Re: Astilbe Secrets

AWESOME!  Even my favorite local nursery owner said he struggles with
astilbe (so he sold me some Aruncus).  Do I dig mine up and replant them
after amendment, or just wait until Spring and compost the top of the soil
around them?  Or??  Few if any are happy-they head quickly into dormancy (or
worse!).

Thanks again,
Diann

-----Original Message-----
From:   PRIMROSES [s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of
Silke-Maria Weineck
Sent:   Wednesday, August 23, 2000 8:42 PM
To:     shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject:        Re: [SG] Astilbe Secrets

I planted my Astilbe's in some triangular raised bed in a corner which I
had used for half a year as a composter -- it was about two-thirds full
with compost or stuff-to-become compost -- added some topsoil, mixed, and
vavavavoom! on the Astilbes. Lots of beautiful foliage, four or five huge
flowerstems a root (and these were fresh from Breck's, so not too big...),
a second flowering out of one of them. Which makes me believe that amending
might be the way to go. Mine get next to no sun.

Silke


At 08:36 PM 8/23/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Do you amend your soils when you plant a new plant--and if so,how?  Or do
>you just have naturally good soil??
>
>Thanks!
>Diann
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:   PRIMROSES [s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of
>Bobbi Diehl
>Sent:   Wednesday, August 23, 2000 6:42 PM
>To:     shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
>Subject:        Re: [SG] Astilbe Secrets
>
>Diann, I really know very little about astilbes except that I'm sure it's
>time to divide my old plants (still haven't gotten around to it). No, they
>don't grow for me in quasi-bog conditions--more like plain old dry shade,
>same as (and in same bed with)  the native wild geranium and epimediums
>and some hostas. The bed gets almost no supplemental watering even during
>drought years. The soil there is very good, however, and maybe that makes
>the difference.
>
>Bobbi Diehl
>Bloomington, IN
>zone 5/6
>
>On Sat, 19 Aug 2000, Diann Barbee Thoma wrote:
>
>> Bobbi, as an aside, I'd love to know your secret with Astilbes!  Are they
>> another quasi-bog plant??
>>
>
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