How necessary it is to prepare Astilba for winter. Everything is elementary, but the benefits are simply Huge for the plant.

Astilba is a winter-hardy plant, but this does not mean that it does not need pre-winter care. Every year, in late autumn, I inspect the bush, cut off the withered foliage and dried stems.

Since I live in one of the northern regions, I am not limited to pruning. In the summer, the flower thanks me, delighting me with exuberant flowering and bright colors.

How I prepare Astilba for winter

When a young astilba appeared in my garden, I, following the advice of more experienced neighbors, did not allow the plant to bloom in the first year of life. Here's what I did:

· Removed all peduncles so that the nutrients introduced into the soil during the summer and autumn months were "thrown" into the development of the root system and the formation of basal buds;

· Weed systematically. Now that my astilba has grown, I no longer do weeding - this is no longer necessary;

· Cut off all the leaves as soon as the first autumn frosts hit.

The plant is now over 4 years old and has become especially sensitive to winter frosts. This is because the rhizome of astilba gradually, year after year, became bare, losing protection.

Now, preparing the astilba for wintering, I install a wooden frame around it, fill it with fallen leaves and cover it with roofing material.

Sometimes the winter is so cold that the ground freezes to a depth of 80 centimeters or more. The shelter I erected reliably protects the Astilba from any surprises.

I cut the stems so that small stumps rise above the soil level. I always huddle them up and cover them with a thick layer of mulch (up to 15 centimeters) from sawdust, fallen leaves, dried grass and spruce branches.

Thus, with the onset of autumn cold weather, the flower is not afraid of either gusts of cold winds or heavy rains, and in winter freezing of the root system is completely excluded.

My advice to gardeners who don't know what a harsh winter is

If the region in which you live is not subject to severe frosts, you will not need to build a shelter for astilbe and other winter-hardy plants. It is enough to cut the plants and cover with 3-5 cm layer of mulch.

Every year in the fall, I feed the soil around the root system of the plant with potash and phosphorus fertilizers. A 25-gram portion of fertilizer is enough for one bush.

I also do not forget about organic fertilizers, of which I consider manure to be the best example. Slowly decomposing during the winter, the manure provides my astilbe with additional nutrition and, as a result, abundant summer flowering.