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| Here are two of them, side by side, planted from bare roots last season. They both grew much bigger this year than anticipated, but the one on the left is looking less well than the one on the right. It's not as big, its leaves are paler, and it's behind on the blooms. What should I do? Fertilize?
Thanks for any help. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a N CT (My Page) on Sun, Jun 23, 13 at 20:28
| Fertilizing a perennial when it's looking stressed-out is normally not recommended since the plant is distressed for a reason that could be unrelated to what fertilizer may help correct. There may be a number of other reasons the plant appears to be suffering that are unrelated to soil conditions. Healthy soil + the appropriate amount of sun/shade/water generally are more important than fertilizer. I don't fertilize my established perennial beds. The perennials I grow are sited in their optimal growing locations and for the most part allowed to thrive on their own. All my astilbes are situated in either full or part shade and allowed to pretty much survive as best they can given the amount of rain that falls in any given season. Some years they fry, other years they thrive, but they always survive to return the following season. At least in my zone, they appear to be virtually indestructible. One final observation--all my astilbes have grown to barely half their usual size this season, along with my bleeding hearts, while my normally-medium-sized hostas are double their usual size. It's been my experience that gardening is consistently not consistent from one year to the next. |
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- Posted by weekendweeder 5A NY (My Page) on Sun, Jun 23, 13 at 21:15
| Thanks, gardenweed. I had a similar question about a hosta earlier this spring, and the advice I got over there was to fertilize. But I think I will leave this astilbe be and see how it fares through the season. If I can take the lazy way out, I often will! |
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| Is your anemic astilbe going to flower? It looks like it's got some stunted bloom stalk kind of thing going on... I would actually consider tossing it, the other one looks so mch better and will spread out soon enough. Why waste your time on the other? Also it might have something that could spread to the good one.... |
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- Posted by weekendweeder 5A NY (My Page) on Mon, Jun 24, 13 at 9:38
| The bloom stalks *do* appear to be stunted. They are formed, but they aren't tall, and don't seem to be in the process of actually blooming. I suppose I can give it until the weekend, when I'll have the time to go out and dig around. |
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