Growing asters with all the features to get beautiful healthy flowers. Astra, growing from seeds: useful tips and features How to grow aster seedlings

Before you grow these amazing flowers, you need to prepare planting material. Seeds collected on your site must be treated with any fungicide or potassium permanganate solution. In 100 ml of water, put a few crystals (1 g) of potassium permanganate and mix thoroughly. The resulting solution is diluted with another 100 ml of water. So we get a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate for seed treatment.

The resulting solution is poured into a cup, a cloth is placed and seeds are poured on it. They must be immersed in the solution. After 25 minutes, the napkin is removed and the seeds are washed in clean water.

It is worth noting that seeds collected from their own plot do not retain the properties of the parent plant variety. It is better to buy planting material of well-known companies in specialized stores. So there are more chances to get high-quality planting material that no longer needs processing.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Callistefuses are grown both by sowing seeds immediately to a permanent place, and through seedlings. Consider first sowing seeds in seedling boxes.

In March-April, earth is poured into prepared boxes (garden mixed with humus) and rows are made 0.5 cm deep every 2 cm. The soil is moistened and the seeds are laid out. From above they are covered with earth and covered with a transparent film or glass.

The optimum germination temperature is +20-25 0 С. After about a week, the first shoots appear. The growing temperature is reduced to + 16-18 0 C. When the first pair of leaves appears, they dive into boxes with fresh earth according to the 5x6 scheme. Already at this stage, it is recommended to treat the seedlings with a pink solution of potassium permanganate to prevent the development of the black leg and fusarium.

In May, you can plant seedlings in a permanent place in the flower garden. healthy seedlings should be strong with a thick stem and have 5-7 well developed bright green leaves. Undersized varieties(10-30 cm) are planted according to the scheme 20x20 cm, medium-sized (30-60 cm) - 25x25 cm, tall (60-90) - 30x30 cm. The color looks good along garden paths and paths, especially dwarf varieties.

Planting asters with seeds in open ground

Callistefuses work well on any garden, well-fertilized, sandy, light and medium clay soils. To avoid Fusarium disease, fresh manure should not be applied. The best predecessors are marigolds and calendula, refuse sowing after carnations, tulips and gladioli.

Seeds are sown outdoors in spring and autumn. Podzimnie crops give early friendly shoots that develop well and tolerate cold snap, drought more easily, bloom earlier by 2 weeks and are more resistant to diseases.

Spring sowing can be carried out in 2 terms: in April, as the weather permits, and May. This makes it possible to admire beautiful lush inflorescences from mid-July until late autumn.

Seeds are sown in pre-spilled rows 1 cm deep, spreading them out every 1.5 cm. You can mix the seeds with a handful of dry sand to facilitate sowing.

Seeds can be soaked in advance by spreading out on a damp cloth, but dry ones germinate quite quickly. The seeds are covered with humus and covered with a film, securing it around the perimeter with planks or bricks.

When shoots appear, the film is removed. It is advisable to thin out overly thickened crops. Seedlings removed during thinning can be used as seedlings.

Cultivation and care

The plant is very fond of watering and loose soil. It is necessary to water rarely, but abundantly, followed by loosening. Up to 2 buckets of water are approximately poured per m 2.

Top dressing:

• With the development of 4-5 pairs of true leaves, buds are laid. During this period, you need to feed the plants with ammonium nitrate (matchbox per 1 m 2).
• With the advent of buds, a second top dressing is carried out. Take by matchbox superphosphate, potassium salt and nitrate per 1 m 2.
• The third phosphorus-potassium (30 g per 1 m 2) top dressing is carried out with the beginning of flowering.

In dry summers, top dressing is applied in liquid form. If the summer is rainy, then top dressing is done in a dry form, followed by incorporation during loosening.

Many gardeners prefer to weigh fertilizer almost by the gram. For them, it can be advised to use ready-made liquid mineral fertilizers for flowers, for example Florist for Growth and Florist for buds.

Often flower beds are decorated with such colorful plants as aster. They bloom in autumn, are unpretentious and usually do not have any difficulties with them. The flower is sown with seeds directly into the ground or its seedlings are planted, then they begin to bloom earlier.

Growing a plant at home requires necessary knowledge, otherwise young shoots can get sick and die. Therefore, the process should be considered in more detail: from sowing seeds to planting them in open ground.

How to choose the right seeds for seedlings

To be sure that the seeds will sprout, you should read the year of issue and the expiration date on the bag. The best thing buy fresh seeds, as asters quickly lose their germination.

If the seed is in a bright package with a beautiful pattern, it is best not to buy it. Seeds in nondescript bags most often are better and fresher, since the colorfulness of the picture and excessive brightness are a kind of advertising in order to sell a low-quality landing product.

For creating beautiful flower beds you should choose a mixture of asters. They usually contain up to 10 different colors. For a special design landscape design you should buy flowers in separate bags.

The timing of sowing seeds. When to plant a flower for seedlings? So that their flowering does not fall on autumn frosts, it is important to correctly determine the sowing time. The best thing sow them in February-March.

It is these months that are optimal for flowering to occur in September. In regions where snow falls a little later or does not occur at all, sowing is carried out in April or May.

Growing from seeds

When to plant this flower, we have already figured out. How to grow good seedlings?

In order for the plant to be strong, seeds should initially be sown plant in nutrient soil. It can be done independently.

To do this, mix in equal proportions:

• humus;
• sand;
• garden soil.

Then this mixture is steamed in the oven, after which wood ash is added to it. It is very useful to add perlite to the prepared soil, which helps to improve soil aeration and allows the seedling root system to develop better.

A wooden or plastic box used for seedlings is filled with prepared soil, slightly compacted and generously watered with potassium permanganate.

Before sowing seeds, they should treat with any fungicide, which is effective tool against fungal diseases that often affect seedlings. Sowing seeds is carried out as follows: grooves are made in the soil up to 2 cm deep, in which they are planted and sprinkled with soil no more than two mm on top.

To prevent moisture from evaporating so quickly, crops should cover with glass. Shoots begin to appear on the 5-10th day, and the glass is then removed.

seedlings should move to windowsill where there is good lighting, but the temperature should not exceed 15 degrees. This is an important condition when asters are grown at home, otherwise they begin to stretch.

As the soil dries up, it moisturize with warm water from a spray bottle. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the plant is not flooded, otherwise a disease such as a black leg may occur.

At the first sign of such a lesion, it is necessary to immediately remove diseased shoots with a small earthen clod. After that, the hole should be covered with earth and this place should be spilled with a fungicide solution.

Seedling picking

This procedure is carried out after the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves. The soil composition should be the same, only an additional spoon is added complex mineral fertilizer. To distribute it evenly, the soil should be well mixed.

The pot is filled with soil and lightly tamped so that after watering it does not settle. In the center of the pot, using a stick, make a recess in which the roots of the seedling will be placed.

If the plant has a highly branched root system, then pinching. When transplanting, the seedling is buried in the soil no more than one cm from the cotyledon leaves. The earth around it is compacted in such a way that when watering it is not washed out with water.

seedling care

Asters should be watered abundantly, but infrequently. To avoid stagnation of excess water, seedling containers should have drainage done. It is also not recommended to fill the flower with water, otherwise it may be affected by a disease such as a black leg, and it will die.

Seedling feeding. If high-quality soil is prepared before sowing, then the seedlings do not need additional feeding. Poor soil a week after transplanting seedlings is watered with bio-fertilizer or ash infusion.

Do not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers, otherwise only green bushes will grow, and the aster will begin to bloom late and not too abundantly.

Seedling hardening. When 6–7 leaves appear, you can begin to harden off the seedlings so that in the future it can easily tolerate temperature changes and be resistant to frost.

For this purpose, boxes with seedlings are taken out into the street for 3-5 hours. At first, the length of stay outdoors should be about an hour, gradually increasing its duration.

Possible difficulties in growing seedlings

1. The sprouts did not sprout or grow poorly. It is necessary to sow new seeds, before soaking them for a day in ash or aloe juice. The soil must be changed by disinfecting it with a biofungicide or potassium permanganate.
2. There was such a disease as fusarium. To prevent it, flowers should not be fertilized with manure. It is also not recommended to plant asters in a place where potatoes, physalis, tomatoes, as well as gladioli, tulips, and carnations were previously grown.
3. Incomplete inflorescences have developed. This is possible if the plant is infected spider mite or aphids. Also, defective flowers can appear due to malnutrition.

How and when to plant seedlings in open ground

When the root part of the flower stem is 7 cm, the seedlings can be planted in the ground. The place for landing is chosen in advance. These flowers are quite unpretentious to lighting and grow well. near fences, trees etc.

Asters do not like too acidic soil, so in spring or autumn in the ground make lime. It is forbidden to add fresh manure to the ground when planting seedlings - this leads to their death.

It is best to plant flowers in loose soil, and in order for them to take root better, this should be done along with pieces of root soil. Plants should be located at a distance of 20 cm from each other.

Workpieces are planted in small recesses, and compacted with earth from above. If for some reason the seedlings are stretched out, they are deepened by a few centimeters. After planting the plant carefully watered, and so that after the earth dries out a crust does not form, the soil is mulched with peat.

Care for asters in the garden

Such flowers are loved by many landscapers or flower growers due to the fact that they do not require special care. But with enough attention, they are able to please with richness of colors and abundant flowering. Thus, care includes the following points:

Thus, in order to grow a flower from seeds, it is necessary follow certain rules. Their non-compliance leads to various problems.

If everything is done correctly, then in the future the plants will delight their owner with abundant and colorful flowering.

With the seedling method, perennial aster seedlings are grown in the same way as annual ones. Growing these flowers at home is not difficult, but you need to know and take into account some of the nuances. Let's take it in order.

Collection of aster seeds

Of course, you can buy the seeds of any aster today in a store or on the Internet. However, if there is such an opportunity, we advise you to independently collect them in the fall from the most healthy, strong plants - this way you will be sure of the quality and freshness of the planting material, which is important.

Aster seeds are stored for no more than two years, as their germination ability is quickly lost.

How to collect aster seeds? Depending on its type and variety, the seed collection period begins approximately 40-60 days after the start of flowering. Therefore, it is easiest to collect seeds from early-flowering asters, while late-flowering asters can “hold out” with flowering until the very frost and do not have time to form full-fledged, matured seeds.

In the first case, they simply leave the first few formed inflorescences “for seeds” and collect already dry baskets in sunny weather. In the second, the heads of asters are cut off until the moment of cooling and stored at home, or (which is much better) one of the bushes is transplanted into a large pot and “brought to maturity” already at home with suitable lighting and temperature. Flowers are cut after the inflorescences have withered, and wrapped in paper, stored in a dry, warm place.

Soil preparation

Spring sowing of aster seeds can be carried out as early as March, so take care in advance that by this time you have prepared the soil so as not to do this at the last moment.

As a suitable container, you can use shallow (8-10 cm) wooden or plastic crates, pots, containers. They should first be disinfected with any antiseptic (Ecobio, Biosept, Biotex) and dried.

Asters love light, fertile, non-acidic soil that allows water and air to pass through well. For sowing seeds, a mixture of garden soil, sand and humus in equal proportions is suitable. It must be steamed, and then add wood ash and perlite (on a bucket of soil, a glass of both).

Prepared containers are filled with this soil mixture, and just before planting the seeds, it is shed with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Sowing aster seeds for seedlings

What do the seeds of perennial and annual asters look like? They are quite large, so landing problems should not arise.

To protect against diseases, pickle them in advance in any fungicide (Maxim, Baktofit, Klad, Fitolavin, etc.) according to the instructions.

In moist soil, make small grooves up to 2 cm deep at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other, where you spread the seeds evenly. Sprinkle a very thin layer of soil on top. Some gardeners recommend sprinkling the seeds not with soil, but with calcined sand, to protect them from possible waterlogging during watering.

After that, cover the crops with transparent glass or plastic wrap and place in a bright place with a temperature of no more than 20 ° C. Remove the film after germination - this usually happens on the 5-10th day.

Rearrange the seedlings in a cool room (up to 15 ° C) and regularly, as the soil dries up, moisten with a spray bottle. Make sure that there is no waterlogging - asters seedlings are very sensitive to black leg disease.

picking

Asters seedlings dive when 3-4 true leaves are formed on them. It is important to prevent the moment when the seedlings stretch too high.

Fill pots for transplanting with the same mixture as when planting seeds (you can add a little ash or complex mineral fertilizer), and tamp. Make a well in the center of each pot.

Transplant the shoots one at a time into each pot so that there is about 1 cm between the surface of the soil and the lower leaves. After all the plants have been transplanted, water them with water at room temperature, without touching the leaves.

Place the containers in a warm (about 20 ° C) well-lit place without direct sunlight. Water moderately as the soil dries out. A couple of weeks after picking, asters can be fed with a solution of ammonium nitrate (1 g per 1 liter of water).

As soon as new leaves appear, young plants can begin to “harden” - regularly take them out into the fresh air to a shady place or ventilate the room. Gradually increase the "hardening" time.

Transplanting seedlings into the ground

You can transplant aster shoots into open ground after the soil warms up well. By this time they should reach a height of 5-7 cm and have 5-6 well-developed leaflets.

Before the procedure, the ground on the site should be well loosened. Asters love light, non-acidic soil, sunny places. It is not recommended to plant asters in those places where solanaceous (tomatoes, physalis, potatoes), as well as tulips or gladioli, grew last season.

For planting, morning or evening hours without active sun or cloudy weather are preferable.

Young asters with lumps of root earth are carefully transferred to prepared holes - the distance between them is made depending on the size and type of the future adult plant (from 20 to 50 cm). The soil around the shoots is lightly tamped and watered under the root. The ground around the seedlings can be mulched with peat or sawdust.

In no case do not feed young asters with fresh manure - this will most likely lead to Fusarium disease and plant death.

In the future, your task will be to properly organize the care of asters in open field. It is simple - regular watering without getting water on the leaves and loosening the soil.

A week or two after planting aster seedlings, it needs to be fed with complex mineral fertilizer (without nitrogen). It can also be applied at the stage of budding.

If winter is expected to be snowless or frosty, perennial asters should be covered with spruce branches.

Seedless way to grow asters from seeds

When are aster seeds sown? Most often it is in the spring - we described this option above. However, many gardeners today also practice open sowing of aster seeds in autumn soil. This method is also called reckless.

It is best to sow aster seeds before winter in October - early November, depending on the weather, in slightly frozen ground.

To begin with, a bed is formed with well-dug soil, where you can additionally add humus or peat (up to 3 kg per 1 sq.m), as well as superphosphate (1 tablespoon). On the bed with an interval of 15 cm, parallel grooves are made with a depth of about 2 cm. In them, at a distance of about 2 cm from each other, dry seeds of asters are laid out, which must be sprinkled with soil up to 2.5 cm from above.

This sown bed is securely covered with plastic wrap until spring. Around mid-April, with the end of frosts and the emergence of seedlings, the film is removed - young plants find themselves in favorable conditions, when and temperature regime already suitable, and there is a sufficient amount of moisture from melted snow.

Flower growers like this sowing of asters in autumn because the resulting plants are usually stronger and stronger than seedlings. They get sick less and bloom earlier.

Growing aster seedlings at home and further care for asters in the open field - quite a feasible task even for a novice gardener. We hope that our algorithm of actions described in the article will help you with this.

Astra can be safely called one of the most popular garden crops among flower lovers. She decorates the flower beds and summer cottages until the first cold weather, when all other perennials have already faded. In addition, the aster is a rather unpretentious and easy-to-care plant, so growing it from seeds is a very interesting activity.

Incredible bright shades of aster flowers

Description and features of culture

Difficult to find garden plant, which would have a large species diversity than aster. To date, about 4 thousand varieties of this crop are known: they are distinguished by flowering time (early, middle, late), bush height, inflorescence structure and other characteristics. In our gardens, perennial New Belgian and New England varieties are most common, as well as annuals called Callestifus, which are also called Chinese asters.

Astra "Ostrich Feather"

Callistephus sinensis

Frost-resistant aster "American Beauty"

In height, the bushes of the plant can reach from 25 to 160 cm, the stems are branched or simple, the root is fibrous, powerful and well branched. Basket-shaped inflorescences can be coronal, curly, semi-double, spherical or needle-shaped, and differ in a huge variety of shades - breeders have not yet brought out green and orange flowers.

Astra "Duchess"

Astra "Victoria"

Aster needle violet-blue

In general, among the huge range of varieties of asters, the gardener will easily find what he likes, but for growing a crop it is very important to know its main features.

1. Asters love fertile, well-drained and breathable soils with low to neutral acidity.
2. It is preferable to choose open or lightly shaded areas, protected from drafts, with deep groundwater to avoid excessive moisture. Dry places where direct sunlight constantly falls should be avoided, otherwise the flowers will be crushed and lose their decorative effect.

   Growing asters

3. You should not plant a crop where tomatoes, potatoes, gladioli and tulips used to grow. Ideal predecessors for planting are marigolds, marigolds and perennial herbs. In addition, planting a plant in the same place is possible only for six years, after which a four-year break is required.

   Beautiful asters bloom in compliance with agricultural technology

4. The site for planting asters should be prepared in the fall - it is good to dig up the soil and add a sand-peat mixture, or a mixture of compost with peat (at the rate of 2-4 kg per square meter). If you apply top dressing immediately before planting the plants, they can be affected by fungal diseases.

   We have been preparing the garden since autumn

5. In spring, the soil needs to be dug up a second time and fed with superphosphates (20-40 g per square meter), as well as potassium salt and ammonium sulfate (15-20 g each).

   Fertilizing the garden in spring

6. Asters seeds are best collected on their own, as their germination ability is quickly lost - fresh (last year's) material is suitable for sowing.

   We collect seeds

7. It is very important to plant asters at a certain time: seedlings - in late March - early April, seeds - in late April-early May (sometimes in winter or late autumn). You should not be afraid of late frosts, as the plants can withstand temperatures as low as -4°C. Late sowing of asters simply does not make sense - the plants will not have time to gain strength for flowering before their life cycle ends.

It is possible to grow asters from seeds both in seedlings and in seedlings, that is, by sowing the material directly into the ground. The first method is more complex and painstaking, but gives a much better chance of growing healthy, strong flowers.

Instructions for seedless cultivation of asters

The reckless way is more suitable experienced gardeners, which can recognize high-quality seed, since not all aster seeds have the ability to germinate in open ground. You can perform the procedure at the end of autumn (from November 10 to November 20), in spring (April-May) or even in winter (December-January), right on the snow. The algorithm of actions in this case is as follows.

Step 1. It is not necessary to germinate seeds before sowing, as young sprouts may freeze or die. If the seed has been treated with germinating preparations, it must be dried well.

Cultivation of asters in the open field - seeds

Step 2 On a previously prepared site, rows are made up to 2 cm deep at a distance of 10-15 cm.

We are preparing a garden

Step 3 Seeds are sown so that the intervals between them are at least 1-2 cm, watered from a small watering can (if sowing is done in cold weather, it is not necessary to water the planting), and sprinkled with soil or mulch (layer thickness 2-2.5 cm).

Step 4 Spring crops must be additionally covered with a film, which is removed after germination.

Photo of seedless sowing of asters. Bottles used instead of film

Step 5 As soon as the first true leaves appear on the shoots, it is better to thin out the planting so that there is a distance of 12 cm between the bushes.

If planting is carried out in winter time, the seeds are sown directly into the grooves in the snow, and it is very important that the thickness of its layer is not less than 10-15 cm. They are mulched from above with pre-ventilated peat or compost so that the crops are not washed away with water during the thaw period. As soon as the snow begins to melt, the seeds will be in the most favorable conditions - the optimal temperature regime without the risk of overheating, and required amount moisture.

Many gardeners claim that seedless asters grow stronger, healthier, and more resistant to disease.

Blooming asters in the garden

Instructions for seedling cultivation of asters

The seedling method involves growing seedlings of asters, which are subsequently transplanted to a permanent place, and consists of several stages.

Asters seedling from seeds

Step one: prepare everything you need

To grow seedlings you will need:

• containers or boxes at least 5 cm deep;
• glass or film;
• nutrient mixture;
• river sand, perlite and wood ash;
• potassium permanganate, from which a weak solution is prepared.

The nutrient soil mixture is prepared as follows: take equal parts of garden soil, sand and compost, mix and steam well. After that, add wood ash (a glass of ash is taken on a bucket of soil) and a handful of perlite. It is also recommended to separately ignite some river sand in the oven in order to subsequently cover the seeds with it - this will protect them from waterlogging and black leg disease.

Nutritious soil mix - preparation

Stage two: sowing the seeds

Sowing seeds for seedlings is the most milestone, so it is very important to follow the correct sequence of actions.

Step 1. Wash the growing containers well with soap and water, treat with a solution of potassium permanganate and dry well.

Step 2 Pickle the seeds in any fungicide (for example, in the Maxim preparation, at the rate of 4 ml per 2 liters of water, soak the seed for 30 minutes) to protect them from diseases.

Aster seeds can be soaked

Seed preparation

Step 3 Fill the containers with a nutrient mixture, lightly tamp and pour with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Put the soil for growing seedlings in a container

Sowing aster seeds in a box, soil is filled inside and grooves are prepared

Soil disinfection

Step 4 Make small grooves in the soil (up to 2 cm deep, 2-5 cm apart) and spread the seeds in them.

Spread the prepared seeds evenly over the surface of the moist soil.

Step 5 Sprinkle the seed with a thin layer of soil or calcined sand.

Sprinkle aster seeds on top with well-washed sand

Step 6 Cover the crops with glass or film, and put in a lighted place (the optimum temperature is 20-22 ° C).

cover the crops

Step 7 If everything was done correctly, the first shoots will appear after 5-10 days. After that, you need to remove the shelter and rearrange the containers in a cool place (temperature up to 15 ° C).

Shoots of seedlings

Aster seedlings (7 days after sowing seeds)

Care of crops at this stage consists in regularly moistening the soil - it is best to do this with a spray gun so as not to flood the sprouts.

Stage three: dive seedlings

Seedlings dive immediately after 2-3 leaves appear on them. Aster sprouts tolerate transplanting well, but the procedure should be performed in a timely manner so that they do not have time to stretch too much.

How to dive asters

Step 1. Fill pots or other containers with the same mixture that was used for sowing seeds, but add a tablespoon of complex mineral fertilizer to it and mix well.

Step 2 Tamp the soil, and make a small depression in the center of each container.

Step 3 Transplant the shoots into pots, deepening them so that about 1 cm remains between the lower leaves and the soil surface, and compact the soil again.

Place the seedling in the hole

Gently compact the soil around the seedling

Step 4 Sprouts are watered with water at room temperature, starting from the edges of the containers and gradually moving towards the middle so that the leaves remain dry.

Pour gently from edge to center

Step 5 Seedlings are placed in a lighted place where direct sunlight does not fall. The recommended temperature regime is 20оС.

As the soil dries, young asters are watered warm water trying not to overdo it. As soon as 4 leaves appear on the stems, hardening of the plants should begin - take them to a shaded place in the fresh air, gradually increasing the residence time. Transplant shoots into open ground should be immediately after the soil warms up well.

Stage four: transplanting plants to a permanent place

Planting asters in the ground

Transplantation is best tolerated by shoots 5-7 cm high, on which there are 5-6 well-developed leaves. The site should be well prepared since autumn, and before the procedure, the ground should be fed with nitroammophos (40-50 g per square meter) and mixed well so that the fertilizer is distributed in the upper layers of the soil. For transplanting, it is better to choose the evening hours so that the sun does not scorch the young leaves.

Step 1. Dig small holes on the site at a distance of 15-30 cm from each other (depending on the aster variety).

Step 2. Transplant the shoots together with a clod of earth, deepening them by 2-3 cm, and compact the soil a little.

Planting seedlings of asters

Step 3 Water the seedlings under the root and mulch with peat, which will prevent soil petrification.

In most cases, aster seedlings take root well, as the plant is distinguished by its ability to regenerate its root system after damage. The most important thing is properly organized planting care.

Asters transplant

Asters Care

Preventing a disease is easier than curing it. Therefore, it is better to choose for the garden a variety of asters with high disease resistance.

1. Asters do not like excessive dampness and waterlogging of the soil, but in dry summers they must be watered regularly. Watering is especially important at a time when buds begin to tie on the stems.
2. Another prerequisite is loosening and removing weeds. It is better to carry them out after rains or watering, the optimal loosening depth is 5 cm, and it is better not to touch the ground within a radius of three cm from the stem so as not to damage the roots.
3. If the soil on the site has been properly prepared, planting can do without top dressing, but fertilizing will benefit young flowers. Usually they are fed with mineral fertilizers two weeks after transplantation, and then during flowering, using any fertilizer without nitrogen components.
4. Asters do not like organic fertilizers, in particular, fresh manure, so they should only be applied when the flowers grow on poor soil.
5. To prevent various diseases (especially fusarium, to which asters are most susceptible), it is recommended to feed the plantings with potassium salt, regularly inspect the plantings for signs of disease, and follow the rules of agricultural technology.

Asters pruning

Asters that live in favorable conditions and receive appropriate care begin to bloom in July-August (depending on the variety), and delight their owner with bright, lush flowers right up to the frost.

Asters - queens of autumn

Video - Asters. Growing seedlings

In this article, we will tell you in detail about how to grow seedlings of annual asters from seeds at home: basic and important planting conditions.

How to grow seedlings of annual asters from seeds at home

An unusually beautiful annual is an aster.

Breeding of these flowers began to be engaged in the first half of the 19th century.

And today it is a very popular type of plant among flower growers.

Astra is used as decoration in flower beds, flower beds, and is also grown for cutting.

In nature, there are a great many varieties of asters, up to several tens of thousands. All varieties differ depending on the shape of flowering buds, the size of the bush, and the colors.

The color scheme of aster is also very diverse and can be represented as white or reddish, yellow or purple, as well as complex types of color in individual varieties.

Every year, breeders offer more and more interesting varieties, distinguished by the splendor of buds and colorful colors.

Let us consider in more detail how to grow seedlings of an annual aster and what important points for this must be taken into account.

How do annual asters reproduce?

Reproduction of asters occurs only with the help of seeds.

Under normal storage conditions, their germination lasts up to two years; in the third year, this quality begins to deteriorate sharply along with the vigor of germination.

When are asters planted for seedlings?

As a rule, annual asters for seedlings can be planted in the third quarter of March or early April.

Approximate dates for sowing asters by region:

• In the Central regions of Russia, the third decade of March - the first decade of April,
• In the southern regions and the Chernozem region - late April - early May. Sowing deadline - June 10

According to the flowering period, asters are:

• early - flowering occurs 90 days after the appearance of the first shoots .;
• medium - flowering occurs 110 days after the appearance of the first shoots;
• late - flowering approximately 130 days after the appearance of the first shoots

What soil is used for planting annual asters for seedlings?

In general, asters are characterized by unpretentiousness when choosing land for planting. But the best choice soil becomes medium loam.

It is important to remember that it is advisable to use a new earthen mixture, not left over from other colors.

In addition, the soil should have a loose loose composition, contain little humus, pass moisture well and be saturated with a sand mixture.

The process of harvesting the soil layer is a layout of three compositions of turf, two compositions of peat soil, one composition of river sands with two tablespoons of wood ash, which are poured into one bucket and mixed thoroughly.

Seedling boxes are filled with this mixture, and on top of it we distribute calcined river sand 1 cm in height in layers.

To prevent the development of fusarium asters, it is necessary to disinfect the soil before planting with a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide.

Also treat the seeds before planting, soak them in the same manganese solution, and after 10-13 hours they can be sown.

How to plant seeds of annual asters for seedlings?

The prepared soil needs to be moistened a little, make grooves with a thin stick and sow the seeds.

Aster seeds are relatively large, they are sown to a depth of about 1 cm every 2-3 cm each, they are sprinkled on top with the same sand with a layer of 5 mm.

Until germination, the room temperature is maintained at 18-20 ° C.

Shoots usually appear on the fifth day.

How to grow seedlings of an annual aster so that it has risen by the May holidays - ventilate the room more often and water it only occasionally, maintain a stable temperature of no more than 17 degrees.

Seedlings must be well lit for 14-16 hours, otherwise they will stretch and become weak and unviable.

Excessive watering with poor ventilation or low t in the room can provoke such a disease that is dangerous for seedlings as a black leg.

In the first days of May, we feed the seedlings with nitrophos or Agricola-7. To do this, dilute one teaspoon of each composition into two liters of water.

Picking seedlings and planting seedlings in the ground

It is desirable to dive seedlings with the appearance of the first true leaves, while the seedlings need to be deepened to the cotyledon leaves.

They are seated in pots or at a distance of 7 cm between plants in boxes with earth.

Preferably two weeks before planting in the ground, seedlings grown in room conditions, harden on the balcony, starting from 1-2 hours, gradually leading to a round-the-clock stay in the open air

When the second half of May comes, you can transplant the seedlings into the ground, and then cover them with specially prepared bedspreads until the tenth of June.

It is not difficult to determine and prepare a place for landing.

In this case, it would be most likely to choose a dry and sun-warmed area.

It is necessary to fertilize the soil with humus (at least 4 kg) and river sand, add peat. Introduce one tablespoon of superphosphates and potassium sulfates, do not forget about urea.

Dig up the soil to a depth of no more than 28 cm.

If it is not possible to fertilize the ground for planting in advance, you can use a ready-made version of a soil-flower mixture that has a neutral reaction. It can be both living earth and "Saintpaulia", or a mixture of "Cactus".

Low border flowers are planted with a distance of 15-20x15-20 cm, medium - 25x25 cm, high - 30x30 cm.

Asters are considered light-loving and frost-resistant plants, they can even withstand temperatures of 3 degrees below zero.

They begin to bloom about 3.5 months after sowing, and continue to delight with their flowers for at least 45 days.

The most popular varieties of annual asters

• Karteiser claw.

By far the most interesting variety.

Differs in a pyramidal form and durability of peduncles.

The flowers have a dark blue color and are folded into long tubes.

Such an aster blooms buds in July and fades by September.

• purple tower

This is a very well-known variety, characterized in that the bush takes the form of a column.

One aster contains up to 15 terry formations of a hemispherical type from buds in the form of tightly compressed tongues.

This variety is planted if the air warms up to +18 degrees, in which case seedlings can be expected within 8-15 days after sowing. The plant blooms starting in July, but keeps buds all September.

• Red bolero buds

It has double flowers that form a hemispherical inflorescence.

Differs in branching, as well as a powerful stem, grows 65 cm high, blooms from early August until September frosts.

• golden claw

A pyramid-shaped plant with an oval inflorescence reaching a size of 15 cm. Reed flowers are a slightly concave tube of golden yellow colors.

Most often, this type of aster is used for planting in prefabricated flower beds in groups, and on discounts - in rows. The plant reaches 70 cm in height. Blooms from July to mid-August.

You can read even more about new interesting varieties of annual asters in this

We hope now that you know how to grow seedlings of annual asters from seeds, you will grow them at home on your own.

Have a nice garden!!!

Thousands of flower growers are passionate about breeding asters, because this autumn flower has a wide variety of colors and shapes. Their buds have exquisite beauty, and abundant flowering lasts quite a long time, which ensured the plant's enduring popularity. You can grow seedlings of flowers on your own at home both in spring in containers and in autumn under the snow. But be careful: caring for young seedlings will require certain agrotechnical knowledge.

Varieties of asters - choose and prepare seeds for planting

Annual varieties of asters are germinated with seeds through seedlings to speed up the process of sprout formation and ensure friendly seedlings of purchased grains. Often their sowing takes place in two stages: in March or April, then in May. Double planting asters will help prolong flowering. These annuals withstand slight frosts and drought quite well, temperatures around -7 degrees will not harm frost-resistant plants.

The following types of asters won particular popularity among annuals:

• white flowers of "Isadora" and "Arlekino" with buds with a diameter of 13-15 cm, the bushes stretch up to 55 cm, have up to 20 inflorescences that do not fade for two months;
• "Alice" has thin, sharp lingonberry-colored petals, the buds are up to 14 cm in diameter, the bush gives about 15 inflorescences;
• pink aster "Bazhena" - a tall plant, reaching a height of 90 cm, has many small buds that look like peony flowers; in 2 months about 35–40 flowers bloom on a bush;
• the Blue Lagoon variety will please with a sky-blue tint, the aster has small inflorescences (6-7 cm) in the amount of 10-12 pieces;
• the mixed variety is represented by "Prima Donna" - a bush of medium height (50–60 cm), with flowers of the most diverse colors; It blooms for a long time and is well suited for cutting.

Before sowing, soak the seeds for seedlings in a fungicide: this will increase the germination rate, this procedure is especially useful for stale grains. If you collected aster seeds from your own flower garden, then in a few months the chances of sprouts appearing will be much reduced. Such seeds germinate worse and bloom more poorly and less than purchased samples.

In addition to the fungicide, gardeners use potassium permanganate or phytosporin. Also, for the disinfection of seeds, the preparations "Fitovital" and "Stimulin" are used. Process the planting material according to the instructions described in the instructions, then dry the grains.

Increase germination by the method of stratisfaction (hardening). The technology consists in hardening seeds in a refrigerator. To do this, lay them on a container, the bottom of which is covered with soil, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for two weeks. Then transfer the tray to a warm, lighted window sill.

We sow aster seeds - planting and picking dates

In order to properly plant an aster for seedlings, it is necessary not only to create favorable conditions for growing, but also to plant at the right time. If daylight is short, start planting closer to April. If spring is early, start work in early March.

Advice! artificial lighting makes it possible to sow seeds earlier than in the middle of spring, regardless of the length of daylight hours.

Buy a container for seedlings in a specialized store, it should not be too deep, an acceptable height of the sides can be 5 cm. From improvised means, choose a pallet or any other plastic container. In the future, you will need separate pots. Small plastic cups are also suitable for transplanting grown shoots.

Spread the soil evenly over the boxes or containers in which you are going to grow seedlings, and sprinkle it with a small layer of disinfected sand. Sow the seeds on moist soil and lightly cover them with soil. Cover the container with seedlings with a transparent film or glass, and place in warm room with abundant lighting.

Important! 7 days after sowing, the first shoots appear, if this does not happen in the near future, most likely the lighting and temperature conditions have been violated.

On bores, leaves will form after 2-4 days. With their appearance, start airing the greenhouse. In this way, you will accustom the plants to more aggressive conditions. environment. When the seedlings acquire another pair of leaves, start picking. Peat cups are considered the most suitable option for this, but ordinary pots and glasses are also suitable.

Further growth of shoots depends on the volume of the container in which they are located. Therefore, transplant aster sprouts into new pots in this way:

• water the seedlings, take out the shoot with a flat stick;
• shorten the central root by 1/3 with sharp scissors (do not branch thin bores, this will destroy them);
• water the soil in the pot in advance and make a small depression in it; lower the shoot into it and compact the earth around it, giving the flower a vertical position;
• spray the seedlings with water diluted with an energy drink (for example, epin) and make a shelter for the plant for a couple of days.

At the end of the transplant, lower the temperature to +16 degrees and transfer the asters to a cool room. During the day, take the seedlings to the balcony or windowsill for warming.

After spring frosts, plant seedlings in open ground.

Conditions for planting seeds - we create a comfortable environment for the successful germination of asters

Cultivation of seedlings of asters is carried out on light soil mixtures with a neutral reaction. Purchased soil, for example, "Live Earth", will also work. It recreates all the important nutrients so you don't have to look elsewhere for supplements.

You can prepare the soil at home yourself. For the mixture you will need the following ingredients in unequal proportions:

• peat (3 portions);
• sand (1 portion);
• compost and sod land (2 servings each).

A day before sowing asters for seedlings, sterilize the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate. This procedure will prevent the development of root rot. The temperature of the earth should be approximately +20 - +22 degrees, a couple of degrees lower than in the room. Accordingly, the air in the room should be well warmed up. Then the hatched sprouts will stretch up to the warm air.

Most annuals are tropical plants accustomed to long daylight hours. Therefore, the aster needs additional lighting. On short days, place seedlings under fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps.

Lack of light will cause the sprouts to stretch. They turn pale, the stem becomes thinner. As a result, the seedlings begin to hurt and die. Place the lamp near the crops (25-30 cm) at dusk for 6 hours a day, or turn on the light for 3 hours in the morning and evening. Thanks to such actions, the seedlings will quickly get stronger.

Water the seeds by spraying from a spray bottle with settled water at room temperature. The grown shoots can be watered from a small watering can so that the soil does not erode from the water.

When two full-fledged leaves are formed on the seedling, add a small amount of liquid mineral fertilizer for seedlings to the water for irrigation. If the stems are too stretched, be sure to organize proper lighting and add a calcium supplement. If yellowness appears on young plants, fertilize with iron.

Astra has rightly earned universal recognition due to its exceptional diversity: bushes from miniature to giant are decorated with inflorescences of various shapes of all colors and shades. Varieties of asters with a compact form of a bush are used in borders, and tall asters are magnificent in flower beds, competing with chrysanthemum. Astra blooms 3-3.5 months after sowing, so it is better to grow it through seedlings.

Sowing an annual aster for seedlings
Aster seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, so only fresh seeds should be used for sowing. The term for sowing asters for seedlings is the beginning of April. For sowing, you can use it by adding washed sand to it (0.5 parts of sand per 5 parts of soil). Experienced flower growers prepare for asters soil mixture on one's own. To do this, thoroughly mix washed sand (2: 1: 0.5), adding 0.5 cups or 1-2 tablespoons of dolomite flour for every 5 liters of soil mixture.

After that, the mixture must be sieved and within an hour. After sifting, it is desirable to add 0.5 cups of perlite to the mixture. It allows the soil to "breathe" after watering, absorbs excess moisture, and then slowly releases it to the roots of plants. If the soil mixture for the aster is not steamed, then be sure to place it in a container and spill it until completely wet with a fungicide solution or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. These measures cannot be neglected, because aster seedlings very often suffer from lodging, or caused by various types fungal infections.

tillage photography

Prepare aster seeds for sowing. To do this, aster seeds must be pickled with a solution of any fungicide before sowing or mixed with a small amount of dry Fundazola observing all security measures.


photo of preparing asters for sowing

Spread the prepared seeds evenly over the surface of the moist soil, using a small sheet of paper folded in half for this. Immediately put labels with the names of the varieties.


asters seed photo

Sprinkle aster seeds on top with well-washed sand (preferably calcined) with a layer of 0.5-0.8 cm. This will protect the root neck of the seedlings from getting stuck during watering and being damaged by the black leg. It is not necessary to water from above, because the moisture from the soil will gradually penetrate into the sand, and it will become moist.

photo: protecting the aster from jamming during watering and black leg damage

Cover the crops from drying out and place in a warm (+15 ... + 20 ° С) bright place. Keep the sand slightly damp at all times. If necessary, moisten it with a spray bottle.

After 5-7 days, as soon as shoots appear, the shelter must be removed. At this time, it is especially important not to overdo it with watering. It is not scary if the sand dries up from above, because by this time the root of the seedling will already germinate into moist soil. If you nevertheless notice the first signs of a black leg, then diseased plants should be immediately removed with a lump of earth, filling the hole with fresh soil. After that, water the soil again with the fungicide solution.


photo: shoots of asters

Aster pick
With the formation of 2-3 true leaves, aster seedlings are ready for picking. To do this, you can use the previous composition of the soil (as for sowing - read above), but without sifting. Add to the mixture 1 tablespoon containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements. In order for the fertilizers to be evenly distributed, the mixture must be thoroughly mixed.


photo of asters preparing for picking

Fill pots or cassettes with the prepared soil mixture, compact a little so that the soil does not settle too much when watering. Make indentations in the pot with a spatula so that the roots of the seedling can freely fit in them. If the roots are too large, you can pinch them a little. Place the seedling in a hole with a slight depth so that about 1 cm remains before the cotyledon leaves.


photo of asters picking in cups

Carefully compact the soil around the aster seedling so that when watering it is not knocked out by water.


photo of soil compaction when picking aster seedlings

Carefully water the pickled seedlings. Watering, try to start from the edge of the pot to the middle, if possible without falling on the leaves. Set the seedlings in a bright place, make sure that at first it does not get direct sunlight. The temperature should not exceed +20°C.


photo of how to water seedlings of asters

If you correctly filled the soil mixture with mineral fertilizers, then at first you don’t have to worry about feeding aster seedlings. If planting seedlings for some reason is delayed, then feed it with any mineral ( Fertika, Agricola, Mortar and etc.). With the advent of 4-5 leaves, start hardening aster seedlings on fresh air.

Planting asters in the ground

It is desirable that when planting the aster stem does not exceed 5-7 cm. Seedlings should have 5-6 well-developed leaves and undergo hardening. Overgrown plants will not bloom well. Outdoor hardened aster plants withstand short-term frosts down to -2°C. Astra grows well in sunny places, while maintaining slight shading. The place for planting it needs to be changed every year, especially if the plants suffered from Fusarium in the previous summer. The spores of this fungus persist in the soil for up to 5-6 years. The place where gladioli used to grow is also not suitable, because they are subject to the same diseases as asters.

If the soil on your site has, and you have not applied lime since autumn, then add 120-200 g of dolomite flour or one and a half cups of wood ash per 1 sq. M. for spring digging. m area. On very heavy clay soils, add additional peat and sand. It is also necessary to apply 40-50 g of complete mineral fertilizer before planting ( Nitroammophoska) per 1 sq. m. Mix thoroughly so that the fertilizers are evenly distributed in top layer soil. The bulk of the roots of the aster is located at a depth of 15-20 cm. The aster cannot stand it at all.
It is best to plant seedlings of asters in the evening hours. The distance between plants is from 15 to 30 cm, depending on the variety. If for some reason the seedlings are too long during cultivation, then when planting, deepen it by 2-3 cm. After planting, compact the soil around the plant in the form of a hole for watering.

After planting, water the seedlings in the holes and mulch the soil with peat so that a crust does not form.
Further care consists in watering, loosening and weeding from weeds. It is important to keep the soil loose. In the second half of summer, the aster is fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. Phosphorus (20-30 g of superphosphate per 1 sq. M) contributes to abundant flowering and brighter color of inflorescences, and potassium (15-20 g of potassium salt per 1 sq.m) significantly increases the resistance of plants to various diseases.

Tip: Astra looks most spectacular from single-grade plantings of 15-30 plants in a group.

The first garden asters appeared in Ancient Greece. It was customary to plant them at the entrance to the house in order, according to legend, to drive away evil spirits and various troubles. They were often used to decorate rooms, the altar in the temple, fixed in hair and clothes. From there, the flower migrated to the Crimea, as evidenced by the excavations of ancient settlements.

Now the aster is loved in Asian countries and in Europe, where they call it the "Queen of Autumn". The inhabitants of the Czech Republic once called this flower "autumn rose".

For a flower bed on which asters will grow, you need to allocate an area protected from the winds and open to the sun's rays. Asters will also grow in partial shade. The soil should be well-drained, well-permeable to air and moisture. Asters are best suited for loams and sandy loamy soil with an acidity index of 6.5-7.5 pH.

On a note! Too acidic and heavy earth can lead to Fusarium disease. This also contributes to the introduction of humus in the year of planting.

To reduce the risk of disease, asters are not planted after:

• gladioli;
• carnation;
• tulips.

It is possible to plant asters after their own kind not earlier than in 4-5 years. The best predecessors for the "autumn rose" are marigolds, marigolds, perennial herbs. Asters will also grow well on land that has been fallow. Experts recommend planting these flowers in the same place no more than 3-4 years in a row.

When compiling the soil, it is best to use the following components:

• turf - 3 parts;
• humus - 1 part;
• sand - 0.5 parts.

You can replace humus with peat, increasing its share in the composition of the mixture by 2 times. The same land will be suitable for seedlings. The sand must be washed and calcined, and the earth should be shed with a solution of potassium permanganate. During growth, asters are most suitable for moderate temperature and humidity in the range of 60-70%. In dry and hot weather, the decorative effect of inflorescences decreases, the quantity and quality of seeds suffer. Astra does not like close proximity ground water and waterlogging of the soil.

Will vary depending on the variety and weather conditions of a particular region. In warm areas, it is planted in early May, the deadline for sowing is the 1st decade of June. And if the region is cold, it is better to sow flowers in late March - early April. The growing season must also be taken into account. At different varieties From the moment of emergence of seedlings to the appearance of the first flowers, it takes from 80 to 130 days.

Sowing time will also be influenced by when you want to get flowering. Some want to see asters blooming on the site already in the middle of summer, others need to coincide with this moment by September 1st or even later. The growing season for varieties will be as follows:

• early asters - 80-90 days;
• mid-early asters - 110 days;
• late asters - 120-130 days.

If you want to get continuous flowering, seedlings are planted in several stages at short intervals. Then the flower bed will delight you bright colors over a long period.

The quality of seedlings largely depends on the right soil and seeds. First of all, it is necessary to carry out pre-sowing treatment of both, and then ensure the necessary conditions for growth. Only in this case, the seedlings will be friendly, and the plants will form strong and healthy.

For seedlings, you can use a ready-made substrate purchased from a store, to which a little coarse-grained sand is added before sowing to make the soil mixture looser. Sand is also needed for sprinkling crops.

You can also make a mixture yourself, using soddy soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 0.5. The components are thoroughly mixed and a little dolomite flour or ash is added to improve the quality of the soil.

On a note! Some flower growers successfully use a mixture of vermicompost and coconut fiber in a ratio of 1: 2 as a substrate for seedlings of asters.

The earth will need to be disinfected by calcining it in the oven, or scalding it with boiling water. Instead of calcining, you can use treatment with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. This rule must be observed when self-compiling the mixture. If the soil is released by a well-known manufacturer, this step can be skipped.

Seed preparation begins with their purchase. At this point, you should already have a plan for laying out a flower garden in order to choose the right varieties and colors of asters. If you are planting flowers in a multi-tiered flower bed, then you need to take into account the height of adult plants. For the foreground, low-growing asters are suitable; tall varieties are planted in the last row.

When choosing, give preference to fresher seeds, they will have better germination. Seeds can also be hand-picked if you like the variety you are already growing. The seed material of asters is very small, so it is better to wrap it in a cloth before processing, so it will be more convenient for you.

Pre-sowing treatment of seeds consists in soaking them in a solution of potassium permanganate - this allows you to kill all pathogenic bacteria and fungal spores. It will be necessary to prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate and lower the bag of seeds into it for 2-3 hours. Then the pickled seeds are washed in clean water and dried. Those seeds that are sold in the form of dragees do not require soaking.

If you want to get seedlings faster, the seed material can be germinated. But it is not necessary to do so. For germination, the seeds are not dried after locking, but placed directly in a bag in a plastic bag for several days. When warm, sprouts will sprout very quickly. After that, they are immediately planted in the prepared soil. You can also soak the planting material in a growth stimulator according to the instructions.

Seeds can be sown in wooden boxes, plastic containers or special seedling cassettes. Any planting container must have a hole for water drainage and a drainage layer laid on the bottom. Expanded clay is most often used as drainage. Then the procedure looks like this:

1. The container for seedlings is filled with pre-prepared, moistened soil and slightly compacted by hand. 1-2 cm should remain to the top edge of the container.
2. Seeds are evenly distributed on the surface of the soil, scattering them from a piece of paper, which is gently tapped with a finger. Some people use a salt shaker or a small strainer to sow small seeds.
3. It is recommended to stick a piece of plaster on the side of the container, on which the name of the variety is written - this is important when sowing several varieties of asters at once.
4. From above, the crops should be sprinkled with a layer of sand 5-8 mm thick. The sand must first be washed and disinfected in any way. This technique will help protect tender seedlings from the "black leg".
5. After planting, the container is covered with a film or glass to retain heat and humidity.
6. Moisten crops only from a spray bottle so that sand does not wash out.
7. Place the container with seedlings in a warm and bright place and wait for the emergence of seedlings, which can be expected in about a week. From this moment on, the cover is removed.

The first stage of growing seedlings is over. After the seedlings get older, the seedlings must be dived.

picking

They start diving when the first true leaves form on the plants. This usually occurs 10 days after the emergence of sprouts above the soil surface. The soil can be taken the same that was used for sowing, only now the seedlings are seated in separate cups. The roots of young plants are still too tender, so transplantation requires accuracy.

In the center of the cup, a recess should be made into which the roots are placed. Planting should be done at such a depth that a distance of 1 cm remains from the soil surface to the cotyledon leaves. After that, the hole is carefully filled with soil. The earth near the stalk should be lightly pressed after planting and watered along the edge of the pot, trying not to get on the plant itself.

So that the seedlings do not get sick and grow strong, it should be provided with the necessary conditions for growth and caring care. Seedlings need in large numbers heat and light. If you do not have the opportunity to take a light window sill under the seedlings of asters, provide it with additional illumination with a fluorescent lamp. It is enough to turn it on only in the evenings and on rainy days. The temperature should be at room temperature (20-22 ° C), but after the seeds hatch, it is somewhat reduced.

Moisture is just as necessary for plants, but when watering, you need to follow the measure. Asters seedlings, unfortunately, are easily affected by the "black leg", the disease can lead to mass death of seedlings. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the plants and remove those that are sick, otherwise the disease will affect the rest of the stems. The need for watering is not difficult to determine. This should be done when the sand on the ground surface becomes dry. But do not pour a lot of water, it lasts longer in the ground.

After picking, pots with plants are protected from the scorching sun, organizing shading if necessary. The first days maintain the temperature around 20°C. Then it is somewhat reduced and at the same time a difference in day and night temperatures is organized. At night, you can reduce the performance to 12-15 °.

The first feeding is carried out 1.5-2 weeks after picking, using mineral fertilizers. You can add 15 g of superphosphate and 20 g of saltpeter per 10 liters of water, or take a ready-made complex preparation. Until the seedlings have been planted in open ground, they are fed at least twice, with an interval of 14 days. Root top dressing can be alternated with spraying on the leaf.

Before planting in the ground, seedlings must be hardened off. This procedure is started when 4-5 true leaves are formed on the seedlings. To make hardening soft, it is better to take out seedlings on glazed balcony and not on the street. The first time it will be enough to hold it in the new conditions for 15-20 minutes. Then the time spent in a cool room is gradually increased every day.

By the time of planting in open ground, seedlings should grow up to 10 cm in height, and have 6-8 leaves.

The flower bed is pre-fertilized with nitroammofoska at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. per 1 sq.m. soil. If the earth is acidic and there was no time to add lime or dolomite flour in the fall, then you can change the acidity of the soil by adding wood ash just before planting.

Asters are planted in a flower bed in the evening. Plants are placed in holes at a distance of 15 to 30 centimeters, depending on the variety. After planting, the soil is slightly tamped, watered and mulched near the seedlings. Flower beds look beautiful during the flowering period, on which there are 20-30 copies of asters.

Astra is considered a drought-resistant plant, however, in hot weather, it needs abundant watering. It is especially important for this flower to get enough moisture during the formation of buds. If you do not follow this rule, you can not expect large inflorescences. Lose flowers and in the brightness of color. The soil should be loose enough so that excess water does not linger in it; asters do not like stagnant moisture.

After each watering or rain, the ground near the plants must be loosened, preventing a hard crust from forming. In order for the roots to be powerful, it is recommended to spud the bushes after loosening by 6-8 cm. It is also important to weed the flower bed from weeds.

Plants are fed three times throughout the season.

1. The first time fertilizers are applied 2 weeks after landing in a permanent place. You can use a ready-made complex of minerals.
2. The second dressing should not contain large doses of nitrogen, it is carried out during the budding period.
3. When the asters bloom, 50 g of potassium sulfate and the same amount of superphosphate are added to the flower bed. Organics are used only on poor soils.

It is useful for shrub varieties of roses to pinch the tops of the shoots during the period of active growth - this will stimulate tillering. The procedure is carried out with a sharp instrument or directly with your hands. From such bushes, beautiful fences strewn with flowers are obtained.

Those asters that grow in partial shade also need to be pinched so that they do not stretch. Tall and weak stems of such plants are recommended to be tied to pegs to prevent lodging.

On a note! For a longer flowering of asters and the preservation of their decorative effect, it is necessary to remove the inflorescences as soon as they fade.

Most often, asters are affected by the "black leg", fusarium, jaundice and gray rot. The main thing in the fight against diseases is to recognize the symptoms in time and take urgent measures to cope with the problem.

1. « Black leg "especially often affects young seedlings of asters. You can notice the disease by the thinning of the stem and its blackening at the point of contact with the soil. Plants die within a few days. The causative agent of the disease lives in the ground and begins to actively multiply at high humidity and acidic soil reaction. It is possible to reduce the risk of damage to the "black leg" by pre-sowing cultivation of the land and seeds, the correct irrigation regime. Sick plants will have to be destroyed. And healthy seedlings should be transplanted into fresh soil.
2. Fusarium is manifested by the appearance of dark strokes on the stems and leaves.. The lesion is unilateral, affecting the plant only partially. The causative agent of the disease penetrates from the soil through the roots and affects the vascular system of asters. As the disease develops, the leaves begin to turn yellow, then turn brown and curl, because food does not reach them. Disease-causing factors are high humidity and acidic soil. As soon as you notice signs of the disease, immediately treat the bushes with copper oxychloride according to the instructions.
3. Jaundice (mosaic) is caused by a virus that aphids carry to plants.. First, yellow veins appear on the leaves, and then the leaf plate turns yellow completely. Asters stop growing, buds do not develop. The fight against the disease is mainly aimed at the destruction of pests. Sick specimens of asters are dug up and destroyed.
4. Gray rot is a common disease that affects many flower and vegetable crops, often occurring in cool and rainy weather. It affects all parts of the plant - stems, leaves, flowers. First they appear brown spots, then a gray coating joins. This attack is treated with preparations containing copper (Bordeaux liquid, copper oxychloride). Heavily affected plants are best destroyed.

Contribute to the spread of aphids heat and dry air. Insects in whole colonies travel through plants and are very noticeable. From the pest, Intavir perfectly helps. To prepare a solution, 1 tablet of the drug is diluted in a bucket of water and asters are sprayed.

Advice! If aphids are few, you can get by folk remedies. For example, treat with a decoction of tomato tops with the addition of laundry soap.

Seed material is collected when the petals of the inflorescences fall off, and the middle ones darken and become covered with white fluff. The cores are carefully cut and dried at home with room temperature, after which the seeds easily spill out.

They are collected and stored in paper bags with the name of the variety. It is also necessary to indicate the date of collection, because the germination of asters lasts only for 2 years. In the spring, you just have to soak the seeds in potassium permanganate and growth stimulator and use for sowing.

Without certain conditions, it is impossible to grow beautiful and healthy asters.

1. For example, you can not skip the stage of seed dressing. It will not take you much time, but it will save you from many problems associated with diseases in the future. Plant them after such treatment should be no later than the next day.
2. When picking, at the same time, seedlings are culled, removing all painful and weak shoots. There are still a lot of seeds in the package, the lack of planting material you won't.
3. You can not skip an important stage of hardening. If this is not done, asters seedlings will take root worse, may get sick and will definitely delay flowering.
4. Asters are not fed with fresh manure, keep this in mind. Otherwise, instead of benefit, you will get the opposite effect.
5. During rain, varieties with large inflorescences can absorb moisture and lose their decorative effect. It is desirable to provide for their shelter a portable frame, over which a film is thrown.
6. If asters are cut half-blown, their life in a vase will last up to 2 weeks. All this time the flowers will have a fresh look.

Annual asters - growing from sowing to flowering: video

Podzimny sowing of asters: video

Using the tips given here, you will be able to get a chic flower bed with asters that will delight you with bright beauty until late autumn. All these recommendations are suitable for any varieties of annual asters, it is not difficult to follow them, and an excellent result will be a worthy reward for your work.