Perennial asters 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 is sure to 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 period of prolonged 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 and popular asters, 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. 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, 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 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 for the 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 landscaping, resistant to many diseases and pests, unpretentious in cultivation. However, in a wet summer, with improper watering or planting asters in wet 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 autumn, 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 off and burned, since the powdery mildew fungus can be on the leaves and stems of the plant all winter, and in the spring, discard new spores and infect nearby flowers.

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 extremely rare 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 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 your 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 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 get 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 coniferous trees - 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.

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, transplanting.

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.	They bloom all very much until 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 the 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 removal or add sand during digging.
4. Lime can be added to the soil to reduce high acidity. 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 shrubs. Although there are no differences in agricultural technology, it will be necessary to work on the appearance of the bushes - to do pruning: 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 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 feeding, it is necessary 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, prolongation 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 has warmed 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 an 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 (popular varieties Rudelsburg, Heinz Richard, Alice Haslam, Blau Lagune, Krishna, Schneekissen), New England (the most common varieties are Barrs Blue and Rudelsburg), 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 up 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, 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, leave the first few formed inflorescences. Please note that the harvest period begins 40-60 days after the start 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 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 an aster 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.