- Plant masterwort correctly
- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- What soil does the plant need?
- When is flowering time?
- Properly cut the starwort
- watering starwort
- Fertilize starwort properly
- hibernate
- multiply masterwort
- Is masterwort poisonous?
- Beautiful varieties
In the natural garden, it is more popular than ever. Thanks to its diverse floral talents, the masterwort has made it among the most popular summer perennials. The following answers to frequently asked questions provide everything you need to skillfully plant and care for the frugal Astrantia.
The enchanting masterwort shows its delicate flowers twice a year
Table of Contents
Show all- Plant masterwort correctly
- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- What soil does the plant need?
- When is flowering time?
- Properly cut the starwort
- watering starwort
- Fertilize starwort properly
- hibernate
- multiply masterwort
- Is masterwort poisonous?
- Beautiful varieties
- Create spacious planting pits at a distance of 50-60 cm with 1.5 times the volume of the root ball
- Enrich the excavation with sieved compost, horn shavings (32.93€) and a little vital lime
- Plant a potted root ball in each planting hole, maintaining the previous planting depth
- Never let the root ball dry out
- After the first blooms, cut back an Astrantia 5 to 10 cm above the ground
- Fertilize organically in spring and after the first pruning
- In autumn, cut off the withered second bloom to prevent seeding
- Alternatively, cut the masterwort close to the ground in February to make room for budding
- Cut flower for the vase, bouquets and as a dried flower: just opened umbelliferous flowers cut in the morning hours
- Pruning back for a second bloom: Cut back Astrantia 5-10 cm above the ground in August
- Prevent seeding: After the second flowering period, cut off the withered flower stalks to just above the foliage
- Main pruning: Cut back close to the ground in late winter, in good time before fresh shoots appear
- Abbey Road: Magnificent astrantia with dark purple flowers in summer and autumn; Growth height 60-80 cm
- Florence: Abundantly blooming masterwort in iridescent colors from silver to pink to lavender; Growth height 40-60 cm
- Princesse Strudza: The Astrantia captivates with silvery-white flowers that grow up to 5 cm in size; Growth height 50-60 cm
- Rose symphony: The luxuriantly flowering Great Masterwort unfolds dreams of flowers in light pink to red; Growth height 70 cm
- Sunningdale Variegated: Beneath pink flowers, the foliage turns from cream to green to tawny in fall
Plant masterwort correctly
In spring and late summer is planting time for the masterwort. Choose the location carefully, because an Astrantia can easily stay in partially shaded areas with fresh, moist, humus-rich soil for 10 years or more. While you prepare the soil finely crumbled, the potted root ball is soaked in water. This is how professional planting proceeds:
Mulching the soil with leaves, grass clippings or bark mulch after watering is beneficial for vitality and abundance of flowers.
care tips
The proper care of an Astrantia is based on a few, uncomplicated measures. The following overview shows briefly and concisely how to get the best out of a masterwort:
Winter protection is only required for perennials in the planter so that the root ball does not freeze through in the exposed position. Place buckets or balcony boxes on wood in front of the south wall of the house and wrap the container with jute, foil or garden fleece.
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Which location is suitable?
The masterwort enters into a congenial partnership with trees and ornamental shrubs. Since it prefers a semi-shady location, an Astrantia unfolds its natural beauty to perfection on the edge of trees, in shrubs and rose beds. The sunnier the location, the more moisture the soil should contain. In addition, the summer perennial prefers to stretch out its roots in loose, humus-rich and calcareous soil.
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The right planting distance
The broad, bushy habit of an Astrantia requires generous planting distances. So that a flower-rich clump comes into its own, we recommend a distance of 50 to 60 cm to neighboring beds for the popular Great Masterwort. Smaller species and varieties, such as the red masterwort, are decoratively displayed at a distance of 40 to 45 cm.
What soil does the plant need?
Your claim to the soil quality does not hold any surprises. The Astrantia thrives in any normal garden soil that is humus, fresh and moist and has a nice, loose structure. The substrate can be a little calcareous, so a handful of vital lime or rock flour (€14.13) is added to a bucket of commercially available potting soil.
When is flowering time?
The summery umbellifer spoils us twice a season with a colorful flowering period. After an Astrantia presented its pretty starry flowers in June and July, another bloom follows in September after a pruning. Enjoy a picturesque appearance with hemispherical flowers reminiscent of a filigree pincushion, star-shaped framed by delicate bracts. The pinnate and serrated foliage is no less attractive.
Properly cut the starwort
In order to savor all of the floral talents of an Astrantia, professional cutting at the right time plays an important role. The following overview shows when and how to use secateurs on a masterwort:
If you want an Astrantia to grow wild in a natural garden, simply leave the withered umbel flowers on the plant. The Staude takes care of the rest.
watering starwort
In the wild, the Astrantia is mainly found in meadows and wet areas, because it doesn't think much of drought. Therefore, water the summer beauty plentifully and regularly without waterlogging. Where the rain contributes to the water supply in the bed, the watering can is used less often than in the airy bucket substrate.
Fertilize starwort properly
A balanced supply of nutrients lays the foundation for lush flowering and magnificent foliage. Ideally, you fertilize an Astrantia in March/April with mature compost, horn shavings and a little rock dust. After the summer pruning, a further dose of organic fertilizer provides valuable starting help for the second flowering. Cultivate the masterwort in pots, apply a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants every 3 weeks from May to August.
hibernate
The masterwort is completely hardy in our latitudes, so that no explicit precautions have to be taken in the bed. On the contrary, the Astrantia acts as a hibernation shelter for numerous beneficial organisms. Since the root ball in the pot is more susceptible to freezing temperatures, place the pot on wood and wrap it in bubble wrap.
multiply masterwort
In spring, the masterwort can be propagated wonderfully easily by dividing it. After pruning, dig up the astrantia and shake off all the soil. Place the root ball on a stable surface and cut it in half with a knife or spade. A further division is possible. As long as a segment has at least 2 buds, it will turn into an adult perennial in a short time. Plant the sections at a distance of 50-60 cm in a partially shaded location in loose, moist and humus-rich soil, maintaining the previous planting depth as far as possible.
Is masterwort poisonous?
A masterwort does not pose any health risk to humans or animals. The umbellifer is therefore recommended not only for the idyllic design of natural beds. In addition, it is a valuable part of the multi-faceted family garden, where children and pets can romp about carefree.