MORE on Astilbe plantings

Hello plant lovers,

I have been reading with interest the flurry of notes that has been
coming in lately and for that I am very happy!

I have a couple of comments on the astilbe plantings-

I obtain some very large plants of astilbe that I sell at the end of
May, and also use in garden designs.  More than with other plants I
notice the the root ball is very tight in these pots a really need
separating before planting, else the roots do not seem to want to
spread into their new environment nor take up water easily.  I tell ,
or show, this to my customers, but I have been to gardens where
astilbes are half dead in 2 weeks for lack of water.  Not that they
have not been watering, they were.  But because of the sandy soil
here, causing fast drainage and lack of root separation, the plant
still thinks that it is in the same condition as it was in the pot
and dries out fast.  I have lifted month old dead astilbes out by
their hair and the roots still think they are in pots.  When I plant
I try to make sure that the watering is done heavily at the base of
each an every plant - pretending that I am filling up the pot!
(maybe they are one of the plants that would do better as several
small divisions?)

And becuase of my desire to use astilbes in landscaping, I have
started to use some polymers when planting astilbes.  I do this with
daylily plants (my specialty) as they require a lot of water to do
their best growing and it seems to have helped the new plantings of
astilbe.  I would  like comments from others as to whether you use
polymers with certain shade plants.

Now, thanks to you, I will concentrate more purchasing those that
will tolerate a drier condition.

Bobbie



____
Bobbie Brooks, NEDS, Gloucester, MA, zone 6.5
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index