Characteristics, tips for growing astilboides plants in the open field, recommendations for reproduction, possible diseases and pests when caring for the garden, note for flower growers. Astilboides is a member of the Saxifragaceae family, which contains plants with two opposite cotyledons in the bud. The native lands are considered to be the territories of China, Manchuria and Korea (Jilin, Liaoning), where this specimen of flora is found along the edges of forests, on the coastline of reservoirs or in ravines. This genus contains only one single representative - Astilboides lamellar Astilboides tabularis (Hemsl.) Engl or as it is also called Astilboides longline.
| Family name | Saxifrage |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (division of the rhizome) |
| Landing period in open ground | Rooted cuttings, planted in spring or September, seedlings with the arrival of April-May |
| Disembarkation scheme | Up to 60 cm between plants or as a tapeworm |
| Substrate | Any garden wet soil, loam |
| Illumination | Shading, bright lighting and open space possible with well-damp soil |
| Moisture indicators | It is moisture-loving, does not tolerate drying out of the soil, but the bay is destructive |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 1-1.5 m |
| Color of flowers | White-cream or greenish-white |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Panicle |
| Flowering time | July - early September |
| Decorative time | Spring-autumn |
| Place of application | By water bodies in damp places, rockeries or stone gardens |
| USDA zone | 4, 5, 6 |
The first time, after the discovery, this plant was ranked among the genus Reggersia (Rodgersia). But after a lot of research was carried out, botanical scientists came to the conclusion that astilboides is independent and can be distinguished into a separate genus, although it consists of only one single specimen. It owes its name to the "relative" in the family - Astilbe, with which Astilboides is very similar.
So, this herb is a perennial with a thick rhizome. Its parameters are 35 cm in length and 2-3 cm in width. The nodes contain advernous roots (large buds in the branches). The rhizome is usually located close to the soil surface. During the growing season, astilboides stems can reach 1–1.5 m in height. The stem grows straight, its surface is covered with glandular hairs. Basal leaves have elongated petioles. In length, such petioles can vary within 30-60 cm, and in some cases their length reaches 1, 2 m. Such a strong petiole (unlike the foliage of Regersia) is attached directly to the middle of the leaf. Also, the difference from this plant is the shape of the leaves, in astilboides it is whole.
The covering of the leaf plate on both sides is rigidly glandular-hairy or simply rigidly hairy. Quite often, the leaf diameter can reach 70 cm, but generally its dimensions vary in the range of 1, 8–6 (10) cm. There is a funnel-shaped depression in the center. The shape of the leaf is almost rounded, but large teeth protrude decoratively along the edge. At the same time, the shape of the leaf resembles a palm tree. The color of the foliage is rich, and attracts attention with a bright or medium green color scheme. There is also a pattern of veins, while their color is lighter than the entire deciduous surface and therefore they are clearly visible. It is the size and combination of green tones that make the plant especially attractive when used in landscape decoration.
After planting during the first year, the plant will have only one large leaf, which varies in length in the range of 7-10 cm. But if you look at an adult specimen, such a young leaf plate takes not corymbose, but ovoid outlines. At the same time, the petiole, which in adults Astilboides is attached to the central zone of the back of the foliage, while in young animals it will move away from the basal part of the leaf blade. Over time, the location of the petiole will gradually shift in the desired direction and finally take its place in the middle of the back side of the leaf.
Although the leaves are the adornment of Astilboides, flowers also appear. This time falls in August-September. The inflorescence is a panicle, which is made up of small flowers, the petals of which are shaded with whitish-cream or greenish-white tones. With such inflorescences, the plant resembles its "relative" in the family - astilbe, since their shape can be either straight or drooping. There are 4–5 petals in the corolla, the filaments are thin, they are crowned with 6–8 stamens. After about a month, the inflorescences begin to droop, and fruits take their place.
The process of fruit formation occurs in September. They represent a polyspermous capsule or capsule. Such a fetus usually has 2–4 valves. The seeds are distinguished by their narrow ovoid outlines and the presence of lionfish. The latter elements help in reproduction, when, after ripening, the capsule opens, then the seed material picked up by the wind can be carried a considerable distance from the mother bush.
It is noteworthy that when the seeds ripen, the foliage of Astilboides acquires a bronze-brown hue, which further emphasizes its beauty.
Flower growers can be pleased, since the plant does not differ in capriciousness or any special conditions for growing. It can beautify your garden for a long time, slowly growing its deciduous mass. Some growers even manage to keep it as a pot culture, but just because of the size, you will need rather large pots.
Tips for caring for Astilboides herb when planting outdoors
- Choosing a site for planting Astilboides. A plant in nature prefers to grow in the shade of tall trees, so it is worth choosing a location on the site with similar preferences. Such a flower bed can be under the crown of trees, and their foliage will form an openwork shadow. If there is a humid spot in the garden where other flora cannot grow, then this is ideal for planting Astilboides. However, if the soil is constantly in a moist state, then the plant will be able to perfectly tolerate bright sunlight, which will correspond to the banks of forest streams, rivulets or ravines. But nevertheless, it should be remembered that over time, in such a place with too bright lighting, the leaves may begin to "burn out", and growth will be significantly slowed down. Also, in an open area, the plant will be exposed to late frosts, and it is not so easy to cover such a large bush. It is the shadow of large trees that will become protection, especially if there is a reservoir nearby, then astilboides will not be so afraid of frost. It is curious that in nature on the Karelian Isthmus, in a plant, all vegetative processes begin much later, when the frost is already over. Often such bushes are planted next to stone buildings and walls of fences, which create shade.
- General advice on care. It is recommended to carry out mulching for the winter, since in case of severe frosts or spring frosts, young foliage can suffer and freeze. Pine needles, sawdust, fallen leaves can act as a mulching material. It is renewed regularly so that the soil in the root zone remains moist for a longer time and is protected from weeds. In the future, when the bush grows, such care may not be so frequent, since the foliage itself will protect the bush from weeds. When leaving, it is necessary to monitor, when the leaves and inflorescences wither, then they are cut off so that the living parts of the plant have enough strength. But experienced growers insist on leaving the foliage on the bush and covering the base with it, then the buds located in the upper part of the rhizome will definitely not be frozen.
- Priming. The plant does not show any special requirements here, any garden soil can be suitable, but most of all he likes moist, sufficiently dense and fertile compositions. This can be nutritious loam or a substrate mixed from garden loamy soil, high peat and humus (you can take compost), river sand. The components are used in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1, respectively. To this soil mixture you need to add up to 80 grams of any complete mineral fertilizer released in granules and mix everything thoroughly.
- Landing of astilboides. You can usually get this plant from flower shops or garden centers, where it is sold in containers. Before planting Astilboides in open ground, any root stimulant must be diluted in a bucket of water. It can be root, heteroauxinic acid, epin, humate or similar agents with the same properties. A bush is lowered into a container with a solution and kept in this state for up to half an hour. This is necessary so that the root system is completely saturated with the preparation - a sign of this is that air bubbles will not form on the surface of the water. After that, you can start planting. The fossa is prepared so that the entire root system of astilboides fits freely in it. The bush is set in the hole, its roots are straightened and then it is covered with prepared soil mixture. After planting, it is required to water the plant abundantly and mulch the root zone. The layer of mulching material should be up to five centimeters, usually sawdust, pine needles or peat act as it. If Astilboides are planted on the coastal zone of the reservoir, then river pebbles can act as a mulching composition. It is important to remember that this representative of the flora will grow very slowly.
- Watering. If astilboides is planted in the shade of trees or next to a pond, then natural precipitation may well be enough for it. But the situation will be different when it does not rain during the summer months. In this case, the plant may begin to wither due to increased soil drying, and its foliage will turn brown. Watering will be required. But here it should be remembered that, despite the moisture-loving nature, the flooding of the soil will lead to decay of the root system of the bush, especially if water stagnation occurs in early spring.
- Fertilizers for Astilboides are applied regularly throughout the growing season. But first of all, they are added to the soil during planting, using compost or nutritious rich substrate as top dressing.
- Application. Because of its large leaf plates, the plant has long been loved by flower growers. Elderberry and Irga, Euonymus and Fieldfare, Hazelnut and Bubbleweed are a good background for it. Volzhanka and large hosts, Kupeny and Helone, Corydalis and Mountain Goats, as well as fern plantations look good as its “neighbors” in planting. When disembarking in the coastal zone, marsh irises and liliums are placed next to it.
Reproduction of astilboides
When planting and caring for Astilboides, they propagate it by sowing seeds or in a vegetative way - dividing the bush.
The best time to split an overgrown bush is in spring - the last week of April or early May, before the young leaves begin to unfold. When carrying out the separation of the part, the mother bush does not need to be dug out. It is important to outline the place where the incision will be made so that the division has a renewal bud and a fragment of a lateral process formed on the rhizome. Then, using sharply sharpened garden tools or a simple knife, cut the rhizomes and pry the separated part of the plant with a garden pitchfork. At the same time, care is taken that neither she nor the mother bush are damaged. But if there is no skill in this matter (the florist has a poor idea of what the underground part of astilboides looks like), then it is recommended to dig out the entire bush, then wash its root system from the soil and carry out the separation operation according to the rules.
Then the cut is planted in a new place and watered abundantly. For planting, garden soil is used, well fertilized with leaf humus. The planting depth of the cut should not be less than 2.5 cm. When flowers appear on the cut in the first year, it is better to remove them so that all forces are directed towards successful rooting. Occasionally, division is performed in the fall, then it will be necessary to carefully mulch the root zone so that the still unrooted seedling does not froze over.
Seeds can be sown as before winter, so that they undergo natural stratification, or in the spring. If it is decided to sow seed material in the spring, then it is preliminarily stratified by placing the seeds in cool conditions for a month, where the heat indicators will be in the range of 0-5 degrees. For example, seeds are sown in a seedling box and dropped in the garden until spring, or they are placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. When stratification takes place, the seed is sown in seedling boxes with a peat-sand mixture or leafy soil and kept in a warm room. If the seeds were dug in the box, then the container is removed in February and transferred to a room with a temperature of 18-20 (but not more than 25) degrees.
When germinating, a piece of glass is placed on top of the box or a transparent plastic wrap is covered. Seed material germinates within a month. The sprouts of astilboides, which are then formed, are small in size and are transplanted in April or May in open ground. They endure the transplantation process steadily, but only their growth rate is rather low. Such plants begin to bloom when 3-4 years have passed from the time of sowing the seeds.
Possible Diseases and Pests in Astilboides Garden Care
The biggest problem with growing this member of the saxifrage family is that it prefers to grow in shade on wet ground, where it is attacked by slugs and snails. It is recommended to carry out manual collection of pests or use folk or chemical means to combat them. The last can be drugs "Meta" and "Groza". Moreover, spraying should be carried out regularly, since these gastropods quickly eat up the leaves, depriving the plant of its attractiveness.
Difficulties in growing astilboides are the following points:
- growth retardation occurs due to excessive lighting in the area where the bush grows;
- leaf plates can "fade" under similar factors, but insufficient soil moisture also adds problems.
However, the owner of this plant should not worry, as it has a high recovery rate.
When spring comes, despite the frost resistance of Astilboides, you should not rush to harvest the mulching layer, since when spring frosts occur, young foliage can die, but if the sleeping buds are not damaged, then new leaves will form from them, only the rate of their growth will significantly decrease …
To flower growers a note about astilboides
The plant began to grow in culture in 1888. It is recommended to plant it as a tapeworm or in group plantings. Yellow irises or Thunberg barberry can act as "neighbors" in the flowerbed for astilboides. Since foliage can serve as an excellent background, flowers can be placed nearby in bright inflorescences.
