeters.
3. Before planting, add a teaspoon of complex granular fertilizers and a few tablespoons of wood ash to the holes. Then everything is thoroughly mixed and poured with water.
4. When planting, 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 watered.

How to care for a flower

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

Regularity of watering

The most important condition for growing astilbe is regularly providing the plants with moisture. It absolutely does not tolerate long-term drought; the soil must be constantly moist. In nature, it grows even in marshy soils. If Weiss Gloria is planted in a sunny place, during hot, dry periods it is watered twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.

When growing in the shade, regularly maintain soil moisture, preventing it from completely drying out. The gardener needs to develop a watering schedule himself, based on weather conditions and soil type. Astilbe is especially demanding when it comes to watering when flower stalks grow and during flowering.

How and what to feed

For beautiful and lush flowering, astilbe requires, in addition to nutritious soil, complete 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 green mass.

Then they carry out several more feedings, but with complex phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. One - immediately before flowering, and the second - during it. It is advisable to apply complex fertilizers in the fall, when preparing the plant for wintering.

Protection from insects and diseases

Astilbe, despite its sophistication 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, astilbe is affected by strawberry and root-knot nematodes. This is a dangerous but rare pest that is very difficult to control. They use drugs like Nurell D, in high concentration, or a new product - the biological drug Nematophagin.

Before treatment, remove all affected parts of the plant, and in case of severe damage, get rid of the entire bush. Astilbe and pentilia are affected, but it is much easier to fight. A couple of treatments with insecticides like Inta-vir will help. When humidity is high, slugs often appear. To combat them, traps with beer are used or pests are collected manually.

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

Formation of the bush crown

The big advantage of astilbe 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.

Pruning consists of several stages:

• after flowering, carefully remove all flower stalks;
• carrying out complete pruning of shoots in the fall, after the arrival of frost, as is the case with remontant raspberries;
• It is possible to leave shoots for the winter to retain snow cover. This further protects the root system. In the spring, after new shoots appear, the old ones are cut back to zero.

Transfer

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

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

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.

Do plants need to be covered for the winter?

Astilbe is a frost-resistant plant. Only young plants in the first year of planting and old bushes with roots above the surface are susceptible to freezing.A 15-20 cm layer of mulch is enough to protect against frost; no more shelter is required.

Peculiarities of propagation of astilbe Weiss Gloria

When astilbe is propagated by seeds, all the characteristics of the mother plant are not preserved; they split. Effective methods of propagation, while maintaining the variety, are dividing the bush and green cuttings.