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Astilba Sister Teresa is a plant that is often used to decorate the area in front of the house or garden area. It has a long flowering period, and even when not blooming, it looks great in landscaping.
Description of Astilba Sister Teresa
Sister Teresa is a perennial plant of the genus Astilba. The very name of the flower is literally translated "without shine". It is believed that he received this name due to the matte color of the leaves.
Astilba Arends blooms in July-August
Astilba Arends Sister Theresa has an even, straight stem, the height of which can reach 50-60 cm. Its leaves are long-petiolate with jagged edges. Their color changes from a dark green to a lighter shade during the season.
The Sister Teresa variety is unpretentious and takes root well in a new place. If you plant a plant in the spring, in the fall it will already delight the gardener with lush flowering.
Astilba feels equally good both in open sunny and shaded areas. In the shade, Sister Teresa is more spreading. On average, the width of one bush is 60-65 cm.
As for the regions for cultivation, there are no special conditions here - astilba can be found in Europe, Asia and North America.
The flower tolerates cold well and hibernates successfully in the open field. With the onset of frost, its ground part dies off.
Flowering features
Astilba "Sister Teresa" belongs to the mid-flowering varieties. It blooms in the first half of July and blooms for 2-3 weeks.
Her flowers are small, pale pink. They form dense diamond-shaped panicle inflorescences up to 30 cm high and 15-20 cm wide.
Astilba inflorescence consists of small flowers
Longer and more abundant flowering is noted in specimens that are located in shaded areas, sheltered from direct sunlight.
Application in design
Astilba fits perfectly into any garden area and is combined with almost all plants.
They can be placed in groups next to shrubs to create hedges, paths and artificial ponds.
Astilba is great for decorating tracks
Astilba "Sister Teresa" is often combined with irises, hosts and daylilies. Together they form beautiful flower beds that look attractive even between flowering due to their dense foliage.
When combined with other tall flowers, lush compositions are obtained.
Another method of application is zoning flower beds into several areas to create flower arrangements. In this design, roses, tulips or hydrangeas are suitable neighbors for astilba.
Astilba looks beautiful among the abundance of green foliage
The combination of single astilbe with coniferous shrubs or trees also looks beautiful.
Excellent neighbors for astilba - juniper and other evergreen shrubs
The Sister Teresa variety is perfect for landscaping areas and is combined with almost any plant.
Reproduction methods
There are 3 main breeding methods for Sister Teresa's Astilba Arends:
- Dividing the bush - the plant is dug up, the leaves are removed and cuttings with 3-4 buds and a rhizome of about 5 cm are prepared (the dead parts are cut off). Division can be done almost at any time, but early spring will be most optimal - under such conditions, the first flowers will appear on Astilbe in the fall. Cuttings are planted at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other and watered abundantly every day for 1.5-2 weeks.
- Seeds - This is a laborious method, used mainly for breeding purposes. The difficulty lies in the fact that with such reproduction there is a partial loss of the characteristics of the Sister Teresa variety. Ripe seeds are harvested from inflorescences in early autumn and are planted in a mixture of peat and sand (3: 1) in spring. They sprout within a month, and the first leaves appear only a year after planting. Such astilbe begin to bloom in three years.
- By kidneys - in late March-early April, a part of the rhizome with a new bud is cut off and planted in a greenhouse in a mixture of peat and sand (3: 1), which is poured onto ordinary soil with a layer of 5-6 cm. Astilbe is transplanted into open ground next spring, and already by the fall, it begins to bloom.
The easiest way to get several flowering plants at a time is the first - dividing the bush.
Landing algorithm
The right time for planting is April-May, when even warm weather has already been established.
Astilba seedlings should be free of visible defects, have at least 2-3 buds and a rhizome about 5 cm long without rotten and dead parts.
When choosing a planting site, it should be borne in mind that the Sister Teresa variety, although it can grow on any soil, feels best in loamy soil. A site located near a body of water or shaded by bushes or trees is suitable.
Astilba should not be planted too deep.
Landing consists of the following stages:
- In the previously dug soil, holes are made at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. The depth depends on the particular seedling - the rhizome should fit freely.Advice! At the bottom of the hole, you can put humus and ash with bone meal to feed the astilbe, as well as retain moisture in the soil.
- Sprinkle the seedlings with earth, not allowing the growth point to fall asleep.
- Mulch the soil around the bush with sawdust or peat.
- Water every day for 1.5-2 weeks.
If all the necessary conditions are met, the astilbe planted during this period will already bloom by autumn.
Follow-up care
The Sister Teresa variety is very easy to care for. To get a beautiful blooming specimen, gardeners will need to make very little effort.
Astilba care includes:
- watering - frequency and volumes depend on weather conditions. In the heat and in the absence of precipitation, daily watering is required, and water should not be allowed to accumulate;
- feeding - in the spring, it will not be superfluous to support the growth of the plant with nitrogen additives and organic fertilizers. In the fall, potassium-phosphorus compositions will be useful;
- mulching - an important procedure, since the astilba rhizome is constantly growing and eventually ends up in the upper layers of the soil. Mulching with compost at the beginning of the season helps to preserve nutrients and moisture;
- loosening - helps to enrich the soil with oxygen, and also gets rid of weeds;
- transfer - The Sister Teresa variety is recommended to be replanted every 5-6 years. But with proper care, it can live in one place for up to 20-25 years.
Care consists in regular watering and timely hilling
Preparing for winter
Astilba "Sister Teresa" is famous for its high frost resistance. But some preparation for the cold season is still needed.
In order for only a planted plant to endure the winter well, it is better not to let it bloom in the first year - the peduncles should be removed before buds form.
In the fall, astilbe is pruned to soil level and fed with potassium-phosphorus mineral supplements that will help the roots survive the winter. Then they cover it with natural mulch - spruce branches or pine needles.This will help protect the rhizomes from temperature extremes.
Lapnik protects rhizomes from temperature extremes
Diseases and pests
Astilba "Sister Teresa" is highly resistant to various diseases and dangerous pests. However, some of them can cause considerable damage to the plant:
- strawberry nematode Is a parasite that lives on leaves and flowers. The external signs of its presence are the curling of the leaves and the appearance of brown and yellow spots on them. The infected plant stops growing and dries up gradually. It is impossible to get rid of the pest, therefore, the diseased astilba is removed and burned;
- rootworm nematode - affects the roots of the flower. It looks like small growths. Affected astilba ceases to bloom and develop. In order to prevent the spread of the parasite, the diseased plant is weeded out and burned, and the site is treated with fungicides;
- root rot or fusarium - a disease that affects the roots and leaves of astilba. The plant becomes covered with a white-gray bloom, begins to turn yellow and dry, the roots rot. An excess of moisture can be the reason. At the first signs of damage, treatment with "Fundazol" should be carried out;
- spotted mosaic - a virus that manifests itself as dark spots along the edges of the leaves. Astilba "Sister Teresa" dries quickly and may die. Viruses cannot be treated with chemicals, so the infected flower should be destroyed.
Conclusion
Astilba Sister Teresa is an unpretentious, luxuriantly growing flower. It fits perfectly into any landscape design and blends harmoniously with most garden plants. Astilba does not require special care and tolerates winter well in the open field.
Testimonials
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