Aster root system. Asters: growing from seeds, when to plant

Since childhood, I remember how proudly I went to school on September 1st with a bouquet of beautiful asters! Undoubtedly, these flowers are a symbol of autumn! The name of asters comes from the Greek words ‘callinos’ - beautiful and ‘stephos’ - wreath; the inflorescences resemble a wreath in structure. Astra - translated from Greek means “star”.

Annual aster (Callistephus chinensis). © Anna Rusakova Content:

Legends about the origin and symbolism of asters

An ancient legend says that the aster grew from a speck of dust that fell from a star. Already in Ancient Greece, people were familiar with the constellation Virgo, which was associated with the goddess of love Aphrodite. According to ancient Greek myth, the aster arose from cosmic dust when the Virgin looked from the sky and cried. For the ancient Greeks, the aster symbolized love.

There is a belief that if you stand among the asters at night and listen carefully, you can hear a light whisper: these are the asters having an endless conversation with their sister stars.

There is another legend of the appearance of asters on earth: two Taoist monks decided to go to the stars. They walked for a long time through the thorny forest. We made our way through the juniper thickets. We climbed along barely noticeable mountain paths. We slid on snowy glaciers. Until we reached the top of the highest mountain in Altai. But, having reached the top, they saw that the stars were still high in the sky and had not become closer.

It was a long way back. The monks had neither food nor water left; they tore their bodies bloody and tore their clothes. Almost exhausted, they descended from the mountains and came out into a beautiful meadow, where a clear stream flowed and wonderful flowers grew. “Look,” said one of the monks, “we have come such a hard way to see the beauty of the stars in the sky, but they, it turns out, live here on earth.” They dug up and brought several plants to the monastery and began to grow these flowers, calling them asters, which means stars in Latin.

In China, asters symbolize beauty, precision, elegance, charm and modesty.

For Hungarians, this flower is associated with autumn, which is why in Hungary the aster is called the “autumn rose”. In ancient times, people believed that if a few aster leaves were thrown into a fire, the smoke from the fire could drive away snakes.

The aster flower is a symbol of women born under the astrological sign of Virgo. Aster is a symbol of sadness. This flower was considered a gift to man from the gods, his amulet, amulet, a piece of his distant star. Therefore, the sadness it symbolizes is sadness for the lost paradise, for the inability to rise into the sky.

Description of asters

Chinese callistephus, or annual aster - Callistephus chinensis.

Homeland - southwest of the Far East, China, Mongolia, Korea.

An annual herbaceous plant with a powerful, fibrous, widely branched root system. The stems are green, sometimes reddish, hard, erect, simple or branched. The leaves are arranged in alternate order, the lower ones on petioles, broadly oval or oval-rhombic, unequally coarsely toothed, serrate or crenate along the edges; the upper ones are sessile.

The inflorescence is a basket consisting of reed and tubular flowers. Blooms from July until late autumn. The fruit is an achene. The seeds ripen 30-40 days after the start of flowering and remain viable for 2-3 years. There are 450-500 seeds in 1 g.

The wild annual aster is not very decorative. Numerous hybrid varieties have long been used in culture, differing in shape, size, structure and color of inflorescences; according to the shape and size of the bush and flowering time.

Types of asters

There are over 600 varieties of aster in the world. They differ in height, flowering time, purpose of cultivation and flower structure.

According to the timing of flowering, they are divided into 3 large groups:

• Early. The period from emergence to the beginning of flowering is 83-115 days. They bloom from early July to September.
• Average. 116-122 days. They bloom from late July-early August until September. Most varieties belong to this group.
• Late. 123-131 days. They bloom from mid-late August until late autumn.

They are divided into 5 groups according to height:

• Dwarf. Up to 25 cm.
• Short. Up to 35 cm.
• Medium height. Up to 60 cm.
• Tall. Up to 80 cm.
• Gigantic. Above 80 cm.

Based on the nature of use, they are divided into 3 groups:

• Cutting. Tall, with large double inflorescences and long peduncles.
• Casing. Low, compact, suitable for flower beds and for growing in pots on windows and greenhouses.
• Universal. Medium-sized compact plants with long peduncles and large inflorescences. Used for cutting and in flower beds.

Based on the structure of the inflorescences, they are divided into 3 groups:

Growing asters

Location

The plant is light-loving and cold-resistant. It achieves its greatest decorative value when grown in conditions of moderate temperature and humidity of air and soil; it prefers open, sunny places, but also tolerates partial shade.

The soil

Grows best in light, fertile soils with acidity close to neutral. The application of manure to this crop leads to damage to plants by fusarium. For this reason, asters should not be planted after gladioli, tulips, carnations and returned to their original site earlier than after 4-5 years. The best predecessors are calendula and tagetes.

The best soils for aster are fertile, light loamy or sandy loam, with an environmental reaction close to neutral. On empty sandy or clay soils, asters seem to be born, that is, instead of large double flowers, simple and non-double flowers grow. Prefers sunny places with moderate humidity.

Fertilizer

In the fall, before deep digging of the soil, it is recommended to add 2-4 kg of humus or compost per 1 m²; before spring digging - 20-40 g of superphosphate, 15-20 g of ammonium sulfate, 15-20 g of potassium salt. Doses of fertilizers are indicated approximately. Specific doses must be calculated based on agrochemical analysis of soil samples.

Reproduction of asters

It is better to grow asters using seedlings - this speeds up and prolongs their flowering. To obtain seedlings, asters are sown indoors at the end of March in a box with garden soil. Cover the top with a thin layer of earth (1 cm), carefully water it and cover it with film or glass. Aster seeds have a dense shell, but they germinate quickly - 3-5 days after sowing at an air temperature of 18-20 degrees. It is best to take seeds from last year's harvest.

The seedlings are watered moderately, and when two true leaves appear, they are picked (planted) in a box with a height of 8 cm and a distance between plants of 3 cm. When picking, the roots of the asters are trimmed. In the future - moderate watering and loosening. As soon as possible, young plants should be taken out into the fresh air.

By the time of planting, the seedlings should have a strong stem 6-10 cm high and 5-7 large green leaves. The time for planting in the flower garden is from the beginning of May. Asters are not afraid of light frosts, tolerate transplantation well and quickly take root. Distance between plants when planting: high varieties - 40 cm, medium - 30, low - 15 cm.

Aster seeds can also be sown directly into the ground as soon as the ground thaws. At the same time, the plants are better hardened, less susceptible to diseases, but bloom later.

Asters tolerate transplantation well during flowering. After the onset of frost, you can dig up a plant with a lump of earth, plant it in a pot and place it on the window - the aster will continue to bloom.

Pests of asters

Bud aphids damage young plants even in seedlings, when the plants have only 3-4 true leaves. Bud aphids cause deformation of leaves at the top of plants. The leaves seem to wrinkle.

Control measures: spraying with chlorophos, karbofos, depis or the drug "Inta-Vir" is used. Spraying should be done early, when the plants have no more than four true leaves.

In addition to aphids, aster can be damaged by tobacco thrips, slobbering pennies, and meadow bugs. In the south of the country it is severely damaged by the sunflower moth. To combat them, approved and commercially available drugs are used.

Annual aster (Callistephus chinensis). © Kor!An

Diseases of asters

Fusarium wilt, or aster fusarium wilt, is a fungal disease that is caused by one of the fungi of the Fusarium genus. The disease usually appears in adult plants, during the budding and early flowering phases. Radical measures to combat the disease have not yet been invented. However, there are preventive control measures that can reduce the incidence.

It is very important for aster to create crop rotation on the site, and on large areas - crop rotation. Aster should alternate with other flower and vegetable plants so that it returns to its original place no earlier than after 5, preferably 6 years.

You should not add manure or fresh compost to the area that is being prepared for planting aster, but only humus and well-rotted compost. All techniques that help increase the physiological resistance of plants increase field resistance to fusarium, namely: pre-sowing treatment of seeds with solutions of microelements, growing healthy, strong seedlings, foliar fertilizing with macro- and microfertilizers. Plants should not be planted densely; the row spacing should be well ventilated and water should not stagnate at the root collar.

Plants affected by Fusarium must be removed from the site or flower garden as soon as possible. They should never be buried in the ground or placed in compost. They definitely need to be burned. And of course, it is very important to choose the most fusarium-resistant varieties for planting. And there are quite a lot of such varieties.

In damp summers, in addition to fusarium, aster can be affected by gray rot, verticillium, and powdery mildew. Periodic treatments with preparations such as foundationazole help in the fight against these diseases.

Occasionally, viral diseases appear on aster - jaundice and cucumber mosaic. To prevent these diseases, it is necessary to combat periodically appearing aphids. It is the main vector of viral diseases on plants. Plants affected by viruses are removed and burned as quickly as possible. They should not be buried in the ground or placed in compost.

Asters- diverse and beautiful flowers that delight with their blooming at the end of summer, when most plants have already bloomed. Annual or perennial asters will become a real decoration of your garden; they are unpretentious flowers and are easy to care for.

Let's consider the secrets of growing asters from sowing seeds to flowering, the most popular varieties of perennial and annual plants, proper care of asters during the growing process, how to propagate asters, what to do when asters have bloomed.

Perennial asters, according to flowering time, are divided into two large groups - early flowering And autumn-flowering.

Perennial asters are represented by the following species: Italian aster, bush aster, alpine aster, New Belgian aster, New England aster.

Aster novobelgica– a tall bush up to one and a half meters, not durable, can fall apart. Flowering begins at the end of August and can continue until the first snow.

New England aster– bushes grow up to 1.5 meters in height, smooth and slender, do not require garter. The inflorescences are semi-double, large with a variety of colors: white, pink, lilac, violet, the middle is reddish or yellow. Flowering begins at the beginning of September and continues until the first frost.

alpine aster– low-growing plants up to 30 cm high with single inflorescences. The earliest varieties begin flowering in May, therefore they are classified as early flowering species.

Bush aster– bushes up to 60 cm high with heavily leafy stems. The autumn asters are the first to bloom.

Aster Italiana– an early-flowering species of asters with large inflorescences up to 5 cm. The height of the bushes is up to 70 cm, flowering begins in June-July. Very well suited for rose gardens and rock gardens.

Growing and care - perennial asters

Perennial asters are grown in sunny, well-moistened areas of the garden. Plants can grow in one place for 6 years. Caring for perennial asters is easy. The main care is loosening the soil and treating against diseases: powdery mildew and gray rot.

Perennial asters are propagated in the spring by green cuttings. Young shoots appearing in spring or early summer are used for propagation. They quickly germinate and take root, resulting in strong and strong bushes. It is also possible to propagate perennial asters by dividing the rhizomes. Propagating perennial asters by seeds is difficult and unproductive.

Video - Asters - planting and care in open ground

There are more than 4,000 varieties of annual aster. Asters are often shaggy, large and fluffy with a single flower on a long stem, with many colors and shades.

The classification of annual aster is very diverse; let’s take a brief look at it.

By flowering time: early (bloom in July); medium (bloom in early August); late (bloom from mid-August).

By bush height: dwarf up to 25 cm; short up to 35 cm; medium height up to 60 cm; tall up to 80 cm; gigantic over 80 cm.

According to the purpose of cultivation: casing - long-flowering, a lot of inflorescences; cut flowers - lush flowers with long stems, cut for bouquets; universal – suitable for both garden decoration and cutting into bouquets.

According to the structure of the inflorescences: reed, transitional, tubular.

The petals of this type of aster are in the form of tubes.

Reed asters

Lush, spherical, shaggy flower. The following types are classified as reed asters based on the principle of inflorescence structure: curly, spherical, imbricated, hemispherical, needle-shaped.

curly asters, popular varieties for cutting are Hohenzollern, Market Queen, Ostrich Feather, California Gigantic. Universal varieties - Chrysanthemum-shaped, Early miracle, Comet.

Needle asters, popular varieties are Krallen, Riviera, Star, Record, Exotic.

Transitional asters

The inflorescences consist of 1-2 rows of reed flowers, the middle is filled with tubular flowers. Here the following types are distinguished according to the principle of inflorescence structure: simple, semi-double, coronal.

U simple asters the middle of the inflorescence consists of small yellow tubes, which is framed by 1-2 rows of straight reed petals. Popular varieties are Margarita, Sonnenschein, Waldersee, Apollo, Edelweiss.

Semi-double asters with voluminous flowers, in which the reed petals stick out in different directions, but the middle is clearly visible. Varieties - Madeline, Anemone, Mignon, Rosette, Anmut, Victoria Baum.

Crowned asters they resemble pom-poms, lush with a barely visible core. Varieties - Fantasy, Princess, Aurora, Laplata, Ambria, Pompom, Princess bouquet.

Growing aster from seeds

Annual aster is grown mainly from seeds using seedlings and non-seedling methods.

Sowing in the ground

Asters grown without seedlings bloom later. Early varieties are sown in the ground in mid-March, then asters bloom in July. Later varieties are sown at the end of April, beginning of May, the air temperature should not be lower than +10 degrees.

Sowing is carried out in shallow furrows up to 4 cm deep, watered abundantly and covered with soil. If dry weather sets in, the crops are mulched or covered with covering material until the first shoots appear. After the first two true leaves appear, it is necessary to thin out the plants, leaving a distance of 10-15 cm between them. Transplant the excess seedlings to another place.

Video - ASTER from seed to bouquet

When to sow seeds

According to the timing of flowering, the aster is divided:

Early– bloom 90 days after planting, mid-early– 110 days after planting (in August), late– in 120-130 days (end of August, beginning of September).

Before you start sowing aster, make simple calculations. Seeds are also sown in late autumn in frozen soil. In spring, thin out the emerging shoots. The shelf life of seeds is 2 years, after which germination is halved.

A more reliable way to grow aster, although it requires more time and care. Seeds are sown for seedlings in early April or May, it all depends on the variety. Before sowing, 7 days before, you need to wrap the seeds in a cloth and soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 10-12 hours. Then remove excess moisture by squeezing the fabric. Place the seeds to germinate in a warm place.

Pots or boxes are suitable for growing seedlings. The soil should be fertile and light. Make shallow grooves in the soil, sow the hatched seeds and sprinkle with a 0.5 cm layer of sand. Sprinkle the crops on top with a weak solution of potassium permanganate through a fine sieve. Cover the aster crops with film or glass and place in a warm place with a temperature (20-22 degrees).

After 3-5 days, shoots will appear; move the seedlings to a cooler place with a temperature of 16 degrees. With the appearance of 3-4 leaves on the seedlings, seedlings are picked according to a 4x4 cm pattern into small pots or large boxes. Water the picked plants moderately.

Video - ASTRA FOR SEEDLINGS FOR THE LAZY

Fertilize the seedlings with complex fertilizers a week after picking. Harden the seedlings by temporarily taking them out into the open air. When plants up to 10 cm high and with 6 leaves have formed, they are ready for planting in the ground. The best planting time is late April - mid-May.

Aster seedlings can be planted as early as mid-May; the plants are not afraid of frost down to -4 degrees. Plant seedlings in the evening.

Astra prefers sunny areas with good drainage. Grows best in fertile and light neutral soils. Prepare a place for planting aster seedlings in the fall: dig a deep area with compost or humus (3 kg per 1 m2), dig up the area in the spring by adding 20 g of superphosphate, 15 g of ammonium sulfate and potassium salt per 1 m2. If the soil is not depleted at the intended planting site, fertilizers do not need to be applied.

Before planting, the area must be weeded, leveled and loosened by 4-6 cm. Make shallow furrows, water them and plant the plants at a distance of 20 cm from each other (depending on the variety). The distance between the rows is 50 cm. Sprinkle the seedlings with dry soil and water after 2 days. After 2 weeks, feed the plants with nitrogen fertilizers.

Asters are unpretentious flowers that do not require much time and effort. The main thing in care is to necessarily loosen the soil after each rain to a depth of 4-6 cm. Weed the weeds. Before branching begins, it is necessary to hill the stem to 6-8 cm in height, this will accelerate the growth of roots. Remove dried flowers promptly.

Lack and excess of moisture harms asters. With the onset of sultry heat, water less frequently, but abundantly (up to 30 liters per 1 m2), after which be sure to loosen the soil.

There should be three fertilizations with fertilizers during the entire growing season.

First 2 weeks after transplanting the seedlings into the ground (10 g of potassium sulfate, 50 g of superphosphate, 20 g of ammonium nitrate are added per 1 m2 of plot). Second feeding carried out with the appearance of buds on plants (50 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate per 1 m2 of area). Third feeding carried out at the very beginning of flowering, with the same composition as the second.

Diseases of asters

The most common disease of aster is fusarium. It appears on adult plants: the aster fades and turns yellow.

To prevent fusarium disease, it is necessary to carry out crop rotation and crop rotation. Alternate planting of aster with other plants; it should not end up in the same place earlier than after 5 years.

Do not plant aster in areas where nightshade plants (tomatoes, potatoes) previously grew; there is a risk of developing fusarium. If plants become diseased, they should be removed and burned to prevent the spread of the disease.

Blackleg affects asters - a fungal disease that leads to blackening of the seedling and rotting of the base of the stem and root collar. Remove diseased plants from the site, disinfect the soil with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.

Rust- another disease that appears on the underside of the leaves; they wither and dry out. Plant aster as far as possible from coniferous plants, they spread rust spores. Spray diseased plants with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture; this solution is also suitable for prevention.

Powdery mildew- a disease that foundationazole copes well with.

Video - Why asters die

Pests of asters

The main pests include the meadow bug, arable slug, spider mite, cutworm, bud aphid, slobbering pennies, and common earwig.

To prevent the appearance of pests in the fall, burn annual and dying shoots of perennial plants.

They fight with folk and chemical means.

Tilled slugs destroyed mechanically (collected) or treated with Metaldehyde.

Such pests as spider mites, cutworms, meadow bugs and slobbering pennies destroyed with solutions of phosphamide, karbofos, pyrethrum. When found common earwig spray the plants with foundationazole.

After flowering, annual asters must be dug up and burned, thereby destroying fungi, viruses and pests. If you have collected seeds of the varieties you like, you can sow them in the soil after the first frost, but in a different area. Seeds are sown in furrows and covered with humus or peat.

Seed collection is carried out as follows: wait until the inflorescence withers, its center darkens, and white fluff appears. Pick the inflorescence and place it in a paper bag, where it will dry out, do not forget to label the varieties. It is better to sow last year’s seeds in the ground, since after 2 years they lose their viability.

Perennial asters are frost-resistant, but some varieties whose young plants should be covered with dry leaves or peat for the winter. If the stems are dry, it is better to cut them off before covering. With the arrival of spring, the shelter is removed, and the asters quickly grow.

Now you have learned the basic types and rules for caring for perennial and annual asters. Let asters delight you with their blooms every autumn!

It is not for nothing that the aster is called the queen of autumn, because when only chrysanthemums remain in the garden, the aster is just beginning to bloom. Growing asters is a very exciting activity, because from tiny seeds beautiful flowers grow over the summer, which delight with abundant and lush flowering throughout the fall. All gardeners, without exception, love asters, as these decorative flowers decorate the garden and do not require troublesome and painstaking care.

Description of the plant

The plant belongs to the genus of herbaceous perennials. The genus consists of more than 600 species. The plant is widespread as an ornamental. Asters can reach a height of up to 1.6 meters. Aster has a fibrous root system, the roots are located very close to the surface of the earth - at a depth of only 20 cm. The stem of the plant is straight, strong, covered with hairs. The leaves are simple, dark green.

Aster inflorescences are baskets that can be collected into panicles. The diameter of the inflorescences is from 1 to 6 cm. The inflorescences can be of a wide variety of colors. The shape of the petals is simple, semi-double, curly or terry. The seeds of the plant are small, dark or light yellow.

This flower came to us from China back in the 17th century. Since then, the autumn aster has been growing in our front gardens, pleasing the eye with its bright blooms. But these flowers first appeared in Greece, and in Greek aster means star. Many decorative varieties have been bred, and depending on the height of the plant, asters are used to decorate autumn flower beds, for borders, to decorate terraces, and are planted in rockeries. The plant looks great in group plantings. How to plant asters and what do these flowers like?

Selecting a site for planting

If you initially select the right site for planting asters, then in the future all care for these flowers will be reduced only to weeding, occasional fertilizing and watering. The aster feels great in partial shade or in a sunny place. If you live in a hot region, it is still better to plant asters in partial shade or shade them from the sun.

The scorching rays of the sun have a negative effect on this plant, as the delicate leaves can get burned, and the flower itself can lose the brightness of its colors.

Also, when choosing a site, give preference to a place protected from drafts and cold wind currents. The northern side of the garden plot and places behind buildings are not suitable for asters. The fact is that due to hypothermia. It’s great if the area chosen for planting the aster is located on a small hill, since then the groundwater will not harm the plant.

Planting by seedlings

If you want to get very early flowering, then try growing the flower in seedlings. Seeds for seedlings should be sown in early April, although some gardeners practice sowing seeds in March in order to get a flowering aster in the summer.

• Aster seeds should be sown for seedlings in pre-prepared containers. A mixture composed of leaf soil, turf soil and sand is poured into the boxes. Be sure to spill the soil in the boxes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate so that the seedlings do not get sick. After this, you can begin preparing the seeds and sowing them in the ground.
• Dissolve the fungicide powder in a small container of water and soak the seeds in it. This procedure will help increase germination. The soaked seeds are sown in prepared boxes for half an hour. The seeds should be distributed over the surface of the soil and sprinkled with a thin layer of river sand.
• After seed germination, seedlings must be planted. To do this, select young plants that have two or three true leaves and transplant them into the ground in separate pots. The soil can be taken from the garden, but you should add some complex mineral fertilizers to it. This flower really loves fertilizers with nitrogen, and therefore seedlings that have not yet matured should be fed with fertilizers with nitrogen before being transferred to open ground.
• After picking, the plant should be thoroughly watered and placed in a sunny place. The air temperature in the room should not be lower than 22 degrees Celsius. Already in mid-May, this flower, which appeared from tiny seeds, can be planted in open ground at the dacha or in the garden. In May-June, you can plant seedlings in a permanent place in the garden.

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Features of planting seedlings

Many gardeners cannot achieve lush flowering of their plants because they cannot determine exactly when to plant asters in the country house or in a flower bed, and how to do it correctly. Proper planting directly determines how quickly your asters will take root and whether they will bloom well.
Planting asters begins with preparing the bed and applying fertilizer to the holes. You can feed the aster when planting with organic or mineral fertilizers. Pour a little fertilizer into each hole and mix it with the soil. Then the seedlings are planted, deepening them 2 cm more than they were in the boxes. You should leave about 20 cm between plants. After you plant the seedlings, you should make a shallow ditch between the rows, into which you need to pour water. After planting, the aster must be earthed up so that the plants grow faster and are stronger.

When to sow asters?

This flower is grown from seeds. Sowing tiny seeds in open ground can be done in three periods at once:

1. You can sow the seeds in early spring directly into open ground. Growing asters begins in April, when the air and earth warm up a little. If you have light, fertile soil on your site, then sowing can begin in the first half of April. If the soil at your dacha or garden plot is heavy loam, then sowing the seeds should be postponed until mid-May. Early sowing of seeds in open ground is recommended for varieties that are suitable for cutting.
2. You can sow aster seeds in open ground in the fall, before winter. Typically this period occurs in mid-November. Since the soil will already be too cold, the sown seeds should be covered on top with a small layer of humus or peat. The seeds will germinate only in the spring.
3. You can also sow aster in winter. Sowing can be done in January. The seeds are simply scattered directly on the snow. When the snow begins to melt, the seeds themselves will fall to the ground and germinate in the spring. With this sowing, the seeds will undergo natural stratification.

Read also: Tuberous begonia - all about planting a flower and care features

Before sowing, the seeds should be soaked for a few minutes in a solution of absolutely any fungicide. Then the seeds are slightly dried and sown in open ground. Distribute the small seeds evenly over the surface of the soil. The seeds are sprinkled with river sand on top and then covered with film to create a greenhouse effect. The soil in which you will sow the aster must be moist. Such greenhouses are ventilated every day and watered only as needed from a sprayer, so as not to damage the delicate shoots with a stream of water.

Aster seeds germinate very quickly - already on the 5-6th day you can see tiny sprouts, which literally over the summer will turn into lush blooming, very beautiful autumn flowers. Planting asters of perennial varieties with seeds directly into the ground is easier and more preferable for many gardeners.

Sowing seeds directly into the ground

How to grow asters from seeds directly in open ground? You can immediately sow the seeds at the dacha in open ground, but in this case their germination rate will be much less. You can grow aster from seeds by sowing the seeds immediately into the ground at the dacha at the end of April or at the beginning of May. It is very important to properly prepare the bed - the soil on it must be loose, fertile and necessarily drained. If you grow aster from seeds immediately in the open ground at your dacha, then by the end of summer or early autumn you will see the result of your efforts. Most often, at home or in personal plots, in flower beds in parks, aster seeds are sown directly into open ground. Although many people prefer to plant aster seedlings.

Plant care

Caring for asters is very simple and consists of regular watering, weeding the beds, fertilizing and loosening the soil after rain and watering. Caring for these flowers is very simple, which is why gardeners love these ornamental plants.

When watering, keep in mind that this plant does not like excess moisture and does not tolerate waterlogged soil. If the summer is rainy, then you don’t have to water the aster at all.

Feeding

Aster needs to be fed several times during the season. Fertilizers are applied for the first time during the period when sprouts appear. After this feeding, during the period of bud formation, fertilizers must be applied again. During the period of active plant growth, a solution of 5 grams should be added under them. nitrogen, 4 gr. phosphate, 4 g. potassium per 4 liters of water. During the formation of buds, apply any fertilizer, including potassium and phosphorus.

Preparing asters for wintering

Perennial decorative autumn beauties can survive the winter without shelter. This is a huge advantage of these flowers compared to many other inhabitants of the garden. All that needs to be done before wintering is to cut off the shoots and mulch the soil with peat or sawdust, humus. Garden aster is a very unpretentious plant.

Aster is a flower that is highly valued by gardeners all over the world. By the end of summer, when most of the plants have already bloomed, he decorates the flower beds with a variety of flowers. Growing an aster is not difficult if you take into account all the rules for planting and subsequent care.

Description

This is a herbaceous ornamental plant of the Asteraceae family. There are perennial and annual asters, all of them number tens of thousands of different varieties, differing in height, shape, and color of the inflorescences.

The annual aster is called Callistephus. Its stem is erect, weakly branched, with jagged leaves of a rich green color located alternately on it. The fibrous root system is quite powerful. The basket-shaped inflorescence consists of tubular flowers and is surrounded by petals, which can have a wide variety of colors - from white to dark purple. Only orange is missing from the palette. Thanks to the unusual shape of the inflorescences, the aster got its name, translated from Greek as “star”.

Perennial asters

These flowers decorate the garden in late autumn, when there are almost no flowering plants left. They are also called October asters, winter asters due to the fact that even caught by the first frosts, they do not lose their beauty and, as soon as the sun warms up, they come to life again, opening thawed buds. Perennial asters can be of very different heights - from 30 centimeters to 2 meters. Therefore, you can decorate a border, a rockery with them, or place them in the very center of a flower garden. They are perfect for creating compositions and as a garden screen.

These very unpretentious plants will adapt to any soil. They prefer sunny places, but they also do well in shaded areas. Fertilizers are usually applied in the spring and during budding. In the fall, you can use wood ash as a top dressing.

Perennial aster should be replanted every 5-6 years. Reproduction can be done by dividing the bush or planting shoots. Use a shovel to separate a part of the plant. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the underground shoots. This part of the bush is planted in an area illuminated by the sun, since aster is a flower that blooms much worse in the shade. In addition, the plant is susceptible to disease.

Varieties of asters, which include perennials, are quite diverse. The most common in our area is the shrub aster, up to 50 cm high. It is covered with small (about 3 cm in diameter) flowers, usually lilac, less often blue or pink. Varieties such as Alpine, Italian, and Tongolian Astra are also popular. All of them mainly differ in the shape and color of the inflorescences. Tall asters include New England and New Belgian, their height can reach 1.5-2 meters.

Growing conditions

Aster is a flower that does not require any special conditions. However, it will exhibit its decorative properties much better if you follow certain rules when growing. A place for planting should be selected that is well lit by the sun so that the flowers have time to bloom before the cold weather. These plants prefer loamy, fertile, thoroughly dug soils. Before planting, it is necessary to ensure drainage and water permeability, since plants tolerate dampness and stagnant moisture very poorly. Growing aster flowers on damp soils provokes powdery mildew. Soils that are poor in composition are enriched with organic matter by adding 10 kg of humus per square meter.

Reproduction

Perennial aster can be propagated by cuttings. The shoots that appear on the plant in spring and during the summer take root very quickly (in 25-30 days), forming new strong bushes. A cutting is taken 5-7 cm long and planted in pre-prepared soil from turf soil, peat and sand. You can cover the top with film to speed up the rooting process.

Asters can be propagated by dividing the bush. It is important that there are 3-4 shoots on the separated part and some roots. Reproduction by seeds is also possible, but this is very unproductive, since the germination of seeds is lost quite quickly. Therefore, this method is used very rarely.

Only annual asters are propagated using this method. Cultivation from seeds can be carried out by seedlings or without seedlings. In the latter case, the seeds are sown directly into the ground and covered with film until the first shoots appear. When the third true leaf appears on the plants, they are thinned out to a distance of 10-15 cm. Growing aster flowers using this method is quite problematic. Not all varieties have good germination, and an open place under unfavorable weather conditions reduces the chances of seeds to germinate. Therefore, experienced gardeners prefer the seedling method.

Growing seedlings

At the end of March, seeds are sown in a greenhouse or special boxes. They are filled with a soil mixture prepared in advance from turf soil, peat and sand (in a ratio of 2:1:0.5). For every 5 liters of mixture, you can add half a glass of wood ash. A small groove is made in the soil, which after sowing is sprinkled with a 0.8 cm layer of washed sand. After this, it is necessary to pour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and cover the box with film to maintain moisture. The temperature for germination should be approximately 18-20⁰C. It is important to water on time, avoiding waterlogging of the soil.

Aster is a flower whose seeds quickly lose their viability. This requires a more serious approach to their choice. Only fresh seeds should be selected for planting. It is recommended to pre-treat them with a fungicide solution in order to prevent the possibility of diseases caused by fungal infections in plants.

Picking

Under favorable conditions, aster flower seedlings already produce their first shoots in 3-5 days. The film must be removed and the container with seedlings placed in a well-lit place. When 2-3 leaves appear on the aster sprouts, they can be picked. To do this, prepare a soil mixture that has the same composition, adding to it a tablespoon of mineral fertilizer containing potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Having filled special pots with this soil, make a small depression in it, into which the seedling is carefully placed so as not to damage the roots.

Then the soil around the plant is lightly compacted and watered with settled water. Watering should be done very carefully, starting from the edges of the container and trying to prevent water from getting on the leaves.

Bedding

When 5-7 large leaves form on the seedlings, they are transplanted into open ground. This usually happens in mid-May. Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil in advance. If its acidity is increased, then it is recommended to add 150-200 g of dolomite flour or wood ash and 50 g of mineral fertilizer for each square meter when digging. Sand and peat are added to clay soils. Asters are planted at approximately a distance of 20-30 cm from each other. Growing seedlings from seeds under insufficiently favorable conditions can lead to the formation of overly elongated plants. When planting, such seedlings need to be buried about 3 cm deep. After slightly compacting the soil around the plants, water them and pour a small layer of peat on top to avoid the formation of a crust.

Caring for asters

After planting flowers has finished, the aster needs further care. It is not as burdensome as when growing other plants. All that is required for full growth and flowering is weeding, timely watering and fertilizing. In dry summers, it is necessary to water the flowers more abundantly, otherwise the leaves may turn yellow and the number of inflorescences will decrease. Watering is especially important during the budding period.

At the same time, asters need to be fertilized with mineral fertilizers. They promote more luxuriant flowering and increase the plant's resistance to disease. Perennial aster is a flower that is grown in one place for a long time and requires the mandatory addition of organic matter to the soil.

Diseases and pests

The most common disease of aster is fusarium, when rot affects not only the root, but also the stem. Plants are also susceptible to powdery mildew, which appears as a result of too close planting or lack of nutrients. Diseases such as rust, blackleg, and verticillium also occur.

Insect pests are partial to asters. These are mainly spider mites, slugs, bud aphids and others. Spraying the plants with special means, as well as treating the area with lime and thoroughly loosening the soil, helps to get rid of them.

Varieties of asters

It is impossible to list all the varieties of these beautiful flowers. We can only mention those that are most popular among domestic gardeners.

Among the tall varieties, used mainly for making bouquets, Assol stands out with large crimson-red inflorescences up to 12 cm in diameter. Blue frost, so named for the color of its buds, can reach a height of 70 cm. Nata, Khavskaya silver and Khavskaya blue, Zephyr, Suliko - each of these varieties has its own unique beauty.

Low-growing varieties (Malyshka border, Leto, Odarka, Vologda lace, Zvezda Polesya and many others) are used mainly for decorative borders, flower beds and lawns.

Having provided comfortable conditions for this plant, you can grow it in an apartment. Domestic asters need sufficient light and moisture.

Among garden flowers, perhaps, you will no longer find such a variety of shapes and colors as asters. There are needle-shaped, chrysanthemum-shaped, and coronal inflorescences. The color of asters is simply amazing - red, burgundy, pink, white, yellow flowers can create a real carpet in the garden. And, given the unpretentiousness of these plants, even the most inexperienced novice gardener can grow such splendor on his own plot.