Perennial asters: varieties of alpine aster, features of planting and care. Alpine aster for the garden: growing from seeds

They can add color to the autumn landscape, offering their beauty. Asters growing in gardens and flower gardens often bloom in late summer and autumn, but alpine aster will offer its flowers in spring. Its cultivation does not involve a lot of maintenance work. Studying how these asters grow and how to care for them is useful for everyone who wants to have its star-shaped flowers in the landscape of their garden.

Alpine perennial aster is...

The alpine aster (A. alpinus) is the only true member of the genus Asteraceae, which is native to the mountain systems of Europe and North America. This is perennial herbaceous plant, reaches a height of approximately 15 to 30 centimeters, at the moment when flowers appear on the bush annually, at the end of spring, and the seeds ripen.

Most varieties of this species have colorful flowers. They are successfully grown on rocky, well-drained soils that receive plenty of sun. The bushes of this aster themselves are compact, clustered, like all alpine-type plants. There are six hundred varieties of alpine aster. Caring for the perennial alpine aster includes sowing (planting), pruning the highest branches for a more compact appearance of the bush, feeding and fighting harmful insects and various rots. The flowers are inflorescences of the basket, solitary. The color of the petals in the baskets of inflorescences: pink, lilac, lavender, dark purple, charcoal purple, snow-white and milky. The flowering of this plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

"Dunkle schöne" is a German species of Alpine aster, commonly known in English as "Dark Beauty". It has large, daisy-like flowers, with many dark purple radiant petals and yellow disc centers on short stems, 20-25 cm tall. Leaves are light green or deep green green tone, narrowly lanceolate and form a good tangle of bushes. Growing this variety is good because it is a supplier of cut flowers, and it requires regular care.

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Where did you live and where does you live?

The Alpine perennial aster is a dwarf that grows for many years after its initial planting in one place and originates from the European Alps. It is listed there as endangered and highly protected. Its bush forms single rod flowers from late spring to early summer. Therefore, it is an early flowering species. It is often used in rock gardens or to grow as an edging border for flower beds. Thickets of bushes of this aster form a low carpet of bright green leaves.

The Alpine aster grows in poor soils; it will survive even in clay, and in any heavy soil, but it will grow more slowly and bloom worse.

It should have, after landing, a lot of straight sunlight, but without much additional watering.

The perennial aster does not require any strong care. If you follow two mandatory rules, then the alpine aster will always delight the eye with lush blooms in flower beds.

• After the aster is planted, it is necessary to mulch the soil near it. Organic mulch will be able to hold enough moisture and nutrients. Place it a few centimeters from the aster stems, but not right next to them.
• Alpine aster has water requirements, but they are average; water is required regularly, but not too much. Proper care for asters includes watering at the base, but avoid splashing water on the foliage. Constant drops on the leaves allow powdery mildew and other fungal diseases to flourish.

What does he like and what doesn’t?

Likes to be watered only in the morning and occasionally.

They are not gluttons, therefore mineral fertilizers should be used sparingly, once a month or so, as the bushes increase in size.

Bushes growing for more than 4 years in one place require dividing themselves into parts or old plants die in the middle of such thickets.

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Requirements for soil pH and preference for different soils in%:

1. up to 5.5 (strongly acidic) – 6%;
2. 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) – 8%;
3. 6.1 to 6.5 (slightly acidic) – 56%;
4. 6.5 to 7.5 (neutral) – 30%.

Where to grow?

These are the sides of the ridges and the edging flower arrangements. The aster itself likes full sun but will grow in light shade, grows well in any well-drained soil, and the seeds should be planted in the garden after the soil has warmed enough in the spring. The perennial alpine aster will look great on the front of a ridge or near the border of a flower bed, but you can also place it among small shrubs.

Where and how to plant?

The distance when planting is carried out between plants, in a flower bed or in a garden, is from 18 to 34 centimeters.

Breeding methods:

• vegetatively - by dividing a coma of a perennial bush and planting new parts in a new place;
• from seeds - direct sowing in the open air in the fall before winter;
• from seeds - sowing in winter in containers in greenhouses or unheated greenhouses;
• from seeds - sowing indoors for seedlings in the spring;
• from seeds - direct sowing after the last frost in the spring into the soil of the flower garden.

Boarding instructions

Growing aster by simple sowing is a delicate matter. This perennial with small seeds is best sown for seedlings in fine soil, at a distance of 2.5 to 3 cm from each other. To a depth of up to 2 cm. Germinates from 15 to 25 days from optimal temperature soil from +20 to +25 degrees. Germination is improved by pre-chilling the seeds in the refrigerator two to three weeks before planting.

Alpine aster grows best when sown in a planting container, as such a habitat is easier to control. Fill the container with light, airy, sterilized soil; the container itself must have drainage holes.
Cultivation by sowing seeds into the soil occurs by direct sowing, covering with a thin layer of dry soil. For the best contact of seeds with the soil, they are lightly pressed. Next, cover the container with newspaper to reduce evaporation and keep the soil moist until seedlings begin to appear. After this, immediately remove the cover, otherwise the seedlings will not begin to germinate.

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When the seedlings show their first green leaves, you will need water with a liquid solution complex fertilizer"Kemira", strictly according to the instructions. Repeat fertilizing every two weeks, placing the container in the sun.

When the seedlings have their first set of true leaves, they need to be transplanted into separate plastic pots. Next, the plants grow in full sun, with cool nights, from +10 to +14 at night. After the last frost it is necessary to move the pots to open air until the plants are well hardened and have a height of 5 to 8 cm, then they are planted on permanent place.
Planted in the evening in pre-watered holes. After planting, the seedlings are immediately watered with water with the addition of ½ liter per bucket of water, a liquid solution of potassium humate, to reduce the shock of transplantation. Keep new plantings moist and continue infrequent but even watering until flowering stops.

What is the care for living a life free of disease and pests?

Growing and caring for alpine asters should include control of powdery mildew and leaf borers. The disease is easier to prevent by dividing the bushes, in autumn or spring, into medium-sized clumps, removing and discarding all weak, diseased and old parts.

Powdery mildew can be controlled using fungicidal sprays or “green soap” if the disease is detected early. Regular use of fungicides during the growing season will help avoid causing irreparable damage by powdery mildew to the aesthetic appearance of the flower garden. Spraying with herbal infusions will repel small leaf-eaters and aphids, which sometimes feed on the succulent growth point of growing asters.

If this miracle aster is included in the decoration of the site, it will be able to delight with its flowering for many years, without requiring additional care. This hardy perennial plant will repeat its spring blooms for many years, delighting the gardener.

When choosing which flower to plant in their dacha, gardeners want the plant to be unpretentious, to bloom as long as possible, and to please the eye with beautiful flowers. The Alpine aster meets all these requirements - it goes well with other flowering plants as part of flower beds, looks great in monobeds. Not too demanding to care for, it will delight the owner with beautiful flowers.

General description and main varieties

Alpine aster is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. As for representatives of this family, aster blooms quite early - in late May or early June. The flowers of the plant are small, their diameter does not exceed 5-6 cm. appearance The perennial alpine aster resembles a chamomile, but differs from it in its variety of colors, which is why it has won the love of summer residents.

White, blue, purple, lilac and pink asters grow in lush bushes no more than 30 cm high. The plant is excellent for decorating hills and rockeries, ordinary flower beds.

Breeders have developed many varieties of alpine aster. On personal plots the most common are the following:

Growing from seeds

Alpine aster seeds ripen in late July or early August. They are flattened, obovate-shaped achenes with a small “tuft” white. At direct sowing Seeds rarely germinate normally into the ground, especially when it comes to early flowering varieties. In the conditions of the cold Russian spring, it is difficult to obtain well-warmed soil, so seed germination deteriorates. First, the seeds are sown at home, then the grown plants are transplanted into open ground.

In order for seeds to germinate successfully at home, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

If you come across a variety that you want to have in your garden plot, but there is no way to collect seeds, you can propagate the flower using apical cuttings. Its length should be at least 6 cm. After cutting, the cuttings are planted in the shade in moist, fertilized soil and covered with a glass jar or a cut plastic bottle. Within a month the plant will take root.

You can also propagate your favorite alpine beauty by dividing adult bushes.

Plant care

If a perennial alpine aster has “settled” in a flowerbed, planting and caring for a plant can be done even by novice gardeners. In the first year after planting in open ground, young plants do not bloom, but intensively increase their root and green mass, and only in the second year do they delight abundant flowering.

The principles of caring for the Alpine aster come down to the following recommendations:

Alpine aster does not require complex care; the listed recommendations are easy to follow with minimal costs time. In autumn, flowers require preparation for winter: the above-ground parts are cut off, the plants are covered with sawdust, dry leaves or sand. With the onset of spring, you must first remove snow from aster plantings to prevent moisture from stagnating and plants rotting.

Diseases and pests

Alpine aster is rarely affected by diseases, but in damp and rainy summers powdery mildew may appear. This fungal disease, which appears as a gray-white coating on the stems and leaves. They fight powdery mildew with the help of Topaz or Fundazol. The products are diluted in water according to the instructions, and the plants are sprayed at least twice.

If asters grow in waterlogged soil, fusarium may develop - rotting of the roots. Plants become brown in color and die over time. At the first signs of the disease, the affected plants are removed by the roots, and measures are taken to help drain the area.

Asters can be attacked by the following insect pests:

• cutworm caterpillars;
• spider mites;
• slugs;
• meadow bug;
• slobbery pennitsa.

Insect pests are controlled using insecticides that are sold in agricultural stores.

Thanks to their beauty and unpretentiousness, alpine asters quickly win the hearts of summer residents; Having planted the plants once on their site, the owners will never give up the charm and colorful colors of asters.

Any garden is magnificent with asters

For a summer resident, a garden is like heaven on earth, how pleasant it is to be here, to take care of flowers. But it often becomes sad that we cannot prolong the flowering of our favorite plants, because in our country the climate cannot be called hot. Of course, we cannot stop the cold, but it is possible to admire the beauty of the garden until autumn. After all, you can plant perennial flowers that are not afraid even of frost. Asters are exactly like that, and you understand that today we will talk about them. But we will not talk about all flowers, because there are so many of them, but about one species, and it will be alpine aster.

Description of the species and its origin

Asters are unique flowers, because they can grow even in the most unfavorable regions, bloom the longest, and there is a very wide variety of them. Moreover, each flower and variety is like a separate, unique natural masterpiece. Asters amaze with their variety of shades, including burgundy, purple, lavender and rare blue. Seeds can be bought everywhere.

Alpine aster is one of the main species; by the name you can understand where this species comes from. Yes, in the wild, such flowers prefer to grow in mountainous regions, on hillsides. Moreover, if you haven’t understood yet, then this is a species, and it already includes a lot different varieties for every taste. What is so special about these flowers? For example, the timing of flowering.

Asters can bloom early, in summer and autumn, just like chrysanthemums. It’s not so often that you see flowers in the garden that are already pleasing in May, and these are not primroses. It is the Alpine aster that can bloom in the spring. To do this, it is planted using the seedling method. But you can sow seeds directly into the soil, which gives another big advantage astram. Yes, they are rarely afraid of return frosts and grow quite quickly, the main thing is to choose a good place and soil. But more on that later.

Alpine aster is a perennial; it can grow in one place for more than one year, but to keep the bush beautiful, it is better to renew it and replant it every 3-4 years. Refers to this flower to the large family Asteraceae. The root system is well developed, it is located parallel to the ground. It begins its growth with a rosette of leaves, which, as the stem grows, become smaller and smaller towards its end; here a bud begins to form. The flowers are located in baskets, where there can be up to 25-30 of them.

On a note! Many people confuse asters with simple daisies, chrysanthemums and daisies. But still, these are different flowers with their own requirements for soil and care. Primary colors are white, pink, lilac, crimson, blue.

The height of the bushes is up to 35 cm, there are also shorter representatives of the species - up to 15-20 cm, which makes them an ideal decoration for borders, alpine slides, paths. Flowers look great in flowerbed arrangements or simply planted in rows. You can even create a design using different colors of alpine stunted asters.

Which variety to choose?

A beginner in gardening is often confused - there are so many species, and even more varieties. How to choose the one you need. Well, firstly, you immediately need to decide when you want to see the first flowers, secondly, what size bushes will best decorate your site, and thirdly, which is very simple - pay attention to the photos of those who have already planted plants. We will now tell you about some varieties of the perennial alpine aster. You can see photos of flowers on the package with seeds, but it’s still better to look at real pictures of summer residents. After all, so often manufacturers embellish the sizes and shades of colors in many ways.

So, some of the best asters alpine species- This:

• “Happy End” is among the first flowers that will delight you with their bloom and aroma. It is, of course, not expressed, but you can still catch the sweet notes. These asters are pink, their stems are dense;

  Variety "Happy End"

• “Alba” - its inflorescences can be called semi-double, the bushes themselves are quite compact - up to 20 cm, begins flowering in June and continues until August. The flowers are white, yellow in the middle, this variety is often called alpine chamomile;
• "Dunkle Schene" - blooms beautiful bush purple flowers around June. Asters have a diameter of up to 3-4 cm. Does not require special care and attention;

  "Dunkle Schene"

• “Wargrave” - pink aster, inflorescences 4-5 cm in diameter. The center is yellow, popular with summer residents;
• “Helen-beauty” - its flowers are also classified as semi-double, they are located in baskets. These are beautiful bushes, only 15 cm tall, with purple flowers;
• “Superbus” - small bushes delight with their flowering from the end of May until July, the inflorescence is 3 cm in diameter, their color is lilac with a blue tint;
• “Ruber” - magnificent ruby ​​inflorescences of this alpine aster, their diameter is about 4 cm. It looks very beautiful both alone and with white asters.

You can choose one of these varieties or any other or an assortment of them. You can buy seeds in garden stores, but there are not always varieties that are very popular or rare. Then an online store can come to the rescue.

Important! It is better to sow aster seeds that were collected a season earlier, and not those that are already two or three years old. Consider this information when choosing them in stores.

There are many varieties, but asters still have fairly similar agricultural techniques, and if there are any nuances, you can usually find out about them on the package of seeds, where the manufacturer prescribes them. As a rule, they try to give advice and show agricultural techniques, because if you, out of ignorance, do not grow these varieties, you will decide that they were pumped up seeds. This is not profitable for the manufacturer. So, consider the following important points, before you start growing alpine aster from seeds at home or directly in the beds.

• Flowers love fertile soil, but not the one with fresh manure or compost, but the one with humus. It can be poured into the holes themselves when planting seedlings in a permanent place, or applied to the entire area. In the spring, you simply redraw the soil.
• As for fertilizers, asters often lack calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Therefore, you need to fertilize if you do not have fertile land on the site.
• They also add to the soil dolomite flour and lime to reduce acidity if the pH is less than 6.5, and to obtain the same calcium.
• Perennial asters grow quickly and have a well-developed root system, so they are not so easy to transplant from place to place. Decide in advance what your flowerbed will look like.
• Observe the level of planting - tall varieties come first, followed by low and ground cover varieties.
• Select asters from different terms flowering so that your garden is beautiful from early spring until late autumn.
• Don't plant too much different shades perennial alpine aster, since together with other plants it can be very tacky.
• Predecessors are also important - do not plant flowers where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers grew, since they suffer from the same diseases. And that's where they were spices, garlic, marigolds, calendula, please.
• Change perennial asters every 4-5 years, renew the bushes.
• The area for flowers should be well lit or in light partial shade, the soil should be well permeable to moisture and air, and there should be no stagnation.

If you take all these into account important nuances, then your alpine asters will feel great. Bushes at good care and conditions, they begin to bloom earlier and flowering continues longer. They also grow and develop evenly, the flowers look full, and the leaves do not fade. And let's move on to planting and caring for the perennial alpine aster. The technique is quite simple, but there are points that are worth paying attention to.

Alpine asters - sowing dates, step-by-step agricultural technology, growing methods

When to sow aster?

There are several options - in the spring for seedlings at home, outside - closer to summer, or in the fall - before winter. If you want to grow seedlings so that they bloom in May, then start sowing from the second ten days of March until the beginning of April. If there is no time and place to do such plantings, then you can sow the seeds in May, but the asters will bloom only in the summer. There is also an option to make furrows after frosts - by sowing aster in this way, you will get seedlings in the spring. Weather hardening will allow the seedlings to be strong and grow quickly.

Important! Plant every year according to the dates of the gardener’s lunar calendar. This assistant talks about any business on the site, both with flowers and with vegetable crops, and also with trees.

We sow perennial aster using the seedless method

You took into account all the nuances and found the place. Now you need to pour boiling water over it to disinfect it and add humus. This is done approximately 1-2 weeks before the intended sowing. If your soil can hold moisture, add some sand or perlite to the furrows or holes. Now sow the seeds to a depth of 3 cm. Then sprinkle with soil, water and place a sign so as not to trample the crops.

If you want to sow alpine aster seeds in winter, then do all the same steps after the first frost. Then plant the seeds and mark the location. If your region is very harsh winters, then the crops can be mulched until spring with straw, spruce branches or peat. After germination, the mulch will need to be removed. It will retain both warmth and moisture for future flowers.

We sow alpine aster for seedlings

Select the date by lunar calendar. By this day, you should already have prepared the soil and containers for sowing. You can buy soil or mix your own - turf soil, humus - in equal parts, 1/2 part sand, a spoonful of ash and a teaspoon of superphosphate. Any soil must be spilled with boiling water. Then make holes at the bottom of the trays, lay out a layer of drainage, and fill with soil.

Sow in furrows two centimeters deep. Moisten with warm water from a spray bottle and cover with film until germination. We place the seedlings on the window, when four leaves appear, we pick them into separate cups. It is better to take pots from peat or plain cardboard so that they can be immediately planted in the ground in May.

Advice! Until the alpine aster seedlings have sprouted, the temperature in the room should be 20-23 degrees, but after germination it is better to keep the seedlings at 16-18 degrees so that they harden.

Alpine aster care

Seedlings must have enough space

So, your seedlings grow and develop, and in May you plant them in a permanent place, which must be prepared in advance, as described above. Or your asters sprouted immediately into the soil after sowing. After two weeks, you can add a complex preparation with a high content of phosphorus and potassium to the soil. Next, you need to feed the asters every 2-3 weeks so that they can bloom luxuriantly. You can use Agricola and Kemira-Lux.

Water the flower bed when the soil is almost dry. If there is stagnation, the roots will begin to rot, the flowers will wither or bloom less frequently. After each watering, you need to loosen the beds, thereby allowing the soil to breathe, weeding the beds from weeds. Asters are watered and replanted in the evening.

Every three years, it is better to divide the bushes and replant them, so that the rhizome and ground part will be renewed. You can propagate alpine aster by seeds, then do not remove those flowers that have bloomed, but collect them in the fall after they have completely dried. It is also possible to propagate aster by cuttings - cut off the top shoots 20 cm long, soak them in Kornevin and plant them in moist soil. On top you need to place a shelter from a transparent plastic bottle, which must be opened slightly every day to give the seedlings oxygen. The cuttings will take root in about a month.

If the asters start to hurt, then you need to act immediately. Improper care and much rainfall leads to late blight and powdery mildew. To avoid them, spray with “Topaz”, Bordeaux mixture, “Fundazol”, soap or manganese solution, “Fitosporin”. To strengthen the immune system, it is also useful to use Zircon; all drugs are diluted according to the instructions. It is better to carry out prevention immediately after planting in a permanent place, and begin treatment with the same means after the first signs of illness appear. If the bushes are severely affected by late blight, you will have to remove them and then burn them.

Well, here are all the tricks that may be useful to you. Don’t forget about these nuances, and your asters will always be luxurious and healthy.

Heather aster: description of species and care

At the beginning of autumn, the heather aster, which belongs to the Asteraceae family, begins to bloom. Under natural conditions, flowers grow in the southern and eastern parts of North America. The plant is often planted to decorate gardens and parks.

There are many advantages to characterizing this culture. Heather aster is a perennial plant that pleases everyone with its beautiful view. On long branched stems, the height of which reaches 1 m, there are green leaves endowed with a linear shape on the sides. The plant is decorated with small flowers, up to 1.5 cm in diameter. They grow in baskets and can have white, blue, Pink colour. The center of the flower is yellow-brown or red-brown. Lanceolate, pointed leaves are located in three rows near the inflorescence. The bright flowering of the heather aster begins in September and lasts until the end of November. The fruits of the plant are flat, small seeds.

Features of heather aster

This type of flower tends to the ground and can create dense bushes in the shape of a pyramid or oval-pyramidal shape. Many baskets of flowers create the impression of a single carpet. The plant is ideal for creating landscape design in gardens and parks.

Due to its ability to bloom for a long time and abundantly, the ground cover perennial heather aster is used to decorate garden plots. Despite the fact that the plant tolerates Russian climatic conditions well and can withstand temperatures of minus 35 degrees, not many people grow it in our country. But in Europe and America, heather aster can be found in almost every garden plot.

How to grow?

Heather aster does not require much care. She is not capricious and unpretentious. And yet, in order for the plant to receive all the conditions for normal growth and development, it is necessary to pay attention to the following nuances:

Asters will do well on the floor - a darkened or sunny area. In order for a plant to please you with abundant flowering, its conditions must be similar to natural ones. The flower should not be kept in very dark places, as it will be attacked by harmful insects and will often get sick.

The wild variety of aster can grow in any soil. The exception will be heavy, swampy and saline soil. Growing a cultivated flower, the heather aster, requires more careful care. And you need to start from the soil. Loamy and fertilized soil will be optimal, into which fertilizers will need to be applied. You should also ensure good drainage. If there are no microelements in the soil in the selected area, you should first fertilize the soil with organic fertilizers consisting of compost or humus before planting the aster. Spring planting flowers requires the introduction of nitrogen into the soil, which is necessary to accelerate the growth of the flower.

Reproduction of heather aster

The most common option for propagating flowers is division. And the best period for this procedure is spring. Divided plants at this time take root faster and can begin to bloom by the beginning of autumn. If planting is done in the fall, then there will be little time left before the onset of cold weather and not all seedlings will take root, which means they will die.

Care

Place for planting aster

The heather aster is unpretentious to the conditions, but it will look impressive in a garden and park area. Its lush flowering autumn period decorates the area next to the estates. With its small inflorescence it lines the most beautiful carpets. For a long time, the aster maintains the decoration of the site.

The plant is not afraid of frost, is endowed with abundant flowering, and is easy to care for. Gardeners have learned to create for a flower the necessary conditions. You need to start somewhere. Select open sunny areas with sandy or loamy soil for heather aster. Considering that the plant does not like waterlogging, groundwater should not be near the surface. The flower is perennial. It can grow in one place for up to 5 years. After this period, it needs to be transplanted to another area, which is preventive measures in the fight against pests and diseases. It’s good if there was calendula or marigolds in the new area before transplanting the asters. You should not place an aster in a flowerbed where a tulip, carnation, or gladiolus previously grew. These plants often suffer from furasiosis, which causes fungal infections.

Preparing the soil for planting heather aster

The soil for asters is prepared in the fall. Compost or humus is added to it, and then dug deep. With the onset of spring, mineral supplements are placed in infertile soil and harrowed deeply. You can use super phosphates, potassium salt, ammonium sulfate. If the soil is slightly loose or has high acidity, add wood ash and lime. When present close to the surface groundwater, a drainage layer is placed on the site. For this purpose, you can take small crushed stone. To improve the soil structure, river sand is useful. Before planting, the area is cleared of weeds. The earth is loosened and leveled.

Planting an aster

To be able to admire the early flowering of the plant, it is better to plant it as seedlings. IN open ground seedlings are placed in early May, after thoroughly moistening the soil. It is necessary to maintain a distance of 25 cm between the sprouts. Leave 50 cm between the rows. Having planted the aster in moist soil, do not water the plant after planting. After 2-3 days, the first watering is carried out. During this time, the earth will have time to dry out. Within a week the flower should take root. And here you will need the first feeding from a weak infusion of mullein. This procedure is carried out after abundant watering of the plant. The bush should be planted in cloudy weather or in the evening. If there are sunny days to transplant the aster, you need to take care of a little shade.

Necessary care

Heather aster does not require special care. But in order for the inflorescences to turn out large, and the plant itself to be healthy and large, take care of its maintenance. On hot summer days, flowers need abundant watering, which should not be done very often. After moistening, the soil should be loosened. This must be done carefully, plunging the hoe into the ground to a depth of no more than 6 cm. This is because asters have a superficial root system. The flower does not like excess moisture. However, it will quickly fade if the soil is too dry. It is necessary to adhere to the “golden mean”. To avoid furaziosis, you need to constantly weed the weeds near the flower. If you provide the flower with proper care, it will not be afraid of diseases and pests. To make the aster flowering period longer, faded inflorescences are removed, leaving a little for the seeds to ripen. The heather aster is perennial plant and easily tolerates cold winters. It does not require special shelters.

How to plant heather aster using seeds

Seeds are placed in open ground in spring or autumn. You can do this even at the beginning of winter. Planting in spring is carried out in early May. To do this, ripened seeds must be in the ground at a maximum depth of 2 cm. After planting, the ground is moistened warm water. Using compost and peat, the soil is mulched. If the seeds are fresh, sprouts will appear from the ground within 7-8 days. A little later, the plants are thinned out, leaving a gap of 15 cm between them.

In the fall, in the second half of November, seeds are planted in frozen soil. But the recesses should be made in advance. The planted seeds are covered with dry compost on top.

Winter sowing is also possible. It is carried out in December if the snow cover does not exceed a height of 10 cm. However, the furrows are prepared in the fall. Seeds can be planted in the snow. After which the area is covered with dry compost or humus. When the thaw arrives, the seeds will sprout.

How to propagate an aster using division?

Perennial asters can be planted by dividing the bush. However, it should be borne in mind that the plant cannot be less than 5 years old. Landing is being done late autumn when flowering ends. Aster has delicate roots, so division must be carried out with extreme care. Considering that frost will soon come, and the plant has not had time to get stronger, it is necessary to insulate it with spruce branches or dry leaves.

Astra in landscape design

Due to the variety of species and riot of colors, aster is often used to decorate landscapes. There are flowers of gigantic shapes that are 1 meter high, and also found dwarf plants, not exceeding 25 cm.

Asters are planted in borders, flower beds, and rock gardens. These plants of medium to large height look good in combination with rudbeckia, yarrow and ornamental grasses. Dwarf asters are planted next to calendula, cloves, marigolds, and gypsophila.

The most common varieties of asters in Russia

Many gardeners prefer to plant perennial asters in their garden plots, which captivate with their blue, violet, and lilac shades. Their flowering lasts from the end of August until the end of the second half of November. Flowers are unpretentious and do not require careful care. Heather aster is most often planted in America and European countries. While in Russia the following are considered more popular: Shrub, New Belgian, Alpine, New England.

You can enjoy the flowering of the heather aster all autumn long. Without requiring special care, a flower endowed with rich colors will delight with its beauty.

Alpine aster is an amazing representative of the flora. In appearance, it resembles a modest daisy, but captivates with its special charm and tenderness. Flower growers value the plant for its ease of care and long-lasting flowering. Lush buds delight the eye from June to October. The variety is a perennial; from year to year the flowers become a spectacular decoration of the garden plot.

Asters are perfect for implementing the most daring landscape projects:

• flowers look great at the base of an alpine hill;
• the plants look great against the background decorative stones, so they can be used to decorate the border of a rock garden;
• representatives of the variety harmonize perfectly with other asters: several species can be allocated a place on the lawn;
• the flowerbed will become a real highlight of the garden plot if you plant purple alpine asters and bearded irises on it;
• A border of colorful plants will add a special charm to an ordinary garden path.

Asters reach a height of 15-35 cm. The variety of shades of the plant is amazing: they are red, pink, crimson, purple, blue. Yellow tubular flowers are hidden inside the inflorescences. Unlike other, more magnificent varieties of asters, representatives of the alpine species have only 2 or 3 rows of petals. For this they received another name - alpine chamomile. The diameter of garden flowers ranges from 3 to 6 cm.

Modest green pets are absolutely unpretentious. Caring for them does not take much time for gardeners. But if you want the flowers to appear in all their glory, you should create suitable growing conditions.

1. 1 For planting asters, it is better to choose a well-lit place. Flowers are great lovers of sunlight. But if there is no such area in the garden, you can plant them in partial shade.
2. 2 The place where garden beauties will live must be well drained. If moisture constantly stagnates at the roots, they can rot and cause the death of the flower. Most best option- deeply dug loamy soils.
3. 3 Asters will feel great in soil with high content calcium. Before planting, it is recommended to add dolomite flour or lime to the soil.
4. 4 If the soil in the garden plot is poor, you need to generously fertilize it with humus.
5. 5 Plants should not be grown in one place for more than 5 years. After this period, the bush needs to be dug up, divided into several parts and replanted.
6. 6 The best option for asters is the soil in which marigolds or calendula previously grew.

If you want to decorate garden plot marvelous plants, start preparing for summer season needed already in March. This is the optimal time to sow seeds for seedlings. Seed asters are planted in containers filled with nutrient substrate. Containers are covered from above glass jars or film, so the seeds will germinate faster. Boxes with seedlings should be kept in a warm room. It is better if the temperature in it is more than 20°C.

When the first tender shoots appear, you need to move the seedlings to a room with a cooler microclimate. Ideally, it will be 15-18°C. Young plants will harden and become stronger. If you continue to leave them in a warm room, the sprouts will stretch upward and become thin and weak. When 4 true leaves appear on the asters, you need to dive. Plants are planted in separate pots and placed on the windowsill. To make green pets stronger, you can pamper them mineral fertilizers. From the beginning of May, it is recommended to briefly take the plants out onto the loggia for hardening. When the temperature outside is positive, you can plant bright beauties in open ground.

Before planting, it is recommended to spill the holes with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. When the soil dries, carefully plant the flowers along with the soil from the pot. It is advisable to plant in the morning. To moisten the soil you need to use water room temperature. In the first week after planting, it is necessary to moisten the soil daily.

Gardeners who do not have the opportunity to grow seedlings plant asters directly into the soil. This is done in late autumn, when the soil is already slightly frozen. Flowers are planted in pre-prepared grooves and sprinkled with soil on top. In spring, sprouts hatch. When they become quite large, you need to replant some of the plants with the utmost care. This will help avoid thickening. It should be noted that germination will be high only if the seeds are fresh.

Plant care

The perennial alpine aster blooms only in the second year. In the first summer, the bushes gain strength, strengthen the roots and increase green mass. If you want your plants to feel comfortable, follow a few care rules:

1. 1 Water the representatives alpine variety need plenty. Care must be taken to ensure that the soil does not dry out. However, fluid stagnation should also be avoided. It is recommended to use settled water for irrigation.
2. 2 Weeds growing near asters should be removed immediately. The soil needs regular loosening.
3. 3 Until the buds are formed, the bushes should be periodically hilled. This measure will strengthen the root system and accelerate its growth.
4. 4 Experienced gardeners recommend pampering perennial asters with additional fertilizers. Fertilizers are applied for the first time during active growth leaves, the second - during the formation of buds. It is better to use fermented organic matter. For example, a cowshed is optimal. Another feeding is required during vigorous flowering. In the fall, adding ash is sufficient. Besides organic fertilizers, you can use drugs sold in specialized stores. Kemira Lux and Agricola are suitable.

The delicate plant will thank you for proper care lush flowering. Bright beauties will delight gardeners with cheerful multicolors.

Reproduction methods

Asters can be propagated not only with the help of seeds. There are other simple and effective methods.

To propagate plants by cuttings, it is necessary to cut off the tops of the bushes in June-July. Their length should be at least 6 cm. Cut stems are planted immediately in open ground. It is better to choose a shaded place with moist soil. On top, the cuttings are covered with mini-greenhouses, which can be cut-off plastic bottles or film. Periodically, the insulation is removed to ventilate the soil. After about a month, the roots grow.

Division is another fairly simple and convenient method of propagation. Shrubs aged 3-4 years are suitable for it. In spring, carefully dig up the plant, trying not to injure the roots. The bush is divided into 2 parts. It is important to ensure that at least 3 shoots with rhizomes remain on each division. Each new plant is planted in a separate hole. To make it take root faster, you can add mineral fertilizers.

Preparing for winter

Asters winter in open ground. To prevent them from freezing, it is important to properly prepare them for cold weather.

In the fall, mulching is a must. Suitable for this procedure sawdust, dry sheet, sand. They will protect the roots and buds from frost, even if there is not much snow. Often plants go to winter when the stems and leaves are still green. This is quite normal, there is no need to worry. If you live in a region where temperatures drop below -20°C, you should take care additional insulation. You can cover the flowers spruce branches or a large armful of leaves.

In spring, it is necessary to remove melted snow from the areas where asters grow as quickly as possible. Withholding water can damage the roots and rot the buds of young shoots that are just emerging from the ground.

Possible flower diseases

If you properly care for your garden pets, all misfortunes will bypass them. But if you plant the bushes in strong shade or an overly wet place, they may be attacked powdery mildew. The main symptom of this disease is the formation of a gray-white coating on the leaves. To prevent the disease, it is recommended to treat the plant with special preparations even before flowering. Topaz and Fundazol are suitable.

Another fairly common disease is fusarium. It manifests itself in the form of rot on the roots. It usually bothers flowers living in damp areas. A diseased bush acquires an unpleasant brown tint, the leaves wither and turn yellow. When the first signs of the disease appear, the affected asters should be eliminated immediately. Otherwise, the disease may affect other plants.

Alpine asters are harmed not only by diseases, but also by pests.

1. 1 Cutworm caterpillars happily feast on the leaves of asters. To destroy them I use the drugs Karbofos and Phosfamide.
2. 2 Spider mites settle on the outer sides of leaves and drink their juices. Usually appear in dry, hot weather. Garlic infusion is used to get rid of pests.
3. 3 Slugs eat leaves and stems. To prevent them from appearing on asters, the soil around the bushes should be periodically sprinkled with ash or lime. You can place cups around the area and pour beer into them at night. Slugs will get into these traps; you need to remove them regularly.

Asters are simple, but incredibly beautiful and elegant. At proper care they will reign for a long time in the garden plot.