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Astilbe Deadheading Techniques

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james

One of those garden plants that is simply so simple to love is asterlbe. The hybrids, which have their roots in Asia, are now spread over the world and provide Commercial Strata Maintenance maple ridge a variety of options for size, colour, and growth traits. There are a wide variety of species and appearances, including short and tall, rigid and droopy, and even wispy and bushy. 

Any garden would benefit from their stunning excellent looks, especially if they are combined with variegated hostas, grasses, and a variety of ferns. In general, astucebes are stunning in bloom, and the blooms can linger for quite a while. Their seed heads, which have a vertical, bottle-brush-like appearance and can linger for a long time after flowering, offer texture and visual interest to many gardens. From white to pink to crimson, the colours are varied. Astilbes thrive in shade to partial sun, but because they require moisture, the more sun you provide, the more crucial it is to have a wet soil profile that gives them the ability to withstand it. 

The seed heads of astilbes can be solid and upright or they can flop over, depending on the species. They appear fantastic at times and less so at other times. Because the seed heads are so persistent, you'll need to determine whether they improve or harm the appearance of your garden as a whole and whether you should deadhead them or just let them alone. 

Start by evaluating the seed heads visually: 

Do they have a tall stance or are they stooping? 

Is the colour of the seed head complementary to the other foliage and flowers in your garden or does it stand out? 

After completing this quick and simple evaluation, you can decide whether to deadhead or not. The good news is that you can always go back and deadhead later in the season if you decide against it and take some time to consider whether you actually like how the seed heads appear. 

Astilbes give any garden year-round visual interest. 

Personally, I adore Astilbe chinensis 'Pumila' seed heads. With low, groundcover-like foliage that spreads gracefully to cover vast areas, this wonderful asteliabe is a great choice. The flowers are numerous, low-lying, and robust. The shrub is covered in a flurry of pink when they blossom. This is a fantastic late-season plant because they bloom in August and occasionally even into September. 

The seed heads resist the varying fall weather nicely since they are firm and upright. If you're lucky, they might withstand the first snowfall and continue to offer an intriguing aesthetic feature before being eventually buried by larger drifts. 

Therefore, even though I prefer not to deadhead Pumila astilbes, I will evaluate all other varieties and make that decision based on how they perform and where they are in the garden. I'll examine them utilising the aforesaid quick and simple evaluation before deciding whether or not to deadhead. I can always change my opinion later if I choose to ignore them. 

 

Astilbes come in so many distinct types that deadheading them can require a few different tools. An effective tool for types with thicker stems is a set of pruning shears. A set of snips will work just fine on the softer, thinner stems. 

First, cut the stalk right above the intersection after following the lengthy seed head down to the first leaf. This small cut will give you a chance to assess the plant's appearance following the initial deadheading while still giving you room to make additional cuts, if required. In particular, if the first cut appears a touch too "stubby" and apparent, some plants will look better trimmed farther down the stalk at the subsequent leaf junction. 

It's critical to keep in mind that your garden is constantly a work in progress. What functions well today might not tomorrow. What was beautiful in your garden this year might not be so much the following year. The key is that your garden is dynamic and continuously changing, thus as a garden owner or fine gardener, you must continually evaluate. Some of our clients detest the seed heads, so we just deadhead the plants without any fanfare. The majority, though, are like me and enjoy watching their gardens change throughout the years and the seasons. They have faith in the fact that we base decisions regarding things like deadheading on the overall aesthetics of the landscape and the structural performance of the plants. 

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