Maintaining Astilbes

Question

I made the stupid mistake early last summer of adding lime to my soil in an attempt to make it more acidic for my new Astilbe plants. This, of course, gave me the opposite affect that I wanted and now I’m wondering if it’s too late to recover them. Do I need to just start over with new plants, or will trying to bring the soil back to more of an actual acidic state work with my original plants? Thank you for your time.

Answer 1

If your plants are still alive, you may be able to recover them, but starting over with new ones wouldn't hurt either. For growing information and care of astilbe plants, this article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/astilbe/growing-astilbe-plants.htm I would test your soil pH and go from there. Rather than adding lime, you can amend the soil with compost and use a fertilizer for acid-loving plants. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/raise-acid-level-soil.htm