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Astilbe problem

rafwoodrafwood Posts: 23
edited September 2020 in Problem solving
I don’t know whether I’m doing anything wrong with my astilbes the flowers only lasted for a few days am I supposed to prune them in any way? Tried researching it and it said you didn’t need to do anything with them but they only stayed pink for a few of days

Posts

  • rafwoodrafwood Posts: 23
    Before
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They won't flower for very long in a pot, especially with so many other plants in with them.
    They're plants which like damp shade. Drier/sunnier conditions will shorten their flowering time  :)
    You can just remove the spent flower heads if you wish. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rafwoodrafwood Posts: 23
    Thanks For your reply, they are on a north facing wall so it is very shaded and I just put some trailing ivy in the front of the pot and it is a very large pot so I thought they would be okay
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's quite a big plant though, so it needs a fair bit of moisture to sustain the flowers.  :)

    It will need watering even if it rains, as it won't necessarily penetrate all the canopy, especially when it's so near a wall. If you're keeping it potted, it needs to have a loam based medium, not just compost, so bear that in mind if you've only used compost for it. It doesn't retain moisture in the same way as a loam/soil does.Just check the moisture is decent on a regular basis, especially when it's growing :)
    Nice combo with the ivy though.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rafwoodrafwood Posts: 23
    Thank you! I’ve probably Been relying on the rain too much but I’ll make sure every day that it’s watered enough  :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Just check on it - if it's damp enough, it'll also take longer to dry out because it's a shadier aspect. If it's a bit dry there, give it a canful of water  :)
    The important thing is to not let it get so dried out that when you water, the water isn't absorbed, and just runs through. That makes it harder to get it dampened properly.
    Once you get into proper autumnal weather, and the plant's dormant, it's less of a problem, and will be fine, water wise,  until next year  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rafwoodrafwood Posts: 23
    Aww thanks for all your tips!  <3
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2020
    The best astilbes I ever saw were in a bog garden ... they need more water than many other plants....
    great plants tho 😃 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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