The question on how to propagate astilbe effectively comes up quite often. In fact, one of the most common questions asked about this medicinal plant is how to get it from one plant to another. It’s actually quite simple, once you know how. In order to answer that question, it helps to have a basic understanding of how plants reproduce themselves.
As it turns out, this plant only reproduces in one way, by division. In fact, it only divides a little, like a plant that has just been cut down. That makes it very difficult for other plants to successfully take over the land if astilbe plants are present. Luckily, the process of how to propagate involves a process called rhizoplasty, which is why the question ‘how to propagate astilbe’ can be so complex.
The process of rhizoplasty doesn’t actually involve division, though. The actual reproduction process happens at a much higher level than this. Basically, it involves two separate but simultaneous events. One, a rhizome grows from the parent plant. And two, the new plant begins to grow and divide into a number of new leaves.
When you start learning how to propagate astilbe, it helps to understand that the parent plant will continue to reproduce as long as there are living rhizomes present. When the area around the rhizome starts to empty out, this is when the reproduction process slows down. In fact, some species have been known to stop growing altogether if they’re completely surrounded by their rhizomes. However, there are several species of this plant that don’t have any rhizomes at all, and these particular plants are said to reproduce without any pause. It’s this reproductive pattern that people need to be most concerned about.
The way to recognize whether or not a plant is in this stage of growth is simple – it’ll have two little leaves. These leaves, called petals, are actually the exact same thing that plants use as a support structure for growing up. When the petals finish being produced, however, the plant then stops growing, and a new leaf will take its place. So how do plants know when to do this? Well, there’s an enzyme in plants that helps them determine when it’s time to finish producing more petals. This enzyme can only be activated by heat.
The way to propagate astilbe successfully, then, involves triggering this particular enzyme, so that the plant starts growing again. It’s not a hard task, as long as you know the exact temperature that the plant should be at. That way, you can make sure that the temperature stays right where it needs to be. Many people mistakenly believe that they can actually control the temperature on their own, which isn’t always the best approach. That’s because temperature fluctuations can trigger the release of the wrong enzymes – and that could make plants malfunction. It’s better to let an expert do that for you.
Now, if you’re going to try to do this by hand, you can follow these steps. First of all, you have to get some plant food. That way, you can grow the rhizomes on your own without any outside help. The plant food that you get will also give your plants some extra calcium. Next, you should locate a nice sunny spot, far from trees or other obstructions. In fact, the best spot would be near a window because light can spread easily.
The next step in how to propagate astilbe successfully would be to get a pair of garden shears. You can either buy your own pair, or borrow them from a friend. Cut some of the plant’s leaves to make them smaller, and trim the rest of the plant’s branches. Then, insert the rhizomes into the gaps, press the soil down a little and then water the plant to allow the rhizomes to take root.
