Aster long-term planting and care in the open field in the fall

What flowers to plant is a question that is asked by almost all gardeners and site owners. The desire to get a chic and constantly blooming flower bed makes professionals and amateurs look for the most exotic flowers. But one flower will certainly be found in any garden or in any flower bed. This is a perennial autumn aster. This is a flower that blooms one of the very last and pleases with its bright colors during the lingering autumn rains. In this article, we will consider the features of a flower that is familiar to us, talk about the main types of perennial asters and popular varieties, and also learn all the nuances of agricultural technology for growing an autumn beauty.

Varieties of perennial asters

This type of plant includes a wide variety of subspecies and series of varieties.

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Alpine aster. Blooms earlier than other varieties.Already at the end of May, you can see blossoming buds on it. Bushes of short stature - 20-25 cm. The leaves form beautiful bushes in the form of a hemisphere. The color of the flowers of this variety of asters is replete with its diversity. There are both white and pink, dark purple with a bluish tinge, flowers with a bright orange eye. The most common varieties:

• Gloria - blue flowers with a bright orange center;
• Vargrave - pink flowers with a yellow eye;
• Albus - snow-white flowers;
• Abenshein - double pale pink flowers with a yellow center.

Mongolian aster. It blooms in mid-July and belongs to the summer-flowering type of culture. It has its name due to its territorial origin: this series of varieties comes from Mongolia. The bushes reach 1 m in height, the flowering is quite abundant in large loose rosettes. Loves sunlight and tolerates frost well.

American (New England) aster. It blooms late - in the middle of autumn. In the southern regions, it can bloom in November. Huge bushes reach a height of 2 m. It has large bright flowers of unusual shades for asters. The most popular are:

• September Ruby - red flowers with a light eye
• Violetta - deep purple flowers;
• Purple Cloud - tall bushes with huge lilac flowers;
• Kylie is a frost-resistant aster (tolerates night temperature drops down to -5 ° C), the bush is dotted with small pink flowers.

Chamomile (Italian aster). The flowering period begins in August, the flowers are small lavender, collected in inflorescences in the form of umbrellas, several pieces.

• Ultramarine - violet flowers with blue tips and a yellow heart
• Violet Queen is the most common cultivar in this series and has beautiful purple blooms.

Rules for planting perennial asters in open ground

All perennial asters need an abundance of sunlight. It is necessary to take this fact into account when planning the planting of a flower in open ground. Never plant this plant in a flooded area. It is also worth knowing that asters love phosphate fertilizers. It is better to start care in the form of soil enrichment even before the seedling is planted in the ground. Be sure to perform activities such as digging the ground (to a depth of 30 cm), removing weeds and watering thoroughly before planting. It is advisable to add lime or dolomite flour to the soil when digging.

Sowing calendars for 2017

Planting perennial aster seeds in open ground

In the southern regions, the seeds of perennial asters are sown directly into open ground in late autumn or spring, sprinkling them with a centimeter layer of humus. Slightly matured seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. It is important that the seeds are as fresh as possible. You will be able to see colorful flowers, as in the provided photos, only after a year. In regions with a more severe climate, the seedling method of growing perennial asters is practiced. Purchased soil is quite suitable for planting seeds. The container with the sown seeds is covered with polyethylene and placed in a sunny place. When the leaves appear, the seedlings are carefully dived into separate pots.

Aster propagation by dividing the bush

Dividing the aster bush (vegetative method) is a simple and quick method of propagation and planting new areas with flowers. It is necessary to separate part of the bush together with the rhizome in the spring after the beginning of rapid growth, remove weak stems and transplant to a new place. Aster can grow in one place for up to 7 years, but in order to renew the bush, maintain lush flowering, it is recommended to replant the culture every three years. Perennial aster tolerates bush division quite well.

Aster care in the open field

Aster can be called an unpretentious plant to care for. But in order for it to bloom in all its glory, you need to adhere to some rules of agricultural technology. First of all, it is necessary to ensure proper watering. Perennial refers to moisture-loving flowers. You need to moisten the soil with an abundant volume of water.But it is not worth it to be frequent with this procedure. The soil should dry out before the next watering. During the period of heavy rains, additional soil moisture is not carried out.

It is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil. The land needs to be loosened regularly, weed beds from weeds. In advance, before flowering, high hilling of plants is carried out - this stimulates the strengthening of the root system of perennials. In order to prolong the flowering period, one must not forget to promptly remove drying inflorescences from the bushes. They are left only on those specimens that are intended for collecting seeds. Aster is a frost-hardy plant. You can leave the perennial to winter in the open field. Preparatory measures are trimming the aboveground part and covering the flower bed with a layer of mulch.

Fertilizing and feeding perennial asters

Fertile lands with a high humus content are suitable for growing asters in the open field. If the land on the personal plot does not meet these requirements, fertilization will help to correct the situation.

Diseases and pests of perennial asters

Perennial aster is ideal for creating landscape design, resistant to many diseases and pests, unpretentious in cultivation. However, in a damp summer, with improper watering or planting asters in damp waterlogged soil, the likelihood of infection of a perennial with powdery mildew sharply increases. The disease is transmitted from plant to plant by air. The area of ​​the lesion depends on the density of growth of asters, the presence of moisture on the leaves. In order to prevent this disease, it is recommended to treat the flowers with Topaz twice before flowering. Dilute "Topaz" at the rate of 2 ml of the drug per 10 liters. water.

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In the fall, it is recommended to process the alpine aster with copper sulfate (dilute 50 g of the drug in a standard 10-liter bucket of water), after which the plants must be cut off. Infected shoots should be cut and burned, since the powdery mildew fungus can be on the leaves and stems of the plant throughout the winter, and in the spring, discard new spores and infect the flowers growing nearby.

Aster is a perennial or annual plant that is widespread throughout the world. The vast majority of planting is carried out in the open field. Breeding at home in a pot is used extremely rarely and only for dwarf varietiesrequiring special care.

Domesticated Aster requires a lot of light, so an additional source must always be present.

Also, Astra is often indoors suffers from lack of land... Therefore, transplanting an adult plant may be required more than once. After all, the plant loves fresh air and sunlight, which are inaccessible in the apartment. But if you carefully look after the plant, observing all the rules, you can achieve lush flowering no worse than in a flower bed.

Seed planting and outdoor care

It can be planted with seeds in open ground. This method is considered effective only if if you strictly follow the landing rules... At the very beginning, you need to choose high-quality planting material.

Store-bought seeds must be sealed, dry and free from visible damage.

Seed production date should not exceed 1 year, planting material that is stored longer than this time loses its ability to germinate.

Seeds can be harvested at home by yourself, from dead plants. In this case, they must be sown immediately. And the purchased and collected seeds are planted in open ground in the fall.

In this case, young plants will already appear in the spring, but they most likely will not mature before flowering. Usually, plants bred in this way bloom only in the second year of life.

Aster seed boxes

Seeds can be planted in spring. In this case, the seedling method is used. It is more time consuming, but the result justifies the effort.

How to organize correct sowing in spring and before winter

There are two ways to grow outdoors: autumn and spring.

In the first case, seeds are planted into the frozen ground, to a depth of 3-5 centimeters. Previously, the soil on the site must be cleared of weeds and fertilized. The seeds are sprinkled with earth and watered with warm water. Despite the fact that for the most part Asters are frost-resistant, it is recommended to cover the seeds with a small layer of sawdust for the winter. In the spring, this layer is removed.

In the second case, the seeds are sown in the ground. at the end of springwhen the snow thaws and the earth warms up. Seeds are buried in the prepared and fertilized soil by 3-4 centimeters. After falling asleep with earth, the soil is slightly compacted with hands and watered with warm water.

If the nights are cold, it's worth cover the seeds with material until shoots appear.

When the future asters get a little stronger, they must be thinned out to a distance of 15 centimeters from each other. Plants planted in this way do not bloom until the second year of life.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Growing for seedlings is done in early spring.

At the very beginning, it is necessary prepare soil compositionconsisting of turf, sand and humus. The substrate should be light and loose so that air can pass through well. The seeds themselves, before planting, are placed for several hours in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Meanwhile, in the box where the future Asters will be planted, a drainage layer is laid from small stones or expanded clay. A ready-made soil composition is poured on top. Into it plant seeds to a depth of 1 centimeter and watered with warm water.

Re-watering is carried out only after the emergence of seedlings. Up to this point, it is recommended cover the box with plastic or glass. While waiting for sprouts, the air temperature should be 18 degrees.

When the second leaves appear, their transplanted into a separate bowl... With the onset of warmth, in mid or late May, the seedlings can be moved to a permanent place in the open ground. This procedure is performed in the evening. After transplanting, the soil around the plant is watered and mulched.

Diseases and their elimination

Very often, Asters are exposed to pests and diseases. The most dangerous are the following:

1. Fusarium... This is a fungal disease that occurs from excessive soil moisture. Annual species are more often susceptible to fungus. Externally, the disease manifests itself as dark stripes on one side of the plant. The next stage is yellowing of foliage and wilting of inflorescences. It helps to fight fusarium with ordinary lime, which is sprinkled around the flowers.
2. Blackleg... She is also a fungal disease. At the first signs of thinning and blackening of the stem at the base, the soil should be treated with potassium permanganate. Severely affected plants should be removed from the flower bed.
3. Septoriasis... It appears with brown spots. Waterlogging of the soil and high air temperature provokes septoria. To get rid of the disease, it is necessary to spray the bushes with a solution of Bordeaux liquid every two weeks.
4. Jaundice... A viral disease carried by aphids and cicadas. The leaves turn yellow and the buds stop growing. There is no cure for the disease. The only way is to remove the affected flowers and kill insects.
5. Aphids, cicadas and spider mites - all of them harm the plant and lead it to death, if not destroyed during them. Any chemical specialized product that can be bought in a store will help in this.

To prevent fungal diseases, Asters should be watered with warm water with the addition of 1 glass of nettle or celandine infusion.

You can prepare the infusion by pouring 1 kilogram of grass with 10 liters of hot water.

Fertilization and feeding

In order for the flower to develop well and have an attractive appearance, it must be fertilized. It is customary to feed the flower with mineral fertilizers and wood ash.

Nitrogen fertilizers, on the other hand, should not be used, as they enhance the growth of leaves, which in turn reduces the number of inflorescences. It is recommended to apply fertilizers twice a season.

In autumn, humus or compost can be added to the soil before planting seeds.

Plant propagation

Aster can be propagated in several ways:

1. Seeds... In this case, the seeds are sown in late autumn in frozen ground or in early spring in boxes to obtain seedlings.
2. Perennial can reproduce vegetatively... The bush of the plant is divided into equal parts with a sharp object so that at least 5 shoots and good roots remain on each. The resulting plants are planted in pre-prepared holes and watered with water.
3. Cuttings... This method is used less often than others. In order to obtain a new plant, the upper shoot is cut off and placed in the soil. A few days later, after rooting, the cuttings are transplanted to a new place.

Perennial

Perennial Asters are a large group of plants of the Aster family, which numbers several hundred species and varieties.

The most popular are the following:

1. Alpine - This is a large species with a varied color scheme, which blooms earlier than others and looks like a chamomile.
2. New Belgian - a frost-resistant species that mainly blooms in autumn and has large multi-colored inflorescences.
3. Italian Asters - medium height Asters, from 30 to 60 centimeters, with a range of colors of all pink and purple colors.

Annuals

Annual plants of the Astrov family are no less popular among flower growers. The most common varieties:

1. Ostrich feather - plant height up to 60 centimeters, large inflorescences, with curly petals. Colors from white to dark blue.
2. Victoria - a medium-sized plant, blooming in a variety of flowers by the beginning of autumn. Outwardly, it looks like a chamomile.
3. Duchess - high aster up to 100 centimeters, with a large spherical inflorescence of bright colors.
4. American beauty - frost-resistant and drought-resistant Aster with round inflorescences of various colors.

These are just one of the few known varieties. A wide range of shades and shapes will impress even the most sophisticated flower lovers.

Combination with other plants

Asters work well with many garden plants.

The flower looks good with carnations, peonies, irises, lilies and even roses. But neighborhoods with vegetables such as tomatoes and potatoes are best avoided, as fusarium disease can develop.

Also Astra should not be planted under conifers - falling needles provoke the growth of rust on the leaves.

Asters in landscape design

In landscape design, Astra is used as a decoration for paths and paths. In a flower bed, they are used as a background for other flowers, since aster keeps color for a long time - up to 2 months.

Dwarf Asters are planted in hanging pots on verandas and gazebos. They also look great in massive floor pots along paths or near waterways.

Aster is a sunny and bright flower that looks perfect on street beds and in bouquets. If you take proper care of the plant, then its curvaceous forms will decorate any site for the entire season.

These flowers are called "shooting stars" or "octobrinks". Experienced flower growers have already understood that we are talking about asters, so similar to multi-colored stars. They decorate gardens and flower beds with purple, white, bright red, blue or purple flowers from June to October. The flowering time depends on the type of plant. And what they are - more on that later. In the article we will tell you about the cultivation of perennial asters, give recommendations for care, feeding, transplantation.

Perennial asters are decorative flowers that should be on every household plot, they are distinguished by beautiful flowering and have their own nuances in growing.

Types of perennial asters and their characteristics

There are three types of perennial asters - early (those that bloom in spring), medium (bloom in summer) and late - autumn.

Species name	Height	Flowering time	Description of flowers	Common varieties
Early flowering	Low-growing plants. They grow from 15 to 30 cm.	They begin to bloom the next year after planting. Bloom in May. Flowering time is about a month.	Single inflorescences. Their diameter is up to five cm. Color - pink, white, blue, purple, or red.	Alpine, Andersa and others.
Mid-flowering	The height of the spherical bushes is from 30 to 70 cm.	Bloom from June to late summer.	The color of the inflorescences is lilac, dark purple. The size of the inflorescences is from 2.5 to 5 cm.	Frikara, Italian, stone-leaved.
Late blooming	Bushes from 80 to 160 cm high.	Bloom all very much to frost.	The flowers are small (from 1 cm in diameter), but there are usually a lot of them.	Heather, New England, shrub and others

Where to plant perennial asters

Perennial asters love sunny areas, but they can grow in partial shade, but they do not like shade: plants planted in shady places will lose their beauty of their appearance, they will not bloom or bloom very weakly. Asters of this type and places where moisture stagnates do not like - from this their roots are affected by various diseases, including fungi and rot.

This is how the flowers of perennial asters look in close-up, asters have different variations of flowering, so everyone can choose an option to their liking.

Although perennial asters are undemanding to soil, it is best to plant them on neutral, light, medium-heavy nutritious loamy soils. The main thing is that they pass moisture and air well. When planting tall varieties, you need to pay attention to the fact that they are not placed where there are drafts: the bushes will fall from strong winds, and the stems will break.

It is advisable to prepare for planting flowers in advance:

1. Fertilize the soil with mineral (potassium, superphosphates) and organic (peat, compost, humus) fertilizers.
2. Dig up the soil.
3. If the drainage of the soil is poor, arrange for moisture drainage or add sand during digging.
4. To reduce high acidity, lime can be added to the soil. Dolomite flour is also suitable for this. They are needed for 1 sq / m about 200 gr.

How to plant perennial asters

Features of planting asters depend on their type:

1. Low-growing varieties are planted at a distance of one bush from another at a distance of 20 cm.The distance between rows is at least 30 cm.
2. Plants of medium-sized varieties should be planted at a distance of 30 cm, and leave about 50 cm free between the rows.
3. Between tall plants in a row, leave 50-60 cm, and between rows, skip 0.8-1.0 cm.

In addition, it is imperative to take into account the density of the bush - the above data are recommended for medium-branched bushes. Bushes with lots of stems and dense foliage need to be planted even less frequently.

Asters usually grow in one place for 5-6 years, and then they need to be transplanted to another place, while dividing the bush. If this is not done, the bush will be reborn - due to strong thickening, smaller flowers will begin to appear on it, the stems will become thinner and weaker.

Also, perennial asters differ in the form of flowering, which makes it possible to decorate your garden in an original way, using, at the same time, only one plant variety.

Features of caring for perennial asters

The most important thing in caring for flowers of this type is timely watering. This is especially important during periods of drought and during active growth of stems and leaves. It is necessary to water the asters abundantly, but not often - these flowers do not like the soil to be too wet for a long time. Using mulching will help simplify the task. Weathered peat, sawdust or any other similar natural material can serve as mulch.Read also the article: → "Types of mulch: features, comparative characteristics and advice to summer residents."

Thanks to their use, not only will moisture not quickly erode, but also a crust will not appear. Its appearance is very undesirable - because of this, moisture evaporates much faster, and the soil warms up much more. Due to the fact that air cannot penetrate under the crust, the roots are heated much more. Usually this is manifested by the fact that the bush withers in extreme heat, but after watering it quickly recovers. If this is observed, then the plants must be protected from this phenomenon by mulching.

Another important point of care is weed removal. They not only violate the beauty of the flower bed, but also take away moisture and nutrients from the flowers, so you need to weed the soil around the flowers regularly, not allowing the weeds to oppress the plants.

It looks like a bush of perennial asters in the garden - simple and tasteful, so you can decorate any flower bed, asters go well with many ornamental plants.

Some types of asters will need to be looked after more carefully. For example, for shrub. Although there are no differences in agricultural technology, it will be necessary to work on the appearance of the bushes - to do pruning: to cut off the tops to form bushes. Thanks to this, the side shoots will grow much denser and faster, and the number of flowers will increase significantly.

Tall varieties, especially those growing in partial shade, must be tied up so that the long stems do not spread out. But this should be done in dry weather, when the stems are a little sluggish. If the stems have fallen in the rain, you should try to pick them up as quickly as possible, before they are saturated with moisture - this makes the stems too fragile and can easily break off with any careless movement.

Tip # 1. Experts recommend pinching the tops of abundantly flowering varieties, which will greatly increase the number of inflorescences. Faded inflorescences must be regularly removed in order to preserve the decorative effect of the bushes.

How to feed perennial asters?

Like other plants, asters need feeding: flowers draw out all nutrients from the soil and if they are not replenished, this will certainly affect their decorative effect and health. Every spring, asters need to be fed with mineral fertilizers, but you do not need to use large doses. Read also the article: → "Fertilizers for the garden: mineral and organic products, the timing of their introduction."

There are several important points of fertilization of these flowers that must be observed:

1. Starting in July, it is undesirable to use fertilizers with a large amount of nitrogen for feeding - this will cause fattening of the plants, and they will not survive the winter period.
2. In order not to develop bacteriosis during autumn dressing, it is imperative to add 5-6% sulfur in powder to fertilizers.
3. The amount of fertilizer used depends on the area of ​​the flower garden and the age of the asters. So, for young flowers, you can apply about 50 g of fertilizer per 1 sq. / M, and for older bushes - 70-90 g.
4. Overdoses are unacceptable - the rhizomes suffer from this, which can cause the death of the entire plant.
5. Fertilizers can be applied around the bush, but not at the root.

The picture shows a close-up of perennial aster varieties bluish, unpretentious in care and takes root well in most cases.

Fertilizers for perennial asters

There are many types of preparations that can be used to feed asters. The table below shows the most popular means, but if completely different ones were purchased, this is not important, the main thing is that they contain the substances necessary for asters.

Name	Release form	Description of the drug	Purpose
"GUMI-OMI"	Mild concentrated fertilizer. Available in powder or granules.	Chicken droppings were used as the basis for the creation.Contains a balanced amount of trace elements, humic, mineral and organic substances,	For plant nutrition, improvement of growth and decorative qualities, extension of flowering time.
"Solution"	Highly concentrated preparation in the form of powder or granules	It is a universal chlorine-free product. Contains all the necessary substances.	Provides nutritious nutrition for asters and other flower crops.
"Flower Waltz Effect"	Highly concentrated liquid	Contains all the substances the flowers need in a balanced amount.	For full-fledged growth, development, splendor of flowers and high decorativeness of plants.
"HERA Flower universal"	Powder with a classic set of minerals.	Contains all the necessary substances in a balanced amount	For the normal development and growth of asters. To stimulate lush and long-lasting flowering, to improve decorative characteristics.
"Kemira Fertika"	Granular preparation reviews of gardeners about Fertika fertilizer.	Contains a composition specially formulated for flowers	To increase the duration of flowering, saturation of colors with bright colors

When growing asters, do not forget about fertilizing and feeding them, then the number of peduncles will be much larger, and the overall appearance of the plant is much more decorative.

Preparation for wintering perennial asters

Almost all, with a few exceptions, asters are frost and cold resistant. They do not need to be insulated for the winter. After flowering is complete, the plants are cut to the root. To protect the roots from frost, the soil around the bushes and the bush itself can be covered with compost. If not, you can use dry leaves or simply remove the soil near the bush and use it.

Insulation of leaves, spruce branches and other materials is usually used for young bushes that have not yet matured and may not survive the winter cold. Representatives of valuable varietal bushes are less resistant, so they also need insulation. What material to use for this? The one that is most readily available or in stock.

Tip # 2. When choosing perennial varieties, it is best to choose early and medium-flowering - late ones, when early frosts come, may never bloom.

Features of planting perennial asters

Asters of this type can be grown even by those who are just taking such a difficult and exciting path of a florist, since caring for them is the simplest. You can plant perennial asters as a hedge or curb:

1. On an alpine slide.
2. In the flowerbed.
3. Near the tracks.
4. By the fences.
5. Along the perimeter of the garden.
6. Near the house.

They can be planted both in single-varietal groups and in single clumps: plants decorated with a large number of graceful inflorescences and resembling huge bouquets will be appropriate everywhere and will become a real highlight of any site. Read also the article: → "Beautiful perennial flowers for a summer residence and a garden."

When choosing a variety of asters for planting in the garden, pay attention to unusual varieties, they are also easy to care for, but outwardly they will look more special.

Breeding methods for perennial asters

There are several ways to propagate this type of flowers:

Breeding method	Application	Peculiarities	Disadvantages and Benefits
Seeds	It is used in breeding Alpine asters, and other varieties reproduce so rarely.	You can use both purchased and taken seeds from your flower bed. You need to sow in the spring, after the soil warms up.	The seedlings are weak. Young plants do not always inherit the qualities of the mother bush.
Dividing the bush	Acceptable for 3-5 year old plants.	Early and medium flowering species can be propagated in autumn and spring, and late flowering only in autumn.	The method makes it possible to get a strong bush that has retained all its qualities.
Using layering	Can be used for bushes at least 4 years old.	Held in the spring.You can separate young plants in the fall or next spring. A large number of layers can be obtained at the same time.	Young bushes bloom in a year, and varietal ones - two after the start of the procedure.
By cuttings	Can be used for bushes with a lot of shoots.	It makes it possible to get a huge number of new plants.	For the winter, young plants, regardless of the type and variety, need to be insulated. The next year, the grown cuttings are planted in a permanent place.

How to deal with pests and diseases

Although asters perfectly resist many diseases and are rarely attacked by pests, if they are not properly cared for, this is still possible. Gray rot or powdery mildew is found on perennial asters if watered often and abundantly. The same is possible during too frequent rains. To get rid of diseases, you can use any drug that contains copper. This is copper oxychloride, copper sulfate.

There are also special preparations for this (Topaz, Fitosporin, Gummi), which must be used according to the instructions. Asters and fusarium can often be ill. To get rid of this disease, it is necessary to spray the plants with a solution of potassium permanganate, boric acid.

When choosing which variety of perennial asters to plant, pay attention to the colors, white and lilac asters are especially beautifully combined with each other.

Rust, jaundice, aphids, spider mites, slugs, scoops - these and many other diseases and pests can infect perennial asters, but this is extremely rare. Preventive examinations and, if necessary, the use of specialized drugs will help to avoid these troubles.

Common questions about growing perennial asters

Question number 1. Astra loves dampness or dryness more, what is the best way to water it?

The first rule of caring for perennial asters is to avoid dampness, since this plant does not tolerate excessive moisture and dampness. However, in dry, hot weather, they need moderate watering. It is especially necessary to pay due attention to watering in the process of tying buds.

Question number 2. Do I need to feed the aster?

It is desirable. Firstly, in this way you can prevent the appearance of pests and diseases of asters, and secondly, thanks to feeding, perennial asters will delight with their flowering almost before the onset of cold weather. Top dressing can be taken both natural and purchased special mixtures in specialized stores.

Question number 3. If the aster is sick, can it be sprayed with poison?

Yes, only with the help of spraying can aster diseases be avoided, especially such frequent ones as fusarium. To do this, you can either purchase a ready-made mixture, or prepare it yourself by mixing potassium permanganate, magnesium salts, zinc, copper, cobalt, ammonium and boric acid.

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These flowers are light-requiring, prefer light and non-acidic fertile soils. Otherwise, they are unpretentious and do not require painstaking care. We will tell you how to independently grow perennial asters from seeds and take care of them.

In total, there are about 500 species of perennial asters. The leaves of this plant are lanceolate and dark green in color. The inflorescences are baskets with a diameter of about 5 cm. The flowers can be simple, semi-double or double in shape.

Popular types and varieties of perennial asters

Only some species are grown in culture:

• Spring (early flowering) - Alpine and Anders asters;
• Summer (mid-flowering) - Italian asters, stone-leaved, Frikara;
• Autumn (late flowering) - heather asters (Finale, Schneegitter, Lady in Black are good), shrub (Rudelsburg, Heinz Richard, Alice Haslam, Blau Lagune, Krishna, Schneekissen are popular), New England (Barrs Blue and Rudelsburg are the most common varieties), new Belgian (varieties Marie Ballard, Mont Blanc, Jenny are suitable for growing in the middle lane).

Features of the reproduction of perennial asters

Seedlings of late-flowering perennial asters are planted in spring, and early-flowering ones in autumn. Alpine aster is most often grown from seeds.

Alpine aster bears fruit in July-September

The rest of the perennial asters are propagated mainly by green cuttings (in May-June) or by dividing the bush. In March, they dig out the bushes, cut them into pieces with a sharp knife, while each of them should have enough young roots and stems, after which the delenki are planted.

Perennial asters can also be propagated by layering: before the buds swell, the height of the bushes is brought up to 15-20 cm by pruning, the layering is provided with high-quality watering, the shoots are separated in the fall.

In one place, perennial asters grow up to 6 years old, but it should be borne in mind that with seed reproduction they bloom only in the second year.

How to collect aster seeds

To collect seeds, the first few formed inflorescences are left. Please note that the harvest period begins 40-60 days after the beginning of flowering. Therefore, it is often difficult to collect seeds from late-flowering asters, because frosts often occur in autumn, from which flowers die with unripe seeds. In this case, the heads of the asters are cut off in the fall before the cold snap and laid out at home on the windowsill. Unfortunately, however, these seeds often lose their germination.

In the fall, it is better to dig up a plant bush, plant it in a spacious pot and then grow it at home at a temperature of 16-20 ° C in a well-lit place. When the inflorescences wilt, and their center darkens and becomes covered with white fluff, the flower is cut, wrapped in paper and placed in a warm and dry place. Seeds are stored for no more than 2 years.

Growing asters from seeds

Seeds of perennial asters are sown in a sunny area in open ground before winter (in November, frozen ground or in snow in December) or in spring (in May). In this case, the seeds are buried into the soil by no more than 0.5 cm. Seedlings appear in the spring with the onset of warmth. For spring sowing, this process can be accelerated by first germinating the seeds in a damp cloth.

The seedlings are looked after in the usual way until the fall: the soil is loosened superficially, watered in a timely manner, weeds are removed and fed with complex mineral fertilizer several times per season.

In the fall, seedlings of perennial asters are transplanted to a permanent place in the garden (it should be sunny). In this case, the site is prepared 2-3 weeks before planting.

The best predecessors for asters are marigolds and calendula, and unwanted ones are tulips, gladioli, Shabo cloves, levkoy, potatoes, tomatoes.

Soil for perennial asters

The soil on the site should be light, fertile and not acidic. Astra does not like dampness and stagnant water, otherwise the roots will rot. The soil should be well air and water permeable and not cake. Sod land with the addition of coarse sand and vermiculite is suitable. But it is better not to use compost and humus. Before planting flowers, the soil is spilled with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin-M.

Sowing seeds of perennial asters for seedlings

With the seedling method, perennial aster seedlings are grown in the same way as an annual one. Sowing is carried out in the second half of March - early April. Naked seeds are lowered into cassettes or a small container with fertile soil into pre-made grooves to a depth of 0.5 cm. The container is covered with plastic wrap or a plastic lid and kept in a well-lit room at a temperature of 18-22 ° C.

Seedlings usually appear after 3-5 days. After that, the container is slightly opened and, if necessary, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle. During the day, the seedlings are kept at a temperature of about 20 ° C, and at night at 15-17 ° C. The place should be light (let's go to a window sill) and well ventilated.

In the phase of three true leaves, the seedlings dive - they are seated in separate small cups or cassettes.

10-12 days after the pick, the asters are fed with ammonium nitrate (1 g per 1 l of water). After another 2 weeks, 1.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1.5 g of potassium sulfate and 3 g of superphosphate are added to the soil. Fertilizers are diluted in 1 liter of water.

Planting asters in open ground

When the seedlings reach a height of 7 cm and each plant has 5-7 true leaves, asters are transplanted into open ground. But 1-2 weeks before transplanting, the seedlings should be hardened. To do this, they are periodically taken out onto the balcony for a while.

Seedlings are transplanted in cloudy weather or early in the morning and then shaded. Strong and squat plants do not deeply deepen, and the elongated ones are sprinkled with soil to the lower leaves.

When planting seedlings, it is useful to add a handful of wood ash to each hole.

Plants are located at a sufficient distance from each other: between large asters, it should be at least 80 cm, between medium - 50 cm, and between small - 30 cm.

2 weeks after planting in the ground, asters are fed with a complex mineral fertilizer, but without nitrogen. The next top dressing with the same fertilizer is carried out during budding.

Perennial asters are watered in a timely manner, but it is important that water does not fall on the leaves. After each watering, the soil is shallowly loosened.

Plants are able to hibernate without shelter, but in regions with snowless and frosty winters, it is better to mulch young asters with peat or cover them with spruce branches.

Observing these growing rules, in the second year after sowing, you can easily get a beautiful bouquet of asters. From medium-sized bushes, spectacular flower hedges can be formed. Dwarf plants are good for highlighting the outline of flower beds, lawns and borders. Groups of perennial asters of large varieties will be an excellent background for clumps of small perennials.

Aster is a perennial or annual plant that is widespread throughout the world. The vast majority of planting is carried out in the open field. Breeding at home in a pot is used extremely rarely and only for dwarf varietiesrequiring special care.

Domesticated Aster requires a lot of light, so an additional source must always be present.

Also, Astra is often indoors suffers from lack of land... Therefore, transplanting an adult plant may be required more than once. After all, the plant loves fresh air and sunlight, which are inaccessible in the apartment. But if you carefully look after the plant, observing all the rules, you can achieve lush flowering no worse than in a flower bed.

Seed planting and outdoor care

It can be planted with seeds in open ground. This method is considered effective only if if you strictly follow the landing rules... At the very beginning, you need to choose high-quality planting material.

Store-bought seeds must be sealed, dry and free from visible damage.

Seed production date should not exceed 1 year, planting material that is stored longer than this time loses its ability to germinate.

Seeds can be collected at home on their own, from faded plants. In this case, they must be sown immediately. And the purchased and collected seeds are planted in open ground in the fall.

In this case, young plants will already appear in the spring, but they most likely will not mature before flowering. Usually, plants bred in this way bloom only in the second year of life.

Aster seed boxes

Seeds can be planted in spring. In this case, the seedling method is used. It is more time consuming, but the result justifies the effort.

How to organize correct sowing in spring and before winter

There are two ways to grow outdoors: autumn and spring.

In the first case, seeds are planted into the frozen ground, to a depth of 3-5 centimeters. Previously, the soil on the site must be cleared of weeds and fertilized. The seeds are sprinkled with earth and watered with warm water. Despite the fact that for the most part Asters are frost-resistant, it is recommended to cover the seeds with a small layer of sawdust for the winter. In the spring, this layer is removed.

In the second case, the seeds are sown in the ground. at the end of springwhen the snow thaws and the earth warms up.Seeds are buried in the prepared and fertilized soil by 3-4 centimeters. After falling asleep with earth, the soil is slightly compacted with hands and watered with warm water.

If the nights are cold, it's worth cover the seeds with material until shoots appear.

When the future asters get a little stronger, they must be thinned out to a distance of 15 centimeters from each other. Plants planted in this way do not bloom until the second year of life.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Growing for seedlings is done in early spring.

At the very beginning, it is necessary prepare soil composition, consisting of sod land, sand and humus. The substrate should be light and loose so that air can pass through well. The seeds themselves, before planting, are placed for several hours in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Meanwhile, in the box where the future Asters will be planted, a drainage layer is laid from small stones or expanded clay. A ready-made soil composition is poured on top. Into it plant seeds to a depth of 1 centimeter and watered with warm water.

Re-watering is carried out only after germination. Up to this point, it is recommended cover the box with plastic or glass. While waiting for sprouts, the air temperature should be 18 degrees.

When the second leaves appear, their transplanted into a separate bowl... With the onset of warmth, in mid or late May, the seedlings can be moved to a permanent place in the open ground. This procedure is performed in the evening. After transplanting, the soil around the plant is watered and mulched.

Diseases and their elimination

Very often, Asters are exposed to pests and diseases. The most dangerous are the following:

1. Fusarium... This is a fungal disease that occurs from excessive soil moisture. Annual species are more often susceptible to fungus. Outwardly, the disease manifests itself as dark stripes on one side of the plant. The next stage is yellowing of foliage and wilting of inflorescences. It helps to fight fusarium with ordinary lime, which is sprinkled around the flowers.
2. Blackleg... She is also a fungal disease. At the first signs of thinning and blackening of the stem at the base, the soil should be treated with potassium permanganate. Severely affected plants should be removed from the flower bed.
3. Septoriasis... It appears with brown spots. Waterlogging of the soil and high air temperature provokes septoria. To get rid of the disease, it is necessary to spray the bushes with a solution of Bordeaux liquid every two weeks.
4. Jaundice... A viral disease carried by aphids and cicadas. The leaves turn yellow and the buds stop growing. There is no cure for the disease. The only way is to remove the affected flowers and kill insects.
5. Aphids, cicadas and spider mites - they all harm the plant and lead to death, if not destroyed during them. Any chemical specialized product that can be bought in a store will help in this.

To prevent fungal diseases, Asters should be watered with warm water with the addition of 1 glass of nettle or celandine infusion.

You can prepare the infusion by pouring 1 kilogram of grass with 10 liters of hot water.

Fertilization and feeding

In order for the flower to develop well and have an attractive appearance, it must be fertilized. It is customary to feed the flower with mineral fertilizers and wood ash.

Nitrogen fertilizers, on the other hand, should not be used, as they enhance the growth of leaves, which in turn reduces the number of inflorescences. It is recommended to apply fertilizers twice a season.

In autumn, humus or compost can be added to the soil before planting seeds.

Plant propagation

Aster can be propagated in several ways:

1. Seeds... In this case, the seeds are sown in late autumn in frozen ground or in early spring in boxes to obtain seedlings.
2. Perennial can reproduce vegetatively... The bush of the plant is divided into equal parts with a sharp object so that at least 5 shoots and good roots remain on each. The resulting plants are planted in pre-prepared holes and watered with water.
3. Cuttings... This method is used less often than others. In order to obtain a new plant, the upper shoot is cut off and placed in the soil. A few days later, after rooting, the cuttings are transplanted to a new place.

Perennial

Perennial Asters are a large group of plants of the Aster family, which numbers several hundred species and varieties.

The most popular are the following:

1. Alpine - This is a large species with a varied color scheme, which blooms earlier than others and looks like a chamomile.
2. New Belgian - a frost-resistant species that mainly blooms in autumn and has large multi-colored inflorescences.
3. Italian Asters - medium height Asters, from 30 to 60 centimeters, with a range of colors of all pink and purple colors.

Annuals

Annual plants of the Astrov family are no less popular among flower growers. The most common varieties:

1. Ostrich feather - plant height up to 60 centimeters, large inflorescences, with curly petals. Colors from white to dark blue.
2. Victoria - a medium-sized plant, blooming in a variety of flowers by the beginning of autumn. Outwardly, it looks like a chamomile.
3. Duchess - high aster up to 100 centimeters, with a large spherical inflorescence of bright colors.
4. American beauty - frost-resistant and drought-resistant Aster with round inflorescences of various colors.

These are just one of the few known varieties. A wide range of shades and shapes will impress even the most sophisticated flower lovers.

Combination with other plants

Asters work well with many garden plants.

The flower looks good with carnations, peonies, irises, lilies and even roses. But the neighborhood with vegetable crops, such as tomatoes and potatoes, is best avoided, as fusarium disease can develop.

Also Astra should not be planted under conifers - falling needles provoke the growth of rust on the leaves.

Asters in landscape design

In landscape design, Astra is used as a decoration for paths and paths. In a flower bed, they are used as a background for other flowers, since aster keeps color for a long time - up to 2 months.

Dwarf Asters are planted in hanging pots on verandas and gazebos. They also look great in massive floor pots along paths or near waterways.

Aster is a sunny and vibrant flower that looks perfect on street beds and in bouquets. If you properly care for the plant, then its lush forms will decorate any site for the entire season.

The word "aster" is translated from Latin as a star. Such a heavenly name was given to a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Asteraceae or Astro family, and consisting of annual and perennial crops. Astra is unpretentious, planting and caring for it is quite within the power of novice gardeners.

Today, there are several hundred types of flowers. Their appearance in Europe is associated with a French monk who smuggled the plant from China. An ancient legend said that two monks, not reaching the heavens through the Altai mountains, saw a meadow with beautiful unusual flowers at the foot. Disappointed in the search for stars, they gave a heavenly name to these plants, dug up some shoots and began to grow them in their monastery.

We will tell you about the methods of planting, growing this amazing flower, share some care secrets and methods of dealing with insect pests.

Description

Callistephus or annual aster is known among gardeners as Chinese or garden aster.

The description of the plant includes:

Aster types of inflorescences

• stems - branched, simple green, sometimes dark red;
• leaves - petiolate, alternate;
• root - powerful with many branches;
• inflorescences - simple in the form of baskets;
• the fruit is achene.

Today, the annual aster is represented by 4 thousand varieties, and many of them are similar to peonies, chrysanthemums and other garden plants. Breeders have made attempts to bring order to the groups and varieties of annual asters, but to date, none of the classifications are ideal.

Aster seeds

To grow asters, purchase seed not only from foreign companies. Domestic seeds are more reliable (for example, they are more resistant to fusarium) and are designed for our climatic conditions.

Don't buy seeds at the first store you see. Some unscrupulous sellers list expired or left-handed seeds for sale. Purchased sometimes in huge quantities, they do not have time to be sold in the first year or two. It is hardly possible to achieve good germination from such a seed.

Remember

You need to buy seeds only in specialized stores! No sales at markets, megamarkets or temporary booths at bus stops!

When purchasing bags of seeds, check the expiration date. If no shoots appear, try buying seed from another store and planting again. The beautiful appearance of aster flowers depends on planting and care.

Seedling method for asters

One-year-old asters are planted in two ways. The first, seedling, is more laborious, but the inflorescences appear several weeks earlier. If you want to have a lush bouquet of asters in the garden by September 1, choose the first method. It is also suitable for obtaining seeds.

The seeds are deepened to 0.5-1 cm. It is recommended to water the plantings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Until the first sprouts appear, containers with asters are kept under a transparent cap in the shade, and then they are opened and placed in a permanent bright place.

It is up to each gardener to decide whether or not to dive. Some people prefer not to disturb young plants, not to transplant them separately. Moreover, the seedlings grow well in a large group. And when planting in the ground, they simply separate the plants from each other, gently releasing the roots.

Aster seedlings care includes weekly feeding with complex fertilizer. Seedlings are transferred to open soil in May, when they have a strong stem up to 10 cm high and several strong leaves. It is better to transplant in the evening, so that the young shoots get used to the new place a little during the night.

Compost or humus is preliminarily introduced into the soil for seedlings, wood ash and dolomite flour can be added. The seedlings are well moistened, and then rooted in pre-watered grooves, keeping a distance of 20-30 cm between them. Sprinkle plantings with dry earth.

Landing in open ground

Choosing the second cultivation method, the seeds are dipped directly into the ground in May. Moreover, the seeds and seedlings of asters easily tolerate a night temperature decrease to -4 ° C.

Seat selection

Asters love sunny areas of gardens, and grow well in light partial shade. They prefer light, fertile soils (neutral or slightly alkaline).

Flower beds are prepared in the fall. For this, the selected area is dug to the depth of a bayonet shovel with the addition of a choice of humus or compost (up to 4 kg per m²). If the soil is depleted, then 1 sq. m during spring digging, you can add superphosphate - up to 40 g, ammonium sulfate and potassium salt - 20-30 g each.

Remember

Do not add fresh manure to the soil. This can cause fusarium disease and the flowers will begin to wilt.

Predecessors

Astra Ribbon Red

Experienced gardeners know that in order to get a good harvest, lush flowering, plant crops need to be periodically transplanted to other places. In addition, it is worth carefully choosing sites for those plants that do not tolerate certain predecessors. It is not advisable to plant asters in a place where tomatoes and potatoes have already borne fruit.A flower bed of asters will grow poorly after tulips, carnations, gladioli.

Remember

The landing sites of asters need to be changed periodically. The constant presence of these flowers in the same area can lead to diseases.

Before planting asters with seeds, small grooves are formed. Why put seeds in them, sprinkling them on top with a layer of earth one centimeter thick. Water the seedlings with plain water, or diluted with potassium permanganate to a slightly pink color.

After planting, in order to avoid rapid drying of the soil, asters should be mulched, for which peat or a special film is used. Use the shelter until the first shoots hatch.

Young asters thin out when the first two true leaves appear. A distance of up to 15-20 centimeters is left between the flowers. Some varieties require more space. It depends on the height of the flower.

Caring for asters

Caring for asters includes a full range of measures: watering, feeding, loosening, disease prevention and treatment in case of disease.

Watering

For proper flower formation, good watering is needed. You should not allow prolonged drying of the soil or strong waterlogging of the site with water. For hot weather, abundant but sparse watering is preferable at the rate of 30 liters per square meter. Do not forget to loosen the beds after it.

Remember

Lack of watering leads to the loss of the culture of its decorative appearance.

Top dressing

Outdoor care for asters requires mandatory feeding. Only the use of fresh manure, which leads to fusarium, is not allowed. It will be safer to use mineral fertilizers.

Several dressings are carried out during the season:

1. fifteen days after the rooting of the seedlings or the seedlings reach a height of 10-15 cm, any complex fertilizer can be applied.
2. During the laying of inflorescences, it is better to use either ammonium nitrate or a complex fertilizer with a nitrogen content.
3. When pushing out the buds, it is better to take full mineral fertilizer.
4. For the flowering period, mixtures with phosphorus and potassium or wood ash are suitable.

Remember

For the proper development of asters, only potash fertilizers that do not contain chlorine are suitable.

Periodically, you need to water the plants on top with a solution of potassium permanganate of a slightly pink color. This allows you to achieve lush and beautiful inflorescences. But only the stem and leaves are moistened; there is no need to pour water on the flowers themselves.

Bloom

After planting, the aster flower can bloom almost until the onset of frost. Various varieties form inflorescences from late July to early September.

Flowering times are different:

1. early varieties require 90 days after germination;
2. for medium - 110 days;
3. for late - 130 days.

Asters decorate gardens until the first autumn frosts. Annual varieties are great for forming bouquets. When cut, they can retain their beautiful fresh appearance for up to two weeks.

Transfer

Asters normally relate to transplanting, recovering quickly even after changing a permanent place of growth. Having carefully dug a flower with an earthen lump, it can be transferred to another area or planted in a container, decorating a courtyard or balcony. So you can plant new plants instead of dead or faded ones, or you can simply create a new look for a flower garden.

Seed collection

After flowering, asters are burned. It is done in order to destroy harmful insects and various viruses. Seeds are collected after wilting and darkening of the flowers. The fluff that appears in the center is cut off and laid out in paper bags. Seeds are collected in dry weather. Because wet seeds will require drying.

Remember

Aster seeds are difficult to store, and after a year or two, their germination capacity decreases by 2 times. Therefore, take last year's seed material for planting.

Seeds are planted before winter, but in a different area. They are laid along the grooves, and covered with dry humus or peat on top.You can sow seeds in December and January. Gardeners argue that such sowing is even more reliable, since the material is not afraid of temperature fluctuations. After the snow melts, to accelerate germination, the area is covered with a film.

Diseases of asters

A common disease of this culture is Fusarium, which manifests itself mainly in an adult plant. A suddenly yellowed flower begins to fade. There are no cures yet. Therefore, preventive measures such as crop rotation and crop rotation are imperative. Diseased plants are destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease.

Other cultural diseases include:

• Sulfuric leg is manifested by blackening of the base of the stem in seedlings and adult plants. Sick flowers are removed, the soil is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.
• Rust can be identified by bulging on the underside of the leaves. For prevention, you should not plant flowers next to conifers. Sick individuals are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. A sick flower is already being treated for her.
• Jaundice is caused by a virus carried by aphids and cicadas. First, the vectors of the disease are destroyed, and then the flowers are sprayed with insecticides. Affected specimens are destroyed.

Insect pests

You can fight insect pests with the help of folk remedies or pesticides. For example, a plowed slug can be simply collected by hand or metaldehyde can be used to destroy it. Plants with spider mites, meadow bugs, scoops are sprayed with karbofos, fosfomycin. Fundazole is used to combat the common earwig.

There are a number of preventive measures to prevent insect pests.

It includes:

• digging land for the winter;
• destruction of dead and faded plants;
• the right choice of varieties;
• improving soil quality;
• observance of distances when planting plants.

Asters look great in a flower bed with other flowers. You can choose a certain combination of shades and heights, getting a cascading flower garden. Asters are unpretentious. And having sown these flowers for the first time in your area, you can fall in love with them for life.

Garden aster is the most recognizable and popular in Russia and neighboring countries. For its simplicity, easy care and growing outdoors without problems.

Everything interesting about Astra

Asters are beautiful Compositae flowers, of which there are about 600 varieties. Perennial varieties begin their flowering rather late, therefore they are often called winter asters or octobrines. It depends on which species you decide to opt for, whether the aster will be in the form of a bush or a single flower. Plant height can be up to 2 meters. Asters begin to delight the eyes of others with their bright colors in early autumn. You can find inflorescences of various shades, they will change from white, and reach purple.

Aster receives universal admiration and delight deservedly. By and large, for the variety of different sizes (from miniature and border, to large and tall) and colors of various flower shapes.

Varieties of asters: perennial and annual

In the endless list of species of this flower, you can find both perennial and annual plants.

Annual chinese aster

Annuals or Callistephus Chinese, as these varieties are called in the scientific literature, include:

• Tubular varieties, the inflorescences of which are in the form of thin tubes.
• Transitional can be both reed and tubular.
• The ligulate petals are not narrow, but rather wide in the form of a tongue.

Tubular have feathery petals and twisted into a tube

1. Lilliputian
2. Aster flax

Transitional there are those that are understandable even from the name, they have tubes and tongues, they are subdivided into simple, semi-double, coronal:

Simple asters, have a middle of yellowish tubular petals surrounded by several chains of straight reed forms.

• Chamomile, Peony aster, Ostrich feather and Margarita - for cutting;
• Chrysanthemum aster Apollo, Victoria, Duchez, Waldersee - casing.

Semi-double varieties, due to the reed petals sticking up and to the sides, have a volumetric shape and a well-defined middle.

1. Madeleine, Anemonic - for cutting;
2. Mignon, Victoria Baum, Anmut, Rosette - casing.

Coronal these are species with rather lush and fluffy flowers, the middle of which is practically invisible.

1. Princess pink, Aurora, Princess Elena - for cutting into bouquets;
2. Ambria, Venice, Venus Pomponnaya, Peony Silver Tower and Annushka - casing;

You will not be able to see the reed core with small yellowish pipes, since the flower of these asters has a magnificent spherical shape.

Reed species, which consist of wide multiple petals, in turn, are also subdivided into several collected varietal groups:

1. Curly - have wide ligulate inflorescences that curl slightly at the ends; Comet, Hohenzollern, Early Miracle, Market Queen, Versailles
2. Radial or radiant with sharp tongues, which are twisted along the length without growing together; Delight, Star, Radio
3. Needle varieties - needle petals, thin and twisted. Valkyrie, Unicum, Riviera
4. Traned: Victoria, Lilliputian, Royal Dwarf
5. Globular varieties: Dragon, Princess, Milady
6. Hemispheric: American Beauty, Schenheit, Triumph, Pink Aster

Dwarf Tibetan aster blooms with numerous blue flowers, and miniature Andersen grows quite tiny (no more than 8-10 cm) and blooms with delicate purple flowers.

Perennial bush aster

Perennial flowers differ from their predecessors in that they have rather tall bushes.

Tall varieties should be grown to decorate flower beds or to create a hedge. If the perennial is undersized, then it is suitable for borders or small flower beds.

Depending on the appearance and flowering period, perennial asters are divided into several categories. At the beginning of summer, Alpine aster begins to delight with its flowering, and at the end of the hot season, you can enjoy the unforgettable flowers of Italian varieties.

With the onset of autumn, bush asters come to replace the previous varieties, dissolving flowers of the most unpredictable and beautiful shades.

Types of perennial plants:

• Alpine aster photo.

The height of this undersized species does not exceed 30 cm. It first appeared in the Alps. The flowers of the plant are located on one shoot and around their circumference can vary from 4 cm to 6 cm, outwardly similar to chamomile. The double center of the flowers is yellow and endowed with tubular petals. There are pink, purple and white shades of flowers. It blooms in early June and pleases others with its lush flowering throughout the month. Alpine aster flower perennial planting and care, which is not at all difficult, will delight you with its flowering for a long time.

It can serve as an excellent decoration for alpine slides or in flower-bed compositions next to stunted plants.

Common varieties:

1. Wargrave is a dwarf subspecies, barely reaching 25cm. It is a May flower with pink chamomile petals and an amber heart.
2. Glory. Even smaller than Vargrave. With a bright orange center and sky-blue long petals (about 4 cm).
3. Helen Beauty Perennial alpine subspecies of dwarf growth 10-15cm. Small flowers of deep purple hues. It turns out to be an interesting combination with flowers of Iberis and Chinese carnation.
4. Albus - consists of multiple pristine white inflorescences.
5. Dark Beauty is a dark purple curb aster that blooms in the last days of July and continues to bloom until mid-August.
6. Galiaf is a real alpine aster, often used for its intended purpose - on an alpine slide, and is also planted along the paths for rockeries. Long-lasting flowering with unusual lavender flowers.

• Shrub or bush.

This species was bred in North America. All varieties that you find in it have 20-60 cm shoots that are completely covered with foliage.

Shrub aster is the very first species to bloom in the fall.

The most popular bush varieties include:

1. Blue Bird is a short specimen (up to 20 cm) with sky-blue petals in the form of elongated tongues.
2. Alba flora foam is a medium-sized species. It differs in a different structure of the petals, some are lemon-yellow tubular, and others in the form of snow-white tongues.

• New England aster.

The height of these varieties grows up to 2 meters. Lush blooms can be either red, white, pinkish-peach, or heavenly blue and deep purple.

With the onset of autumn, asters will delight you with their rich inflorescences, the diameter of which is about 4 cm. These flowers can be used to create unforgettable bouquet arrangements that can live in water for several weeks.

1. Pearl House violet - lavender flower colors
2. Apollo white chinese aster
3. Andenken & Alma Pottschke bright pink petals coupled with a yellow spot in the middle, excellent pink asters

• New Belgian aster.

These plants can vary in height from 35 cm and reach 1.5 meters.

It is characterized by small flowers that can be pale purple, lilac, pink, burgundy or white.

There is a dwarf (miniature), medium-sized and tall Novobelgian aster.

1. Marie ballard blue aster
2. Royal Ruby deep red
3. Patricia Ballard dark pink aster
4. Royal ruby ​​red-ruby color
5. Winston Churchill burgundy - red
6. White Lediz snow-white flowers

• Italian aster.

It is a bush no more than 70 cm in size. You can find pink, lilac, yellow or dark blue flowers, collected in basket inflorescences. In August, it begins to delight its owners with lush and abundant flowering.

• Italian Rudolph Goethe terry lilac - pinkish inflorescences
• Amalia or chamomile or European
• Dwarf

How is planting and care carried out correctly?

Perennial asters prefer neutral soil. In the event that you know or think that there are not enough nutrients in it, then before planting plants, such land must be fertilized, mainly using for this:

• Compost or humus (2-4kg)
• Sulfuric ammonium and potassium salt (about 15-20 g each)
• Superphosphate from 20 to 30 g.

In no case, do not plant plants in places where the soil is moist, as this often leads to powdery mildew on the bush, and in the future its possible death.

These fertilizers are calculated for one square meter of the area where the flowers will be planted. Do not overdo it with additives, it will not lead to anything good.

The place where you plan to plant asters must be well dug, leveled and loosened. The distance between the planting samples should be about 20 cm. The dug holes should be of medium depth. After placing the seedlings in the hole, sprinkle them with earth and be sure to water them. They won't need watering for the next few days. After a few weeks, feed the asters with nitrogen fertilizers.

How to plant a perennial aster in the fall video:

How to care for outdoor asters

If you dream of growing asters, then this will certainly not be difficult for you.

First, look for an open area for your seedlings that is well lit by the sun. Also, this place should pass moisture well so that there is no stagnation of water.

It should be borne in mind that the plant prefers to grow in places where strong cold winds will not disturb it.

Having prepared the right soil where your flower will grow, be sure that in the future it will be easy to care for it, even if you are a completely novice florist.

If you plan to grow an annual plant in your garden, then all you need is to remove weeds, loosen the ground and water it in a timely manner.

Advice!

When planting, try not to plant sprouts close to each other, as excessive planting density can lead to fungal infections.

With proper care, you should remove dried leaves and inflorescences from the plant in time. This should be done not in the evening, but in the morning or before lunch, so that the plant tissues have time to tighten. This procedure will help the emergence of new buds, and also will not use up excess supply of nutrients.

Watering and feeding

Aster bushes are watered only at the moment when the soil around them is dry enough, since excess moisture is too harmful for the plant. If you decide to plant a flower in an area where groundwater or heavy soil passes, then be prepared for the fact that stagnant water will lead to rotting of the root system. It is imperative to loosen the soil, as this helps the plant to be saturated with oxygen. Removing all weeds is also necessary to reduce the risk of aster disease.

In the event that the summer period is too hot, then mulch the soil so that the moisture in it lingers a little longer. Dry leaves, sawdust or pine needles are suitable for this procedure.

Do not forget to feed the asters, which will allow them to produce beautiful and lush inflorescences. To do this, you can use mineralized fertilizers, which are: superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate. Wood ash will be no less useful. Avoid nitrogen fertilizers, because thanks to them, the plant will actively grow foliage, while practically not releasing buds.

As a rule, fertilizers are applied both dry and after mixing them with water. For the first time, it is necessary to feed asters a few weeks after planting. As soon as buds begin to appear on the plant, this is an indicator that it is necessary to fertilize the plant a second time. The third time it is necessary to use feeding is at the moment when the buds have just blossomed.

How to propagate correctly

Gardeners who decide to plant asters in their garden will certainly want to plant this wonderful flower. This procedure is carried out both with the help of seeds and by dividing the bush.

Sowing seeds of annual varieties is necessary in the spring in the ground. But remember, you can store seeds for no more than three years after you have collected them. Seeds of perennial asters should be sown immediately after harvest.

Seedling propagation

Seedlings allow you to get already gorgeous blooming asters by July. If you want seedlings to appear in the second half of May, then the seeds must be sown in the last weeks of March, but not later than the beginning of April. In order for them to climb for sure, you need to follow the following rules:

• The soil into which the seeds will be sown should be well fertilized, perfectly breathable and saturated with nutrients. For this, garden soil mixed with sand, peat or humus is suitable. Do not forget to disinfect the soil with a hot solution of potassium permanganate (1: 5). A drainage layer is also required and is placed on the bottom of the container to prevent water from stagnating.
• Place the seeds in shallow grooves, about 0.5-1 cm, and sprinkle with warm water. It is necessary to water the seeds next time only after the first borings appear from them. The boxes in which the seeds were sown are covered with foil, which will allow them to be in a warm and humid environment. Once the seeds have sprouted, be sure to remove the plastic wrap.The temperature in which future asters continue to grow should be no more than 18 degrees. Provide them with good lighting.
• After two full-fledged leaves have grown on the sprouts, they must be seated in separate containers. Be careful with the stem as it is very delicate at the base and can be damaged. Water the sunrises with abundant, but not frequent watering. Do not overmoisten the soil, as this can lead to various fungal diseases.

Planting seedlings in open ground

It is necessary to plant young growth in the garden in the second half of May, if the height of the seedlings is about 10-12 cm. The procedure is carried out in the evening, in wet and mulched soil with sawdust or grass. For the asters to take root better, temper the seedlings within a week.

The distance between tall pets should not be less than 30 cm. For short asters, 20 cm will be enough. Observing the optimal distance between the bushes will allow you to form a gorgeous carpet of flowering asters.

The areas where you plan to plant asters should be well lit, and also have light dry soil, which will allow moisture to quickly leave. If you decide to plant flowers where potatoes or tomatoes were previously grown, then it is better to refrain from this. The fact is that after these plants, pathogens of some diseases that are dangerous to flowers may remain in the ground. When planting the plant, leave a point of growth above the ground, and also do not bend the roots.

Seedless method from seeds

If you decide to stay on this option, then it should be borne in mind that asters need to be sown in two terms at the beginning of spring or with the onset of autumn. Using the first method, sowing should be carried out when the soil warms up enough and the threat of frost has passed. As a rule, this procedure takes place at the end of April or the beginning of May. If you decide to plant asters in the fall, then they will begin to bloom a little later, but the flowering will last longer and will be much smarter than with the first option.

• Use only if you are sure the ground is warm enough. In the fall, a site is prepared in advance, on which holes are planned in April-May, the depth of which is not more than 0.5-0.8 cm. The seeds are placed at a distance of about 2-2.5 cm from each other, after which they must be sprinkled with earth a little.
• Before the first bores appear, the seeds must be covered with foil. After the sprouts have risen, they should be thinned out, giving preference only to larger and well-developed sprouts. The distance between the shoots must be kept at least 14 cm. Transplant the seedlings that turned out to be superfluous to other areas where they can bloom a little later.
• Sometimes the seeds are sown in the ground even in late autumn or winter. Such asters will have a well-developed root system. In addition, these plants bloom better and longer, and are also less susceptible to various diseases. But this option has its drawbacks, since asters planted in winter will not have time to germinate seeds.
• As soon as the first tender sprouts appear, they should be thinned out and then planted in a previously prepared flower garden.

Division dilution

No less popular is the division of the bush, which is usually done in the spring. Such flowers will delight gardeners with their flowering in the fall. It will not be difficult to divide the aster, and the plant itself is easy to relate to such a procedure.

Vegetative propagation is carried out only if the growing part to be separated has 4 new stems, 1 bud and several roots.

How to protect perennial asters in winter

There are both frost-resistant types of asters, and not. In order to cover the plant before the onset of the upcoming cold weather, it is necessary to use spruce branches, peat or dry foliage. Before proceeding with the procedure, you need to remove all dry shoots.As soon as winter has passed, the shelter must be removed, the soil must be loosened and watered.

Perennial plants can grow in one area for about five years. Five-year-old bushes must be dug up, the root system must be divided and planted. This procedure allows plants to avoid infection with various diseases.

Who can attack octobrins: diseases and pests

Most often, asters are infected with fungal diseases, which are:

• Fusarium.

A plant that has been affected by this disease begins to turn yellow, become weaker, and subsequently withers. Unfortunately, it is impossible to deal with this ailment. The only thing you can do is keep other plants from getting infected. To do this, dig up the affected aster and burn it. A five-year crop rotation will help protect the plant from illness.

• Rust.

At an early stage, you can see the disease only by paying attention to the back of the sheet. At later periods, swelling, wilting and drying of the leaves are observed. To avoid such an ailment or to cure a plant that is already infected, you need a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

• Blackleg.

This disease mainly affects only seedlings, but there are cases when adult plants are also attacked. The reasons can be either excess moisture in the soil or overestimated acidity of the soil. Plants that are infected, starting from the ground, turn black and rot. Those asters that have become infected must be removed and burned. The soil, where healthy plants remain, is watered with a fungicide solution and sprinkled with sand.

• Jaundice of asters.

Carriers are cicadas and aphids. After infection, the foliage begins to turn yellow, and then chlorosis begins on it. To get rid of the disease, you need insecticides that are used to treat healthy plants. All infected flowers are removed.

• Verticillosis, gray rot, powdery mildew.

Diseases that need to be treated with the foundation.

Parasites that can harm asters are meadow bug, plowed slug, slobbering penny, spider mite, common earwig, scoop, kidney aphid.

To protect your flowers from these pests, you must follow these steps:

• In autumn, be sure to dig up the ground.
• Do not forget to add lime, compost and humus to the soil.
• When planting plants, keep the distance between them.
• Dying perennials or faded annuals must be removed from the flower bed and burned.
• If you find any pests or diseases, be sure to treat the plants.

Application in landscape design photo

Aster long-term undersized planting and care, which is quite acceptable, is quite often used to decorate flower beds, borders and create hedges. Due to their short stature, you can create unusual shapes and patterns or make a carpet of flowers, because if you follow all the necessary rules, then these plants are able to delight you with their bright flowering and unforgettable shapes.

They can be used both in group compositions with other plants, and when planted in flower beds alone. They will look unusual next to dahlias or phlox. They are also excellently combined with peonies, carnations and other flowers, whose shapes are similar to asters.

Where is it better not to plant asters:

• Next to gorgeous roses or lilies that will simply outshine their delicate beauty.
• It is not recommended to plant in the place where tulips or other asters, potatoes or tomatoes used to grow. All of these plants can contribute to Fusarium infection.
• Do not plant under or near evergreen conifers, as green needles can infect nasty rust.

All wishes and precautions should be taken into account in order to grow high-quality and healthy specimens of perennial asters.

If you want to decorate your balcony, gazebo or veranda, then compact varieties of asters that are planted in hanging pots are ideal for this.

The most common species used for home garden design are stunted perennials. Alpine aster occupies a leading place, since the unforgettable autumnal lush flowering of this species does not allow you to take your eyes off the plant and allows you to compare it with the flowering of incomparable chrysanthemums.

Asters are flowers that begin to bloom in the fall and are the last to wither with the onset of winter. If you want to fill your garden with gorgeous flowers that can delight you even with the onset of slight cold weather, then asters are best suited for this.

Reproduction of a winter perennial aster by dividing a bush video: