Not everyone knows how to grow aster seedlings, take care of them at home and in the open field. The article tells not only about this, but also many varieties, any of which will decorate your garden. What kind of asters do not exist today! For rock gardens, borders, dwarf varieties have been bred. There are real giants growing up to 80 cm in height. The shape of the flower is for every taste. There are needle, hemispherical, chrysanthemum, coronal inflorescences. The colors are amazing: red, pink, lilac, burgundy colors. They can color the whole flower or make a successful combination. For example, the core can be white, and the edging is pink, lilac. It is not at all difficult to grow such a miracle of nature and world selection, the main thing is to sow seeds for seedlings on time, grow it correctly, plant it in a permanent place and take care of the plant properly.
Asters varieties
First you need to talk about some of the varieties of this wonderful plant. It will help you understand what an aster looks like, a photo.
Majestic tall asters come in not only different colors, but also different types of inflorescences. Needle - classic. Such flowers were grown in private farms both 30 and 40 years ago. Here are the modern representatives of this group:
- Assol can rush up to 60 cm. The diameter of its crimson-red inflorescences is 10 × 12 cm.
- Blue frost can grow up to 70 cm. Its blossoming buds are painted in a pale blue color.
- Jubilee white, as the name implies, has pure white inflorescences. Its height is slightly lower, 45 × 50 cm and the diameter of the flower is slightly smaller - 8 × 10 cm. But this in no way affects its aesthetic properties.
- Blue-eyed has lilac-blue inflorescences with a diameter of 11 cm.
- Naina will delight with flowers with a diameter of pink-cream color. This variety of asters blooms very early.
Spherical inflorescences resemble fishnet balls. Here are some types of this group of tall asters:
- Marshmallow grows to a maximum of 70 cm. The plant is spreading, has flowers of a creamy pink hue, up to 11 cm in diameter.
- The aster variety is a snow-white bride. On a tall plant, buds are formed, which, when in bloom, can reach a diameter of 11 cm.
- Spectacular will delight you with large lilac-pink inflorescences.
Coronal inflorescences also look very beautiful. Here are the asters you can buy to admire from July to September inclusive:
- White ball - the inflorescences of this medium-sized variety are white, up to 8 cm in diameter.
- Crimson shine (Katyusha) - a tall variety with rather large crimson flowers.
- Nata can reach a height of 70 cm. Its blossoming buds are pink.
- Suliko. Lilac flowers bloom on a high stem and lateral branches.
- Hawska silver has medium-sized silvery-crimson flowers. Plant height 60 × 70 cm, columnar shape. The plant has up to 12 silvery-crimson-pink inflorescences with a diameter of 6 × 8 cm.
- Hawskaya blue. Plants are wide, strong, strongly branched, 50–90 cm high. Peduncles are strong, resilient, 45–50 cm long. Inflorescences are flat-round, coronal, 9–12 cm in diameter, up to 15 per plant, blue. Medium late ripening.
Of the undersized varieties, one can distinguish:
Vologda lace (white), Baby curb (bright pink), Summer (pink), Odarka (dark blue), Woodland Star (white), Ruby stars (bright red).
There are perennial asters, the so-called "September". They bloom before autumn, which is why they got this name. These unique asters bloom even in temperatures down to -7 ° C! This species is bred mainly by dividing the bush, but initially it can also be grown from seeds.
We plant aster seeds for seedlings
The annual aster has a fairly long growing season. Therefore, you first need to grow seedlings at home. True, you can sow aster seeds right in the garden, but more on that later.
Asters are planted on seedlings from mid-February to early April
If you have a supplemental light, you can start sowing at home early. If it is not there, it is better to delay the sowing of asters a little. In early April, you can use a heated greenhouse or one made of polycarbonate.
After you have decided on the timing, pour light nutritious soil into the seedling box, spill it with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds themselves also need to be processed for disease prevention. They can be placed in a gauze bag and put in a 1% solution of the same potassium permanganate, then dried until flowable and sown.
You can, without soaking, spread dry seeds in an even layer on the soil surface, sprinkle with fungicide powder, which will also protect plants from fungal diseases. Sprinkle the seeds with a small layer of soil, covering them with 5 mm. Lightly compact the ground with your palm, and cover the box with a piece of paper or plastic wrap.
Aster is a cold-resistant plant, therefore, seeds do not need a very high temperature for germination. At + 20 ° C, they will germinate for 7-14 days. After that, remove the paper, film and place the seedling box in a cool, bright place, where the temperature is +15 - + 17 ° C. In such conditions, the seedlings will not stretch. After the second or third true leaf appears in the seedlings, they dive into separate small containers or into another box less often. After 4 days, when the seedlings take root well, they lower the air temperature to +12 - + 15 ° С.
At the end of March - in April, on a warm day, you can take out the seedlings on a glazed balcony, where the temperature is not lower than + 10 ° С, and at night, if the temperature is below + 8 ° С, bring them back into the apartment.
You can start growing aster seedlings directly in the garden. To do this, plant the seeds in the ground previously shed with warm water, in a heated greenhouse and a polycarbonate greenhouse in early April.
Sowing can be done as soon as the snow melts
For this, the area allocated for the aster is spilled with boiling water, allowed to cool, then grooves are made at a distance of 10 cm and seeds are sown. They are sprinkled with light humus by 5 mm. On top of the landing, they cover it with non-woven material or put arcs and put a film on them.
Planting seedlings: growing asters
The seedlings grown in this way are hardened, they can withstand spring frosts down to -3 ° C. Therefore, they are planted in a permanent place quite early - in mid-May. The site should be sunny, slight partial shade is possible. The place must be chosen, not blown by the winds, not waterlogged.
Make holes every 20-30 cm. Put 0.5 tsp in each. nitrophosphate or dry granular fertilizer for flowers. Sprinkle 2 handfuls of humus on top. Spill the wells with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide, carefully plant the plants without destroying the root ball of earth.
For aster seedlings to take root well, plant on a cloudy day or in the evening. If the sun is shining brightly the next day, shade the seedlings.
Caring for asters
Caring for asters is simple. The flower is quite drought tolerant, but in hot weather, in the evenings, the plant should be watered every 2 to 3 days … The plant especially needs moisture at the moment of bud formation, then it will be large and will delight with its rich colors.
If you fill the hole well with rotted organic matter and minerals, you don't need to fertilize the flowers. If not, then feed them for the first time with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer half a month after planting seedlings in open ground. The second time - during the formation of buds, pour a fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus (without nitrogen) under the root.
To prevent diseases, especially fusarium, periodically spray asters with a solution of the following trace elements:
- zinc;
- copper;
- cobalt;
- potassium permanganate;
- boric acid;
- magnesium.
Spray in the evening in calm, not rainy weather. Such a solution will help not only to avoid the disease, but also to form lush inflorescences, which, having blossomed, will turn into beautiful flowers!
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Pictures of asters:
