Astilbe

This Astilbe is not doing well. Am I letting it dry out too much?

YES.

You might want to cut it back and immerse the entire pot in water for a few hours, then tip it to the side to allow it to drain. They do best in shade, here, but can take the sun if they're planted with a lot of compost and a lot of mulch is used for them.

It is on the porch in a pot and only get about an hour of sun a day. I guess I need to add some compost an mulch to it plus water more often. My Moisture meter read "wet" so I let off the water. Does it need to stay wet?

While I do have three in very large pots, I think perennials are best grown in the garden. Is there any chance you could plant yours?

They want moist but not drenching wet.

We have six compost bins and while I'm a big believer in compost you could use a few inches of small pine bark chips or pine needles (any size) to help the soil retain the moisture and maintain a more constant temperature.

Many nurseries sell all kinds of pine bark in various sized bags. Here they offer broken bags for half price so call and check around.

I use pine needles everywhere for mulch. It's the only thing I've come to really like. I'll find a home for the Astilbe that is mostly shaded. I hope it turns out as well as yours. It's beautiful!!!

You are in NC and my favorite long pine needles come from GA. They're soft on the feet in paths, last a long time, don't blow away because they interlock, and look good - can't beat that. They also smell wonderful as a big bonus.

I usually get my pine needles from a local hardware store because it's the only place I've found. Do you order them?

We get them at Agway, a feed and nursery chain here in the northeast, but not all Agway's have them.

Maybe the company can tell you distributors in your area.

I am also having problems with my Astilbe. I bought it from Lowes last month-early June. I have it planted between 2 trees. It gets plenty of shade and I make sure the soil is moist. I have cut off 2 stalks already because they turned rusty. I let the stalks dry out and now have seeds. Mine looks slightly healthier than edforlife's, it has small stalks growing, but it is small and seems to have way more foliage than stalks/flowers....? Help????

They do have more foliage than flowers. Keep it moist. Mulch is invaluable.

If it does go too dry the leaves will dry up and the plant will go dormant. It won't be dead so don't dig it up and continue to keep it damp. It will bounce back next year.

And don't worry too much about it not having many flowers--perennials will take some time to get their roots going and often won't put on much of a show the first year in the ground.

These plants are natural waters edge plants, they don't like their feet in water but need damp well drained soil to grow healthy and sent up the fronds of flowers in shades of cream, pink, red, they eventually grow into large clumps in the right conditions (dappled shade) lots of moist compost / mulch, they also like a feed every spring (blood / fish / bone meal) as the goodness you add to the soil is soon leeched away with the wettish conditions.
I would think that growing these plants under trees is not the best situation as the roots of the trees are too big a competition for moisture and the tree soil is normally too dry.
Hope this helps a little. WeeNel.

I've just about given up on this plant. We went to the beach, had a relative water the plants, came back and I only have half of what was in my last pic now. If I decide to try to save them to you suggest adding bone meal now? On the soil? Any other lifesaver suggestions? The soil is wet and well drained.

Can you move it to a better spot where it won't have root competition but will still have shade or dappled shade during the hottest part of the day?

If you can move it, please use bone meal and compost for the planting hole. The compost will help keep the roots moist. You shouldn't have to water it daily - I never have but I did plant it with a lot of our own compost.

I still have it in a large pot on the porch where it's shaded. I was afraid to plant it because it's doing so poorly.

I'd amend the soil and plant it. Many plants just don't do well in pots.

Check the roots - if they're drenching wet it isn't what the plant wants. It wants "moist" and cool, like many other plants. That does not translate to drenching.

Okay. So, not under tree but in shade, add bone meal, water often but not drenched.

Please add compost to the planting hole. It really will drastically cut the need to water as often.

The only compost I've found so far is a composted blend of manure and humus (.05-.05-.05). Will that be okay?

Yes!

"use bone meal and compost for the planting hole."

1. Should I put this in the bottom of the hole or mix it with the soil? 2. Should I do this with all my future plants?

Thanks for being so helpful and patient with me!!!

Yes, at the bottom and mixed with some soil but at least half should be compost.

Yes, for all plants. I hesitated to say "yes" here figuring I'd say - for all plants that want cool and moist roots but I honestly can't think of a plant that wants hot/dry roots.

It's been a pleasure to help someone who really wants help and is willing to buy the bone meal and compost.

Now, you will mulch it, won't you? Please say "Yes"!

Yes!!! This is what it will look like from the top town.

Happy astilbe (:
pine needles
soil, compost, and bone meal
bottom of the hole

And a great big smile from you!