Aster, growing from seeds: useful recommendations and features. Growing aster taking into account all the features to obtain beautiful healthy flowers

The huge flowerbed amazes with its diversity. Along the edges there is a border of low plants with small variegated inflorescences, in the middle there are tall bushes crowned with large lush caps. An unusually rich palette of colors from snow-white to almost black. Some flowers have several shades: the edges are light, and bright colors shine through from the inside, as if a decorative lantern is hidden in the middle. Some inflorescences look like large daisies: a large center is surrounded by colorful petals. Others resemble roses or peonies, with carved green leaves underneath. There are plants with balls of needles hanging on them, like multi-colored hedgehogs. There are large and narrow, double and feather-like petals. Do you want to create such beauty on your site? To do this, you do not need to purchase many different ornamental plants, you can only plant asters.

What is the best way to grow asters?

There are perennial and annual varieties of asters; you need to pay attention to this when planting them. Perennials from seeds come out small and weak; these varieties are more suitable vegetative propagation. Such plants do not require much effort, growing and caring for them is simple, but the same design every summer can get boring.

Annuals reproduce by seeds; about 4 months pass from the time of sowing to flowering. You can sow in open ground only on warm days, in mid-May, and you will have to wait until September for flowers. You can plant seeds in the fall before winter. In this case, the soil needs to be dry and frozen. The grains will overwinter under the snow, natural stratification and hardening will occur, after which the asters will grow strong and resistant to frost.

Many gardeners prefer growing annual asters through seedlings. At home easier care seedlings, it is easy to control the conditions of maintenance and development. Many diseases of these flowers need to be caught at the very beginning, before an epidemic breaks out. At home, it is possible to inspect the leaves and stems of seedlings every day and determine why they are turning yellow or thinning. When traveling to the dacha only on weekends, you can waste time and arrive when the fungus has spread throughout the flower garden.

What will we sow?

The germination of aster seeds ends very quickly; when purchasing, look at the date and purchase only materials from the latest harvest. The weight is often written on the bag, but the number of seeds is not indicated, and a novice gardener does not know how many bushes he can plant. When purchasing, remember that 1 g contains from 300 to 500 grains, and do not buy excess seed. If you sow in the second year, only half of the seeds will germinate, and sowing the following summer will yield only 30%.

You can prepare the seed yourself. Choose the most beautiful and strong bush, leave a few central inflorescences on it and wait for them to dry. The petals should darken and begin to fall off, with small fluff peeking out from the center. On a dry, clear day, cut the flowers intended for sowing and place the whole, uncut centers in a dry, warm place. When the heads are completely dry, shake out the seeds, wrap them in paper or a cloth bag, sign the name of the variety and store them. In autumn it often rains, the weather is constantly humid, and it is impossible to wait for the seed plants to dry on the bush. In this case, after cutting, divide the head into parts and dry it disassembled. The seeds fully ripen 40 days after the flowers bloom.

Asters in a flower bed are easily pollinated. If you want to sow your own seeds, select small plots of land distant from each other for each variety, where you will plant seed plants. If you want to experiment, take seed from the very center of the flower bed, where asters of various varieties and colors grow. You may end up with a completely unusual flower.

Sowing seeds

In early April you can start sowing. When purchasing soil in a store, try to find special soil for aster seedlings. If you cannot purchase the product you need, take soil for flower crops and add sand to it in a ratio of 10:1.

You can also prepare your own composition:

1. peat – 4 parts;
2. garden soil - 2 parts;
3. sand - 1 part;
4. ash - 1 cup per 10 liters of mixture.

Stir and sift the resulting soil, then add 1 cup of perlite. This component has the ability to stretch excess moisture, and when the soil begins to dry out, it gradually moistens the soil. Place the soil in a steamer and process high temperature about an hour. This procedure will kill the fungi that often attack aster seedlings. If it is not possible to steam the soil, douse it with a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide.

Seeds can also be infected with spores that cause blackleg and other seedling diseases. Before starting sowing, treat the grains in a fungicide solution; the concentration and treatment time should be indicated in the instructions for the preparation. Dry the seed and distribute it evenly over the top layer of moist soil. Fill the top with sand about 7 mm thick; it will dry the soil surface and protect the seedlings from fungal diseases. Cover the container with film without watering: the sand itself will draw moisture from the lower layers. You can carry out stratification: keep the seeds in a damp cloth in the refrigerator at night and warm during the day, repeat this for several days until sprouts appear, then the grains can be sown in the ground.

For germination, place the boxes with seeds in a warm place with a temperature of +15⁰ to +20⁰. Every day, open the crops for a few minutes to ventilate. If the surface of the sand dries out, spray it warm water from a spray bottle. In about a week, shoots will appear.

Caring for aster seedlings

When you see cotyledon leaves peeking out of the ground, remove the film and place the plantings in a bright place. Asters require proper care: weak seedlings can very quickly get sick with blackleg, fusarium and other fungal diseases. Plantings need to be watered moderately. The roots of the seedlings have already grown deep into the soil, now you don’t have to be afraid if the sand turns out to be dry.

Watch for any fungal infection; carefully dig up and destroy diseased specimens, or continue to grow them separately from healthy plants. Spray the remaining seedlings with fungicides and spill the soil with a disinfectant solution. If sowing was carried out in fertilized soil, there should be enough nutrients before picking; When sowing in poor soil, a week after the sprouts appear, you need to feed the seedlings with complex fertilizer. Do not get carried away with nitrogen, it does not develop buds, but lush and large leaves.

When the third sheet forms, you can start picking. If you don’t want to use purchased soil, prepare it - the same one you used to sow the seeds, but you don’t need to sift it anymore. Add 1 tbsp to a bucket of soil. spoon of complex fertilizer and mix thoroughly. Prepare containers for seedlings: cassettes, cups, so that each plant is grown in an individual container and it is convenient for you to care for the plantings. Pay attention to the drainage holes: if they are blocked by plastic deposits, clean them with a knife or scissors.

Using ready soil pour it out of the bag and look carefully to see if there are any large lumps of fertilizer. When preparing soil at home, make sure that no sticky granules get into the soil. Such accumulations can burn the tender roots of seedlings.

Fill the containers with soil, moisten and make small holes. Examine the roots of the seedlings; they should not touch the bottom of the container. Shorten rods that are too long. When planting, make sure that all root shoots are directed vertically downwards and do not bend. Seedlings often have elongated stems - deepen them into the soil so that the cotyledon leaves are at a height of 1 cm from the soil surface. Fill the hole and lightly compact the soil. Carefully water the plantings in a spiral: from the edges of the cup to the middle, try not to let the splashes fall on the stem and leaves. Place the cassettes in a cool, bright place and maintain the temperature no higher than 20⁰. In the first days, protect the seedlings from direct sunlight. Basic care consists of timely watering and inspection of seedlings to identify diseases.

After picking, the aster will be grown in cups for about a month, then the time will come to plant it in the ground. If you have prepared the soil well for the seedlings, they will have enough nutrients and do not need to feed. In the event of prolonged frosts, when the plants will have to be kept at home for about 2 more weeks, there may not be enough fertilizer and the seedlings will weaken. The leaves will tell you about the lack of some components: learn to recognize why they turn yellow, wither or dry out. Asters should be fed so that they tolerate the transplant well and take root quickly. To keep the plants strong and short, provide the plantings with proper care and good lighting: in the twilight they stretch out too much.

Planting in open ground

When the fifth leaf appears, begin to harden off the seedlings. In warm weather, take them out during the day open air. After a while, listen to the weather forecast for the night, and if frost is not expected, leave the plantings outside. Seedlings ready for planting should have 5-6 true leaves and a strong stem no longer than 7 cm.

Try not to overexpose asters at home: if you plant too mature plants, they will not bloom well.

Growing flowers in open ground should take place in a sunny place. It is advisable not to plant asters where nightshades, carnations, gladioli, tulips and asters have recently grown. In low wetlands, plants will get sick; drainage and a raised high flowerbed can save the situation. Add sand to heavy and dense soil; it loosens and drains the soil.

Strong, hardened seedlings are not afraid of frosts down to -2⁰, if they do not last long. It is believed that aster dies at -5⁰, but it all depends on the variety, the condition of the seedlings and many other conditions. It is difficult to answer the question why sometimes even at 0⁰ not a single living bush will remain, and sometimes even -7⁰ will not cause any harm. To play it safe, if there is a threat of frost, cover the plantings with non-woven material.

Conclusion

In order for flower beds to be covered with colorful inflorescences earlier, aster seeds need to be sown in boxes and flowers grown through seedlings. It is very important to correctly calculate the timing of sowing seeds for your area: overgrown plants will not please you with lush inflorescences. Seedlings are ready for planting in open ground at two months of age; count from the expected transplant date 60 days ago, and you will get the date when you need to start sowing the seeds.

Caring for seedlings includes 5 basic rules.

1. Good lighting.
2. Cool.
3. Airing.
4. Moderate watering.
5. Daily examinations to detect infection.

If the seedlings grow poorly and look depressed, then they do not have enough nutrition and need to be fed with complex fertilizer. If you do everything correctly, you will plant strong plants with strong, low stems in the ground. Such seedlings will quickly take root and take root in a new place.

When moving to a flowerbed, do not leave long stems. If the seedlings have stretched out, you need to plant them deep in the ground so that the lower leaves are no higher than 7 cm from the surface of the soil. Monitor the weather forecast and cover your plantings if there is a threat of frost. Treat your “pets” with love, provide them good care, and already in the middle of summer they will decorate the area with a variety of bright inflorescences.

Of course, the main reasons for the popularity of the annual aster are beauty and diversity. Unpretentiousness also plays an important role.

One-year-old aster is grown in seedlings and without seedlings.

With the seedling method of growing, the seeds are sown at the end of March - beginning of April in boxes or directly into the soil of the greenhouse - in the grooves, sprinkling the seeds with earth (0.5 cm), watered with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and covered with paper or film. To prevent seedlings from getting sick with blackleg, the seeds are dusted with a fungicide before sowing, and the soil is spilled with its solution. After 3-5 days, when the seedlings appear, remove the paper from the boxes and place them in a bright place so that the seedlings do not stretch out.

When the first true leaf appears, the seedlings dive at a distance of 5-7 cm from one another into pots, boxes or into the greenhouse soil, since aster seedlings tolerate transplantation well even with an open root system. If the subcotyledonous knee of the seedlings is very elongated, then when picking they can be deepened almost to the cotyledon leaves.

A week after picking, they begin to feed the seedlings (once every seven days). It has been planted in open ground since mid-May, since the plant is cold-resistant - it can withstand frosts down to -3-4°C.

The place for these plants should be chosen to be bright, level, so that when watering and rainy weather did not stagnate. It is advisable that for 3-4 years before this, asters and other crops suffering from fusarium (potatoes, tomatoes, gillyflowers) are not grown here.

Humus or compost is added to the soil (but not fresh manure, it contributes to the damage of plants by fusarium), complex or phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (40-60 g of nitrophoska or 60-80 g of superphosphate and 30-40 g of potassium fertilizers) and wood ash (100 -150 g) per square meter area. But if the soils are well cultivated and rich in nutrients, then you can do without fertilizers. Before planting, seedlings are watered abundantly, especially if they were grown without pots.

It is better to plant plants in the evening at a distance of 20-30 cm (depending on the splendor and height of the variety). 7-10 days after planting, the asters can be fed with complex fertilizer and repeated feeding after 3-4 weeks. In dry weather, plants are watered moderately.

With the seedless method, the seeds are sown in the ground in early spring, as soon as the soil is ready. Seeds are sown in shallow furrows, covered with a layer of soil 0.5-0.8 cm, watered well and, in dry weather, lightly mulched or covered with covering material until seedlings emerge.

Well-developed seedlings in the phase of 2-3 true leaves are thinned out to a distance of 10-15 cm. It is better not to pull out excess seedlings, but to carefully dig them up and transplant them to another place.

Aster seeds are sown not only in spring, but also before winter (on frozen soil, in previously prepared grooves). In this case, plants are almost three times less likely to be damaged by fusarium. In spring, seedlings are thinned out.

Asters begin to bloom, depending on the variety and method of cultivation, from late June to mid-August. Flowering continues until frost.

Many varieties of asters set seeds well in conditions middle zone Russia. To preserve the variety you like, you need to wait until the petals on the inflorescence fade, and its center darkens and white fluff begins to appear on it. Such inflorescences are picked, placed in paper bags and dried in a warm, dry place. On the bag you must write the name of the variety or at least the color and shape of the inflorescence and the year the seeds were collected.

The only negative is that the seeds lose their viability quite quickly during storage: after 1-2 years, from 90-95% it drops to 40-50.

MK on sowing aster seeds for seedlings

I first soak the seeds on wet wipes. This way you can better see the germination of seeds.


Soaking aster seeds on a damp cloth after three days most of the seeds hatch and you can plant them in the ground.


I plant the hatched aster seeds in a plastic box with a transparent lid. I pour loose soil, make grooves about 1 cm deep in it, water the grooves and lay out the soaked seeds. Some seeds have already produced green leaves. I carefully take them with tweezers and lower them into the grooves, so that the leaf remains on the surface.


Planting germinated aster seeds. I sprinkle the seeds with dry soil and cover with a lid or bag.


Container with planted asters

Before emergence, you need to keep the container with soil at a temperature of 20-22 degrees. After two and a half to three weeks, asters with two true leaves can be picked. It is advisable to lower the temperature a little, but the most important thing is to maintain a difference between night and day temperatures of 3-4 degrees.

Before planting in open ground, seedlings should be accustomed to fresh wind and sun rays. I usually do this on the balcony and loggia. The loggia faces south, so you can plant seedlings early, but in mid-April the sun is already very hot. And on the northern balcony it is always strong fresh breeze from the Volga.

You can grow seedlings in a closed greenhouse. Seeds are planted in soil prepared in advance in early April. Aster seedlings are thinned out and grown before planting in open ground.


Asters seedlings in a greenhouse

Asters are not afraid of short-term frosts down to -3 degrees; seedlings can be planted in flower beds as early as mid-May.


Transplanting aster seedlings

Planted flowers need to be well mulched. Mulching will prevent weeds from growing in the flowerbed and will help retain moisture in the soil.

Caring for asters

Compared to other flowers in flower beds, caring for asters is not difficult. If the soil has been well fertilized, then during the growing season you will only need to water and weed the beds in a timely manner.
If you can feed the asters at least once or twice, it will be more than enough, and the asters will give you large flowers on powerful stems.

Diseases of asters

Fusarium or Fusarium wilt is the most dangerous disease of aster, which is caused by the Fusarium fungus, which persists in the soil in the form of thick-walled resting spores for a very long time, more than one year. Infection of plants occurs through the soil. The mycelium penetrates through the roots and spreads through the vascular system of the plant, clogging it. Wilting often occurs during the budding and flowering phases.

Young plants are affected by fusarium extremely rarely, only under conditions that are very favorable for the development of diseases. In the first stage of disease development, the leaves turn slightly yellow, then turn brown, curl and wither. Oblong spots appear on the stems Brown, at the root collar and above it there are longitudinal dark stripes. Sometimes the stem tissues in these places tear, forming cracks. Asters take on a depressed appearance, stop growing and quickly fade. Often, in diseased plants, plaques of mycelium or sporulation of the fungus appear in the lower part of the stem in the form of pinkish pads.

A characteristic sign of fusarium is the asymmetry of the lesion: dark stripes on the stem and withered leaves observed on one side of the plant. This makes it easy to distinguish fusarium from other diseases. On dying plants at the root collar, and when strong humidity and elevated temperatures, a pink coating forms on the entire plant - sporulation of the fungus. The causative agent of fusarium in asters is characterized by “narrow specialization”: it affects only annual asters, without spreading to other plants. Therefore, in the agricultural technology of asters, crop rotation is of exceptionally great importance. Fusarium spreads greatly in cases of high air and soil humidity at temperatures from 12 to 32 degrees. Optimal temperature for fungal development 20-27 degrees. At temperatures below 12 and above 32 degrees, the development of fusarium stops. External signs diseases may not be noticeable until they appear favorable conditions for its development.

Control measures: correct alternation crops in crop rotation; return of the aster to its original place in 4-5 years; adding lime to the soil to neutralize acidity; dressing seeds before sowing with a solution of foundationazole, topsin; steaming the soil before sowing seeds or dressing with a solution of bazudine, dithane M-45; after planting in the ground, systematic spraying with a solution of copper oxychloride; removing diseased plants from the site and then sprinkling the soil with quicklime.

BLACK LEGS - fungal disease, often affecting asters. First, seedlings and seedlings turn black, then the root collar and base of the stem rot. As a result, the stem becomes thinner, the plants become lodged and subsequently die. The pathogen overwinters in the soil and develops especially strongly in acidic soils.

Control measures: early picking of seedlings; removal of diseased plants; soil disinfection with a 0.5-1% solution of potassium permanganate; Sprinkling the soil around the plants with sand and, if necessary, replacing it before planting or picking; disinfection with bleach solution or copper sulfate boxes, pots, greenhouses. To destroy fungi, you can water the soil with onion infusion (20 g of onion scales are poured into 1 liter of water, left for 24 hours, filtered and sprayed 2-3 times after 6 days).

Aster is a favorite flower of many summer residents, distributed almost all over the world. Even a beginner can cope with its cultivation; you just need to get acquainted with the basic rules for growing this unpretentious, and at the same time beautiful flower.

The tips outlined in this article will help you get beautiful large aster buds from seeds that will delight you until frost.

Seed selection and preparation

To understand which seeds to choose, you need to decide in advance about the place of the aster in the flowerbed and what flowers it will be adjacent to. Then you can understand what color, height and variety of asters will suit you.

Low-growing varieties of asters are suitable for the foreground, and tall varieties for the background (or the center of a round flowerbed). Then the beauty of some will not be overshadowed by the growth of others. Taking into account the overall picture of the future flower bed, choose the color of the aster: try to achieve a harmonious combination of all colors.

If you live in latitudes with unstable spring weather, we recommend choosing varieties that are cold-resistant and disease-resistant. Then the “whims” of nature will certainly not ruin your efforts.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the quality of seeds: buy seeds only in those stores and from those manufacturers whose quality you are confident in. Seeds from the companies Aelita-agro, Sedek, Gavrish, and Russian Garden are in demand. They can help you here personal experience and advice from experienced summer residents and neighbors. Growing aster from seeds begins with their preparation.

Seed preparation

There are two main ways to prepare aster seeds for planting:

1. Germination. It's simple, but for germination you need to be sure that in about a week you can plant them. To do this, take a small piece soft fabric(gauze), moisten it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) and wrap the seeds in it.

They should be in gauze for about a week so that the change does not dry out - periodically moisten the cloth. After the specified period, place a slightly damp cloth with seeds in a plastic bag. In a warm place, the seeds will hatch in a few days, after which they can be planted in the ground.

1. Soak. Here everything is even simpler and faster: soak the aster seeds in the same manganese solution, and after 10-13 hours they can be sown.

Please note that in both cases potassium permanganate is used - this simple measure will protect seedlings that are already “mature” flowering plants from many diseases.

To ensure that seed-derived aster seedlings are as disease resistant as possible, treat the seeds in a solution succinic acid or epin, prepared according to the instructions on the package.

Growing conditions for asters are similar to many other flowers, so they won't cause you much trouble. Given the vegetative characteristics of asters, it is necessary to start growing seedlings from the end of March or at the beginning of April, depending on the characteristics of spring.

Thus, by the end of June you will be able to get beautiful flowering inflorescences. There is no point in planting seeds for seedlings before. The maximum can be shifted to seed planting at the beginning of March, but only if you can provide seedlings with high-quality additional lighting.

It is most convenient to use purchased soil; it is light and highly breathable due to high content peat. The best option soil for asters - mix purchased soil with sand in a ratio of 5: ½, respectively.

If you are an experienced gardener, you can prepare the soil for seedlings yourself. To do this, you will need three “ingredients”: garden (or turf) soil, peat and sand, maintain the following proportions: 1:2:0.5. Then add half a glass of clean soil to the resulting soil. wood ash and mix well again.

If you plan to use soil that you prepared yourself, first sift and “disinfect” it. This is important to minimize the risk of seedlings becoming infected with fungal diseases. To do this, either pour boiling water over the resulting soil, or a strong solution of potassium permanganate, or heat it well in the oven for an hour.

Fill the containers you have prepared for planting with the prepared soil (note that their depth should vary between 5-7 cm), spill it with water. Using a convenient object, such as a toothpick, make small holes or beds, half a centimeter deep, evenly over the entire surface, place the prepared aster seeds in them and sprinkle with a small layer of calcined sand. There is no need to water again, the sand will draw water from the ground.

Film or glass will help speed up seed germination and rapid drying of the soil; just cover your containers with them. The optimal temperature for future seedlings is 20-22C. Monitor the soil moisture; as the surface dries out, spray the soil with water through a spray bottle.

In 7-8-9 days you will be pleased with friendly shoots. Now the film or glass can be removed, and the temperature can be lowered slightly - to 15-17 degrees. Correct temperature regime necessary to avoid excessive stretching of plants. Water the emerging sprouts regularly, but do not overdo it: excessive moisture can cause diseases.

Picking up seedlings

You should start picking aster seedlings when 3 true leaves appear on it. Now it is advisable to prepare for each plant its own separate place; small ones will do. plastic cups or special containers for seedlings purchased at a specialty store.

At this stage, you can add a special solution to the containers filled with soil. mineral fertilizer for flowering plants, or simply universal. Before removing seedlings from the soil using a teaspoon or dessert spoon, moisten it thoroughly so as not to damage the delicate roots.

Make a hole for each plant in advance, then when transferring the seedling you will not have to be distracted, which means the risk of damaging the plant is almost zero. Place the seedling in the “hole” so that the distance from the ground level to the first leaves is at least 1 cm. Do everything carefully. At the end, the seedlings should be watered so that the soil “settles” and “hugs” each root, but try not to soak the plant itself.

Find a warm (18 – 20C) and bright place for the harvested seedlings. If your windows face south and receive a large number of intense rays, then take care of light shading to protect still fragile plants from sunburn.

Planting aster seedlings in open ground

It is difficult to name a specific day for planting aster seedlings in open ground, but you can easily figure out the timing if you have the following information:

• Most often, young aster plants are planted in a flowerbed around May. But planting may shift depending on climatic latitudes (in the south - in April, and in cold areas - a little later) and the characteristics of the “progress” of spring (early/late);
• the optimal “age” of seedlings for planting in a flower bed is the presence of 5-6 leaves and about 7 cm in height;
• aster normally tolerates cold snaps, up to small frosts (down to -2C). This wonderful quality gives you the right to miscalculate the weather a little without losing your favorite flowers.

For the aster, find a sunny place; a slightly shaded place in the first or second half of the day will do. Take care of the quality of the soil; if necessary, carry out “ennobling” work: add sand or peat, mineral or complex fertilizers. Nitrophoska, fertilizers with potassium and even simple ash (100g/m2) are suitable.

But it is better to avoid “natural” fertilizers in the form of manure, so as not to infect the soil with fusarium. Have you noticed any manifestations of fungal diseases in this place? Then, even before planting aster seedlings, the soil must be treated with fungicides.

Like any seedlings, it is better to plant aster seedlings when the active sun has waned, in the late afternoon. Adjust the distance between plants in accordance with the variety (its future height and spreading), but not less than 15-20 cm.

In the future, caring for your favorite asters comes down to timely watering, removing weeds and regular feeding with fertilizers.

Sowing aster seeds in open ground

Growing asters in open ground is the easiest, but also requires some preparation. Before sowing aster seeds directly into the ground, they should be treated in the same way as for growing seedlings. Dry seeds also germinate well, but soaking them in a solution of manganese or succinic acid will protect future seedlings from diseases.

Make shallow beds, about 1 cm. Then pour water into the soil and let it soak. Then you can start laying out the seeds, keeping a distance of 1.5 cm between them. The beds can be covered with polyethylene, then the soil will dry out more slowly and warm up faster, due to which seedlings will appear faster.

After the sprouts appear, the film should be removed. You will soon see if there is a need to thin out the seedlings. Use the sprouts that you remove during thinning as seedlings.

Spring sowing of aster is best done in two stages: the first at the end of April, and the second in the first ten days of May. This way you will be protected in case of unpredictability of the weather, increasing the chances of getting lush flowering plants. If everything goes “smoothly” with the weather, then you will give yourself the pleasure of contemplating your favorite flowers from early July until late autumn.

Sowing aster before winter

Someone may be surprised at this technique, but others themselves have noticed that sometimes in the spring an aster sprouts in the most unexpected places from those seeds that were “lost” in the fall. It is indeed possible to plant an aster before winter.

However, the risk of losing early shoots is always present, so we advise using excess seeds for such a pre-winter “experiment”, or those that will lose their germination next spring.

All gardeners, based on their experience, do winter sowing of aster in different ways. Here are two options, you can choose the one more suitable for you:

1. In November or even December, sow the seeds in the intended location. When sowing seeds before winter, it is better not to skimp, with the expectation that not all will survive in harsh winter conditions. There is no need to water; the seeds will receive enough moisture over the winter-spring. Cover the bed with covering material or leaves; you can use any mulching material.
2. To sow seeds using this method, you will have to wait for the first more or less stable snow. And then we scatter the aster seeds right on the snow in the place we have chosen for it. Cover the seeds with leaves on top. As soon as the weather warms up and the snow melts, only then will the seeds touch the moist soil and be ready to germinate. The foliage lying on top will cover the seedlings from bad weather.

In both cases, the success of winter sowing depends to some extent on your intuition. If you foresee the approach of real spring, then the cover from the crops must be removed in time, otherwise the fragile sprouts simply will not be able to pass through such a thickness of soil and leaves. Or maybe vice versa, you will need to cover the seedlings from recurrent frosts.

Growing and caring for aster comes down to sufficient watering, timely fertilizing and loose soil. How to do this correctly?

• Watering. It should not be frequent, but plentiful. Specifically, up to 20 liters of water per square meter. m.;
• Loosening. After watering, when the water has clearly been “absorbed” by the soil, the soil needs to be loosened. This important condition to obtain healthy lush aster bushes;
• Top dressing. It is carried out at least three times. The first time - at the stage of 4-5 pairs of leaves. This is the moment of laying future flowers. For 1 sq. m. use a matchbox of saltpeter without a slide. The second time was when the buds of the asters became visible and “came out” to the outside. Now you need to feed with superphosphate, saltpeter and potassium salt. Prepare a mixture of these three components (1 each matchbox each “ingredient”), this amount is enough for 1 square. m. And the third feeding is phosphorus-potassium, which is carried out at the moment of flowering of the aster bushes. Fertilizer consumption – 30 g per square meter. m.

If it is difficult for you to navigate through the many different fertilizers, much less weigh them by gram, then use complex universal fertilizers or fertilizers for flowering plants. You can purchase them in specialized stores and use them following the instructions.

Growing aster at home

You can grow an aster right in the house, in flower pots on the windowsill or balcony, if you can provide it the necessary conditions. All stages from selecting seeds to growing seedlings are done in the traditional way described above. To some extent, the task is even simplified, given that you do not have to adapt to the weather outside the window, including growing your favorite asters even in winter.

Successful cultivation of asters at home is possible if you follow the regime of regular feeding and sufficient lighting. For normal “healthy” plant development, at least 3-4 hours are required sunlight, high-quality non-depleted soil and sufficient additional lighting in the cold season.

To keep the aster bush in a pot even and evenly leafy, make one 180-degree turn during the day.

Perennial and annual - advantages and disadvantages

Usually, aster lovers have in their “arsenal” both annual and perennial varieties of it. Each species has its own “strengths”, for which they are so loved.

Perennial asters. The obvious advantages of perennial asters include minimal care: plant once and that’s it, periodic watering and occasional fertilizing are enough, and in the spring, clean the bush of last year’s shoots.

In addition, perennial asters bloom until frost, enlivening gray autumn landscapes with colors.
Their “weak” side can be called a more modest flower of inconspicuous beauty, compared to annual “relatives”.

Annual asters. These representatives of the aster family require some trouble with the arrival of spring, especially at the stage of growing seedlings. But this does not in any way affect the number of her fans: gorgeous flowers of various sizes, colors and “designs”, pleasing to the eye until frost, compensate for all labor costs.

Aster varieties

Aster is so diverse that it is difficult to list all the types and characteristics of each variety. They are classified according to the structure of the inflorescences and the flower itself, according to the purpose and timing of cultivation.

The most popular types are:

• Peony-shaped,
• Alpine,
• Anemone-like,
• Pompom,
• Needle,
• Chinese,
• Dwarf,
• Chrysanthemum, etc.

Peony and Chrysanthemum aster are famous for their large flowers and are great for cutting.

Pompom and Needle are universal and look great both in a flowerbed and in a bouquet.

Astra - loved by many garden flower, belonging to the Aster Family. There are about five hundred species in the family. Asters grow in the wild all over the world - from China to North America. From China the flower came to Europe. It was taken out secretly (the Chinese did not want to share their floristic “treasure”) from the imperial gardens in the 17th century. In China, the aster is given great importance and deep sacred meaning.

The name of the flower is translated from Latin as “star”. According to legend, two Chinese monks, having decided to reach the stars, set off on a journey, and there was no end to this journey, and the stars shone in the sky, still far away and inaccessible. Then one of the monks stopped looking at the sky and turned his gaze to the earth and saw amazing beauty a flower that looks like a star. The monks brought flowers to the monastery and began to grow them under the “star” name. Well, no, but in Chinese culture, asters are still a symbol of unattainable charm and unearthly beauty, given to man as a gift from God.

Asters are rhizomatous herbaceous decorative flowering plants with simple leaves, basket-shaped inflorescences, which consist of central yellow tubular flowers and marginal reed flowers - in a variety of shades.

Today, breeders have developed many varieties of asters of unimaginable colors and structures - velvet, terry, paniculate.

Astra and her “relatives”

There are perennial and annual asters. And here there is one nuance that is little understood by amateur flower growers. There is a genus of asters, which includes both annuals and perennials, grown in culture as annuals due to the characteristics of certain climatic zones. There are asters that are exclusively annual; they are “relatives” of all asters, but they are called differently - callistephus (callistema chinensis). This is the only representative of its kind, identified as a personal type by Carl Linnaeus.

The callistema is characterized by alternate petiolate leaves, dark green or burgundy-red stems, and basket-shaped inflorescences. Today there are about four thousand breeding varieties of callistema, distributed among forty species groups. These are usually grown by gardeners on their plots as annual asters.

Perennial asters

Perennial asters can belong to two large varieties:

1. Early flowering.
2. Late flowering.

Annual asters

If with perennial asters everything is quite simple, then there are many annual Chinese classifications. They are divided by:

• growth,
• color,
• flowering time,
• inflorescence structure;
• cultivation purposes.

Flowering times are early, middle and late. It begins with the arrival of summer and ends with the arrival of autumn.

The height of the bush ranges from dwarf forms (20-25 cm) to meter-long giants.

Summer asters come in a wide variety of colors: blue, yellow, red, white, pink, blue, purple, burgundy, brown. There are even two colors. Only the black aster has not yet been bred, orange color and green.

Asters can be grown for cutting and for decorating flower beds. The latter are divided into casing (they are more compact and are used as borders) and universal.

According to the structure of the inflorescences there are:

• terry, semi-double and non-double;
• curly and straight-flowered;
• coronoids;
• spherical;
• hemispherical;
• needle-shaped;
• imbricated.

Growing asters

They are grown by seeds for seedlings and by seedless method. Moreover, with equal success. You can sow seeds in early April, and admire the flowers in the flowerbed in July. But more often, gardeners grow asters from seedlings in an apartment or greenhouse. Seedlings bloom earlier.

Asters from seeds in a flowerbed

Early varieties can be sown in early April. For late sowing dates - early May. It is advisable that the temperature does not fall below +10°C. In case of short-term drops, crops and young shoots are covered with film.

1. Sow the seeds in furrows four centimeters deep.
2. Cover with soil, water, and mulch to retain moisture.
3. You can cover the crops with spunbond until germination.
4. In the development phase of three leaves, flower crops need to be thinned out, leaving a distance of at least 10 cm between them for low-growing varieties and at least 25 for tall people.

Determination of sowing time

Asters have a long growing season. Early varieties will bloom three months after sowing. Later ones may need up to 120 days. This is why asters prefer to be grown as seedlings.

Late varieties are not afraid of the first autumn frosts, so they can bloom throughout October and even part of November. They can be sown in May. The early ones bloom starting in June. It is advisable to propagate them by seedlings, sowing seeds in March.

Sowing before winter

You can sow asters before winter. This method, unlike winter sowing of some garden crops, which enterprising summer residents have already mastered, is not yet widely popular, but in vain.

WITH scientific point From a perspective, sowing before winter has several advantages. Imagine a dry spring, not enough moisture, no rain. And seeds sown before winter do not wait for “manna from heaven” - melted snow is enough for them to swell and give early shoots. Another situation is a cold, rainy spring, the weather does not allow cultivating the soil and sowing. And the winter seeds are already in the ground, and as soon as the first sun comes out, they are ready to start growing.

Important! The timing of winter sowing is crucial. If you sow aster seeds too early, when warm weather is still possible, they will germinate and the seedlings will die immediately after the onset of cold weather. If you wait for solid frosts, the soil will freeze and sowing will be difficult.

Video - How to sow asters before winter

What happens to aster seeds sown in winter? They cool down (they don’t freeze because they are covered and mulched), thus undergoing the cold stratification procedure. And in the spring, as already noted, they are the first to take for themselves all the spring “benefits” in the form of warmth, the first sun and moisture from melted snow. The main thing is that the seeds sown in the cold season are dry and in no case sprouted.

Two weeks before winter sowing, aster seeds must be soaked in an average concentration of potassium permanganate solution and then thoroughly dried.

If in the spring the seeds are sown in furrows up to 4 cm deep, then before winter the sowing depth is halved. The sowing scheme is used as for spring. The seeds are placed in the furrows dry and in dry weather, and then mulched with peat in a layer of at least 3 cm (this is necessary not only for “warming”, but also to prevent the formation of a crust on the soil after the melt water has melted).

Typically, seedlings of asters sown in November appear as soon as the snow melts. But sometimes they grow right out of the snow. These are especially hardened specimens. You don’t have to worry about them - they won’t die in the spring, because they have undergone excellent hardening and can even withstand frost down to -7°C. And very soon these seedlings will produce abundant flower stalks, and during the development process they will be less susceptible to diseases, in particular fusarium, than their spring “neighbors”.

Sowing aster for seedlings

Growing by seedlings is the most reliable, although it requires more labor and time. Depending on the variety, sowing is done in March or April

1. Seven days before sowing, the seeds need to be germinated. Soak in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 2 hours. Then rinse and, without drying, place on a damp cloth in a warm place.

   

2. Prepare containers. You can use boxes or pots that need to be disinfected. Place drainage at the bottom.
3. Prepare the soil. Mix part fertile soil with part peat and part sand. The soil should be light and moderately loose, not sticky.
4. Disinfect the soil. A solution of fungicides or the same potassium permanganate is suitable. The solution should be hot and thoroughly wet all the soil.

   

5. Make grooves two centimeters deep in the soil, place the hatched seeds carefully, and sprinkle with sand.

   

6. Water the soil through a fine sieve or spray with a spray bottle.
7. Cover the crops with a film or glass cover.

   

8. Place the boxes in a moderately warm place, up to +22°C.

The seedlings usually do not take long to appear; they hatch already on the fourth or fifth day. But then the aster develops slowly and various problems begin.

Seedling care

The main problem of aster seedlings is black leg. It occurs from rotting of the base of the stem due to waterlogging of the soil. For prevention, seedlings should be disinfected after one watering with potassium permanganate and try not to over-moisten the soil.

Seedling disease - black leg

The temperature after germination should be reduced by 5 degrees, but not sharply, but gradually, over three days. Optimal for growing aster seedlings is +16°C.

Seedlings need light at all stages to prevent stretching. If there is not enough light, additional illumination is carried out.

Picking is carried out necessarily, on three to four real sheets, according to the 40x40 mm pattern. When picking, the central root is pinched by a third.

The composition of the soil for picked seedlings is the same as for seeds, but you need to add ash to it, one tablespoon per liter of soil.

Water the transplanted seedlings moderately, just to prevent them from drying out - the danger of blackleg remains until the seedlings are planted in the ground, where it gives way to a more formidable scourge - fusarium.

A week after the dive - the first feeding with a mineral complex with a high nitrogen content. Then fertilize every week until planting in the flowerbed.

Planting asters

Before planting, seedlings need to be hardened off. Gradually take her out into the open air, leaving her for a longer period of time every day. By planting, seedlings should have many leaves, at least eight. Optimal Height of planted seedlings - 10 cm. The stem is durable. The bush is squat and lush. It should be planted in April, depending on the variety. The temperature outdoors at night should be at least +4°C.

Asters are best grown in sunny, undrained soil. Their predecessors are tagetes and calendula.

1. Before planting, the flowerbed is weeded to remove weeds.
2. The earth is loosened to a depth of 6 cm.
3. Next, the seedlings are moistened in pots.
4. Holes are made in the flower bed according to the size of the seedling containers.
5. The soil is watered.
6. The distance between seedlings can be 15, 25, or 35 cm, depending on the variety.
7. Seedlings moved into the soil no longer need to be watered; they should be covered with dry soil.
8. After ten days, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are added to the holes.

IN further care Asters are unpretentious; caring for them does not require much effort. They definitely need soil loosening after each moistening (watering, rain, application liquid fertilizer). Weeds near them need to be removed. Before branching the stem, it is good to hill it up with soil by 5-7 cm - this way the roots will grow faster and develop better.

Excess moisture is harmful to asters, but too little is not beneficial. It is better to water them rarely and abundantly in hot weather.

Flowers need to be fed at least three times during the season. The second feeding after planting is when setting buds. The third is when flowers appear. The composition of the fertilizer is that the first one is dominated by superphosphate, to which ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate are added in a ratio of 3:2:1. The second and third do not include nitrate, only superphosphate with an equal amount of potassium sulfate (1:1).

She fills our gardens paints when summer is already at its peak. The final hymn to the passing summer is loudly performed by the queen of the coming autumn - the aster. Amazing plant, which has no shortcomings and delights with its advantages, amazes with its variety of types and varieties.

Our gardens And summer cottages decorated with miniature plants and spreading giants with star-shaped heads
all the colors of the rainbow. All varieties are grown annual plants seeds.

Benefits of the flower

Astra is loved all gardeners for its wonderful qualities.

• Frost resistance. The plant is not afraid of cold temperatures down to -4°C. Some perennials do not die even at -7°C.
• Excellent germination. Fresh seeds (1-2 years old) germinate quite quickly.
• Easy to grow seedlings and the possibility of sowing seeds in the ground.
• Regeneration ability. Astra quickly restores the root system after transplantation. This is one of the few plants that can be replanted even during flowering.
• Variety of varieties. Aster can be white and purple, blue and purple, yellow and pink. In the arsenal of flower growers there are varieties of perennial and annual, monochromatic and two-colored, tall and low, double and ciliated, early, mid and late flowering, about four thousand names in total.

Methods for propagating asters

Perennial asters reproduce green cuttings or dividing the bush. Growing perennials from seeds is a rather complicated and ineffective process.

Grown from seeds annuals are beautiful flowers with large, hairy and fluffy heads on a graceful stem. Seeds are collected in the fall, after the asters have flowered. Withered heads are disassembled and dried at home.

Seed shelf life Asters are limited to two years, after which they lose their germination capacity.

Reproduction of asters

There are two known ways seed growing asters: with and without seedlings.

Seedless method

With the ground method By growing asters, you can form a flower garden consisting of powerful and strong plants. It is created all summer by removing weakened and poorly developing flowers.

Remaining copies are resistant to drought and disease, as well as long-term and abundant flowering. This method is especially good for growing early varieties asters, which usually bloom 90 days after planting.

top scores gives triple sowing of seeds: in early spring, late autumn and at the beginning of winter.

Methods for sowing aster seeds

Aster seeds can be sown in spring, autumn and winter.

Early spring

Sow the seeds as soon as the soil is ready. In the regions of the Central Non-Black Earth Region, this period occurs at the end of April or beginning of May. Shallow furrows (up to 2 cm) are laid in the prepared beds.

Sown seeds pour from a watering can with a fine strainer and mulch with a thin layer of garden soil or humus.

Usually seedlings are not watered before emergence. However, in case of a windy or dry spring, the beds can be watered a little. After 10-12 days, the first shoots appear.

Late autumn sowing

Such sowing in our latitudes it is carried out with the onset of stable frosts and freezing of the top layer of soil. As a rule, this is the second ten days of November. Seeds are sown in furrows prepared in early autumn and mulched to a depth of 2-2.5 cm.

As mulch Weathered peat or unfrozen humus is suitable. In the spring, when the soil thaws, it is recommended to loosen the crops.

Winter sowing

This sowing carried out from December to the end of January. Seeds are sown on a layer of snow 10-15 cm in place of future beds and mulched with peat compost or humus.

During autumn and winter landings plants grow stronger and are less likely to suffer from fusarium. After the seedlings emerge in the spring, they are thinned out and fed regularly.

Seedling method

Seeds are sown in mid-March. To grow seedlings, you should stock up on boxes of soil in which sand, turf soil and weathered peat are mixed in equal quantities.

Fresh peat will lead to an acidic soil reaction, which is neutralized with lime.

soil treated with a fungicide solution, leveled and watered. Sowing is carried out in furrows, after which it is sprinkled with a layer of washed coarse sand 0.5 cm thick.

When sowing in greenhouses, the sand layer should be increased to 1.5 cm. The plantings are watered with extreme care with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, you can use a watering can with a fine strainer.

The drawers are covered film or glass. Until emergence, the temperature should be maintained at 20°C.

Shoots appear within a week. After this, the boxes can be taken out to a sunny terrace or glassed-in balcony, where the temperature does not drop below 15°C.

Through After 2-2.5 weeks, the seedlings have a pair of true leaves. At this time, it should be planted in pots or larger boxes.

Distance maintain a distance of 10-12 cm between plants. The temperature is lowered by another 3-4°C.

Astra prefers moist, but not soggy soil, so it should be watered infrequently, but abundantly. On hot days, the seedlings are ventilated.

From sowing seeds It takes about two months before the seedlings are planted in the ground. During this time, it is recommended to feed the seedlings twice. complex fertilizers. You can also use potassium nitrate and superphosphate (20 and 15 grams per bucket of water, respectively).

Planted out seedlings to summer cottages in mid-May. Best time The day of the day for this is evening. Two weeks before this, the seedlings are accustomed to natural conditions.

For this pots or boxes with seedlings are taken out into the open air, first for 1-2 hours, gradually increasing this time. Before planting, you can leave the plants in the air for the whole day, and in the absence of frost - all night.

Aster, an unpretentious flower that is extremely responsive to care and care, is the kind of plant that even a novice gardener can handle.

Easy to grow from seeds it turns into a joyful multicolor, pleasing to the eye and incredibly decorating autumn cottages.

And for those who like to know more, we suggest you watch the video about asters