I planted two astilbe plants in my yard last year. It is shaded area but gets sun in morning and some in into afternoon. I thought that it was partially shaded area. And now both plants don't look healthy at all. The leaves have brown edges and have not seen any flowers. What am I doing wrong. moderator's note: corrected Chatspeak see point 3.2 of usage rules
palegreen I think they need more moisture. It should really say on the tags when you buy them that they need a moist area to do well in. Not wet just moist.I planted mine in somewhat of a dry shade area before I knew that and now I need to keep them well watered or mine do the same.
Damp soil seems to be a must. I am still struggling to keep mine moist enough to help them make it through the summer looking good, flowering and not going dormant. Finding the right microclimate in my garden has been a struggle. Good luck with yours. One good thing is that their roots/rhizomes are hardy and they do keep coming back despite my difficulties getting them to bloom regularly.
Gosh Palegreen--I can only agree with what Tooty and Jewell have said. I am one that liked to press the limits and so I have tried Astilbe's in many variations of places from full sun to deep shade. I have discovered over the years that they can do alright in partial shade, but it must be so "partial" that there is only some dappled shade all day long and some hours in complete shade. I have also learned that they must be kept moist (all of the time). I have made my soil slightly acidic and use a mulch to keep the moisture in. Further, in terms of keeping the soil moist--I never use tap water for the Astilbe's--I use rain water or canal water. Good luck there.
Thank you everyone, this has been very helpful. Maybe I will move them to a more shaded area in my yard.
palegreen--I can only repeat what others have said, with this addition: I notice you live in the northeast (as do I). Our area has had unseasonably hot weather lately. My experience with astilbe is that they need good moisture particularly the first year, but thereafter are more forgiving. This year things have been so hot, it is probably doubly true. If your plants are in a semi-shady location, they may be just fine if you simply water them more this year. Good luck!
I have 8 Astilbe. The well established ones do well, no burning, sun or shade. The others have various amounts of burned leaves. Water, water, water, especially with the high summer temps. Jerry
Palegreen; you could take some plastic milk jugs and poke small holes in the bottom. Just a little bigger than pin holes and set them by the Astible and fill with water. It will slowly water the plant and keep the site moist. You could keep the jug filled most of the time to help in hotter weather. Just another idea that might help.
Good luck with them Palegreen, Astilbes can be a challenge. They are slow to establish, but I think they are wonderful and worth the extra efforts. Shade, water, TLC
