Could one of you experienced Astilbe growers look at this pic and estimate how much longer it will take these buds to come into bloom? Took the pic today, and it's Bridal Veil. I ask because I have to go out of town on business next month and I'm really hoping they don't peak when I'm gone. It seemed like last year they were only in bloom for a very short while before they started to fade (not so bad looking, but you know..) Just curious, and thanks for any guesses you may have.
and to add to the question... How long do the "plumes" last?
I'd certainly hate to miss them my first year in having these.
I planted those last year, and it seemed like they were only in full bloom for a few days to a week at most, then started to fade (go brownish green). The faded plumes lasted all summer, and I just left them because they were not bad looking...but I still hope I will get to see them while they are so sparkling and pretty!
That's a hard question as the astilbe cultivars vary so much in blooming and how long the flowers hold their color. My guess though is that they will bloom in less than a month. My first plants are just starting now and I should be about a month ahead of you. White Flower Farm says that Bridal Veil blooms from June to July so you may have it blooming when you are gone though. It's a beautiful cultivar. Hope that you get to see it bloom. It seems that it might bloom even later in Maine. Can't think of any more ways to say, "I don't know." LOL
Thanks for the help, doss. Good news for me- I just got back from my trip and they still haven't bloomed, but are getting very close- yay! Plus, there are a ton more than last year, so I am really looking forward to it now.
I'm glad that you are going to enjoy them. Mine are starting to bloom and I love it.
I have a small patch of pink myself about to bloom! Great plants!
Lovely pic, doss. I love that tiered stone wall that you have..really displays the plants nicely.
They are great plants, but I have to say that for me they are the most demanding things in my garden. They really let you know when they don't get enough water...and I'm finding that I may too lazy a waterer for astilbe.
the pink ones i have up in wisconsin are in bloom. not sure about my white ones at home, since i've been away a while.
If I didn't have automatic sprinklers I wouldn't be able to keep them either. No rain here.
doss, how often do you water and for how long? I really feel like I do not have a handle on how to water plants. We are having unusually dry, hot, and windy weather....I feel like watering my plants is a part time job at the moment. Sure enough, I checked out some of my astilbe just now and they were all wilted and drooped over- ugh! I just can't seem to keep up with it. :(
I water with sprinklers every three days for 15 minutes, sort of like you water a lawn. Be sure and mulch. Even on cool days wind can take the water right out of the ground. Hot dry and windy is like a blow dryer! No wonder they are sagging.
It sure is like a blow dryer...it's the worst! I just finished mulching things the other day. I just bought a sprinkler, too (usually I just walk around and water by hand with a hose, but now I have enough plants that that takes too much time). I hope I bought the right kind of sprinkler now...I had the sprinkler on the area with the astilbe for a long time on Sunday morning. I feel like I'm doing something wrong.
Are they getting sun? That might be your problem instead of water. If they are new the roots may not be well enough established and you may need to water more often when it's that hot. If it's really hot here I do sometimes water every two days.
It only gets sun in the late afternoon/evening...the setting sun. But, I should say that I did just move it to that spot within the last couple weeks, so you are onto something about the roots. I moved it when the weather was still mild, and until today I thought it was doing great. Now I'm afraid it's not...my bad luck and poor planning, I guess...will have to see how it looks tomorrow- another blow dryer day, I'm afraid, and then the temps are supposed to drop to the seventies towards the end of the week. Sure would like some rain to help out, though.
It's extra hard when you are used to rain. Here we just learn to cope with no rain from May to November. It's tough to transplant something and then have hot weather come right away. Just give it a little TLC until the hot weather is over. And get out some more mulch if you can.
Thanks, doss. I watered again and added more mulch and it has perked up.
But it's always something...I was noticing with my Bridal Veil astilbe that some of the very tips of the plumes that are just about to bloom seem to be dying. These were planted last year and are well watered in almost full shade. I looked at them really closely today and saw some kind of small insect on them that must be the culprit. Hopefully they won't do anymore serious damage before they really bloom. I had no idea Astilbe was something that bugs target. I couldn't get a good pic of the insects...but here is what they are causing.
Darn bugs
I know, I just hate them. I never know what to do about them, either, because I don't like to use heavy duty pesticides because of my dogs. I used Neem oil last year on the daylilies when they had some thrip problems, which might have helped..maybe I should try the Neem on the astilbe?
I'm so sorry NEeaster. Let's hope that the damage doesn't proceed. Disappointing to say the least.
I just went online and researched astilbe pests, only to find that there virtually are none! What gives? I went out and cleared a bunch more bugs off there, and they are definitely harming them, whatever they are. Ugh! I don't think they'll be too interested in them once the little buds open, so bloom already, will ya??!
Maybe a little insecticidal soap? Or just a soap stray and rinse?
I did find one reference to Black Pine Weevils and astilbes
http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG136/beetle.html
and the Asiatic Garden Beetle
http://www.ct.gov/caes/cwp/view.asp?a=2823&q=377544&pp=12&n=1
Could it be one of these?
Yeah, I think I will try the soap tomorrow. You don't think that would hurt the flowers themselves, do you? I don't think it's either of those bugs you posted...though we do have those Asiatic beetles, which I hate. These were much smaller, about 1/8" or so. Brown body, clear wing. Saw quite a few of those, and also one bug that was a bit bigger with an irridescent turquoise body. These are things that had no meaning in my life two years ago, now they are the bane of my existance! lol. Last year my daylilies had a lot of thrip damage, which no one here that I talked to had ever heard of on daylilies. Now it figures that my "pest free" astilbe has pests, huh?
Here is the only pic I was able to get today of what I think is sucking dry my astilbe flowers:
When i've had "bad bug" problems, i did use soap.... what was told to us by an old friend eons ago....
dish soap, i use the cheapest lemon soap i can find (usually 0.99 per bottle) and put enough in a spray bottle [i use qt sized] -- just enough so it "suds" when sprayed.... it's maybe 2T per qt.
but you have to spray it directly on said bug for it to kill them.
has worked like a charm for about 15 yrs for us... and to think of all the $$ wasted on bug killers.
[i can tell ya... the boxelders by us are immune to all bug killers... with the exception of soap and water]
Good luck to y a... nothing worse than getting your plants eaten by bugs.
Thanks, tcs....I was wondering if you needed to make direct contact with the bugs for the desired effect. I was wondering that about the neem oil spray as well. Well, I saw the bugs in the a.m. and late afternoon, so I guess I will go hunting tomorrow.
If you use neem oil be sure to use it when the weather is cool. Otherwise you'll burn the foliage.
And I don't know what people were smoking when they said that daylilies don't get thrips. I spray for thrips on my daylilies twice in the spring as they are so common on mine and generally it's a problem as far as I know. They don't bother the roses but they sure bother the daylilies. I really think that the only other things daylilies get are whiteflies, spider mites and rust, spring sickness and leaf streak. Other than that they are totally healthy! LOL
doss, what do you spray on them? The buds on my scapes look pretty good right now, though I think I noticed the thrip damage only very shortly before they started blooming last year...they are still a week or ten days away from that, is my guess. Fingers crossed!
I use Bayer total rose food which takes care of everything. You are supposed to be able to spray when the daffs are blooming and then a month later but you have to be able to get the stuff on the thrips. Bayer is a systemic and it just depends on your attitude to systemics. Bayer doesn't affect the bees and the birds though so that's good to know.
