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New Astilbe looking BAD!
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Posted by thisismelissa z4a-Twin Cities MN (My Page) on Thu, Jul 5, 07 at 23:03
Hi there,
I've just finished a new shade bed... mostly hosta, but a few heuchera, tiarella, a pulmonaria, a brunera and a few astilbe.
Like most of the midwest, it's been quite hot (80's or higher) for weeks. So, many of my less-than-drought-tolerant plants aren't faring so well... the brunera is nearly dead and the pulmonaria is very wilted.
I bought 3 of the astilbe on Saturday morning (I'm sorry, the variety name escapes me), and planted them Saturday afternoon, and did what any good gardener should do.... watered them in quite well. 3 others that I had purchased before (smaller ones) have kinda "bounced back", but the bigger ones I bought that morning, have all dried up leaves and the plumes don't look very good either.
So, my question is this...are these goners or will they bounce back too? I'm having a big birthday party for my daughter in 2 weeks and if they need to be swapped out, I'd like to get it done sooner, than later.
TIA for your help
Melissa |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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Melissa,
It sounds like your astilbe are experiencing transplant shock--not surprising considering how hot it's been there. All of the plants you mentioned like to be quite moist. You'll need to keep an eye on them and water them more frequently than other plants, particularly these first few months. I have clay soil here in upstate NY and have had a lot of problems with them when first transplanted, which I believe are due to water issues. I would just be diligent about the watering and look for signs for new growth over the next few weeks as proof that your plants are finally happy. This kind of transplant shock takes a while to work out of their system. Good luck! Astilbe & brunnera are GREAT! (do you have the Jack Frost brunnera--a stunner!)
Another Melissa |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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Hi melissa!
You and I are going through the exact same thing now. I planted a very large shade garden and finished putting in the identical plants just a week before yours went in. My Astilbe were doing the same as yours. It is now 3 or so weeks later and I have a ton of new growth on them below the older foliage. I did a number on them as I had divided them 2 or more times per each gallon pot. I have been watering daily because we have had so little rain. All are doing well now and seem to be thriving. |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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| They'll be fine. If you are worried about the astilbes you can lessen the toll of shock by removing the flower heads. Right now a great deal of energy and nutrients are going to the flower heads. By cutting them off you allow the plant to concentrate on the foliage and root growth and conserve energy and nutritents put into flower and seed production. Over watering can also lead to increased transplant shock and poor root establishment so let the bed get a bit dry before you water again. 2-3x per week aught to be enough or you will actually be further shocking the plants with over watering. |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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| I've had astilbes die back after transplanting. They seem to always pop up again in the spring. |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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| I transplanted my astible last year and I thought it was dead. Coming up great now! |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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| I use a root stimulator to help with transplant shock. I also fertilize with fish emulsion, and my new astilbes are looking good. Maybe this is the key to it all? This may sound kind of weird, but I also think that using rainwater helps the blow of being transplanted as well. I am noticing that the newer plants I have look better after rainwater is used on them. Mother nature knows best! I noticed that when I moved one of my older astilbes to a new place last year, it took awhile to get going. It is still smaller than it was where I used to have it. Maybe astilbes are just very sensitive? |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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| My 2 new astilbes are looking worse and worse. Wilted to the point that the stems almost appear to be breaking. Leaves dragging the ground. I watered again last night (we've had a good amount of rain, but it's clay soil that I amended, and I'm still new at this) and made sure I didn't have mulch crowding the stems (they were fine). Someone said that I should not have put down preen after I mulched (or at all), though that was 3 weeks ago now, and I'm not sure what, if anything I can do about it now (it was the pellet kind, and I don't see any lying about). I believe i used root stimulator. The other new plantings nearby are also having mixed results. The hostas and heuchera/heucherella are doing great, japanese forest grass appears to be doing fine, but an elderberry bush appears to be browning and dying on the interior foliage (it is also a bit floppy but other than the browning/dying isn't nearly as pathetic as my astilbes). Are these just dead/dying? Ideas/thoughts/suggestions? |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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| Ditto for my astilbes 'Deutschland.' Nine were planted May 10th and seemed to be doing fine until around the first of June. Three appear to be pretty far gone - curled and brown leaf edges, droopiness, etc. I think they have received plenty of moisture and have well drained amended soil. I'm in area 8b and I wonder if this is a stretch for them given daytime temps over 90. Could it be just the consistent heat that is doing them in? |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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- Posted by ankh 4a (MN) (My Page) on
Wed, Jun 25, 08 at 10:41
| As a follow up...mine are recovering and looking happy! I even see the beginnings of blooms. Wow, I am excited. :-) In my case, the problem was...water. Duh. Mine are in clay, morning sun/afternoon shade. I amended the holes when planted and mulched. Last weekend I put down some compost and reupped a bit on the mulch. I've now been watering 2x/day. Both those and the golden elderberry are now looking great! These are the first plants I've ever done beyond annuals (no, really, I'm serious), along with a bunch of hostas I've put in this year, and I'm awfully excited to see they aren't dying on me. |
RE: New Astilbe looking BAD!
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| I found one looking terrible. All the ones around it are fine. I put some extra water on it and "fed" it besides, but a week later no change. I guess it is not getting worse..but I think today I will dig it up and divide it. It is not a good time for this but I don't know what else to do. |
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