Asters, the cultivation of which is described in the article, are some of the most beautiful, bright and lush. They will decorate any flower garden, are suitable as a holiday gift, admire these beautiful plants maybe for hours. Not every amateur gardener will deny himself the opportunity to have such bright and beautiful flowers. Therefore, for many, the topical issue is how to grow aster seedlings so that they turn out healthy and strong.
Growing involves both seedling and non-seedling methods, but it is still better to use the first one, as it gives more guarantees of getting really strong plants. Cultivation involves planting, watering, further picking, fertilizing and transplanting into open ground.
The seeds must be fresh, preferably last year's. They should be sown at the end of March or beginning of April in pre-prepared boxes. Containers should not be too high; a height of up to 10 cm is suitable. You can put drainage at the bottom to prevent stagnation of water, then fill the container with a nutritious light substrate. The day before sowing, the soil should be watered with a solution containing a fungicide, and the seeds should also be treated with it.
You need to sow in furrows half a centimeter deep, and then sprinkle with soil and water it with a manganese solution from a spray bottle. Before growing aster seedlings, it is necessary to prepare a bright place for the boxes, because when insufficient lighting the plants will stretch out and turn pale. To make seedlings appear faster, you can cover the soil with film or paper.
After the appearance of the first two or three true leaves, the seedlings can be picked and transplanted, removing diseased and weak plants. The distance between flowers should be a couple of centimeters. Transplantation is carried out using a picking fork, which must be used to carefully pry the seedlings. The plant has one long root; if you want to get a luxurious and lush bush, then you need to pinch it by one third.
How to grow aster seedlings? Important point- this is the preparation of a lit place without direct sun rays. A greenhouse is ideal in this regard, since there is light for the plants, there is the necessary space, and the conditions are close to open ground. Picking is done on average three to four times, then you can be sure that the asters will really please you during flowering.
The photo of amateur gardeners is confirmation that this flower can indeed be grown at home from seeds. All it takes is a little persistence and care. Regular moderate watering, periodic fertilizing, diffused light - that's all that flowers need. The question of how to grow aster seedlings does not cause any particular difficulties even for novice gardeners, because this is a rather unpretentious plant.
Young asters should be planted in a well-lit, level and pre-fertilized place. It is better not to use fresh manure, but to resort to humus or compost. During drought, it is recommended to provide the flowers with regular watering. The distance between asters should be 20 - 40 cm, depending on the variety. The plant will begin to produce its first flowers in mid-summer; flowering continues until frost.
- one of the most popular flowers in our gardens. How to properly grow aster from seeds, when to plant seedlings, and is it possible to get flowering plants after sowing directly into the ground?
Numerous species and varieties of asters attract gardeners with their splendor and variety of shapes, incredible palette of colors and extremely simple agricultural techniques. Picky plants, even with minimal care, readily bloom, but before this happens, asters need to be grown.
How to plant asters with seeds? When is it better to start sowing at home, so that by the time they are transferred to open ground, the seedlings will be large and strong?
The flowering time of asters depends on the species or varietal. Annual plants begin to bud 90–120 days after sowing, and perennial plants bloom only the next year. Therefore, they are more often planted as seedlings in flower beds after young asters have grown from seeds at home.
Since aster seeds lose their viability after 2–3 years, fresh, preferably last year’s, material should be used for sowing.
Seeds from trusted companies are ready for planting after opening the package. Seeds collected from flowers you like or purchased from your own hands are a different matter. Spores of harmful fungi could remain on their surface, so the seed must be treated with a fungicide, following the instructions.
When to plant aster seeds for growing seedlings? Young plants are transferred to the flowerbed when the time has passed spring frosts, and the soil will warm up to at least +15 °C. In the middle zone this happens no earlier than mid-May. 3-4 weeks before this time, that is, in the first half of April, they begin sowing.
Asters are unpretentious, they sprout well and grow in the ground different composition, the main thing is that it is moderately nutritious, always loose and light. For sowing, you can take a ready-made universal or flower substrate, and then add a little washed river sand and loosening, moisture-retaining perlite.
To protect the seedlings, soil mixture should be heated well in an oven, for example in a baking oven, or sterilized with another in an accessible way. As a last resort, you can generously saturate the soil with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate.
If you have garden soil and turf soil at hand, you can make a substrate suitable for planting asters with seeds yourself by adding part of the sand and half a portion of perlite or vermiculite to two parts of the soil.
Aster seeds are quite large, but light, and the seedlings that emerge from them are susceptible to putrefactive and fungal infections. Therefore, when sowing, the seeds are distributed over a pre-moistened substrate, but not buried, but carefully sprinkled with dry calcined sand in a layer of up to 8 mm. There is no need to water the contents of the container after this.
In the light, warm, at a temperature of 15–20 °C and high humidity air, the seeds quickly awaken, swell and hatch. The first shoots can be seen in less than a week.
This period is the most important and responsible. To lower the temperature, excessive watering and other changes in the growing conditions of the aster are affected by rot. If a “black leg” is noticed on the seedlings, such plants are carefully removed and destroyed along with the root ball of soil. The rest of the seedlings need to be treated with a fungicide
When a pair of true leaves appear on the asters, they are picked, transferred to separate cups or a common container, but planted at a greater distance from each other. It is convenient to use peat cells in which:
It is useful to add a substrate for young plants that contains not only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but also microelements.
After picking, the seedlings are placed in a bright place, protected from drafts and direct sunlight. Within 7–10 days, the plants acclimatize. When 4-5 true leaves open on them, it’s time to start hardening off, increasing the time spent outdoors every day. With the establishment warm weather asters grown from seeds at home can be planted in the garden.
If spruce seedlings can die at low sub-zero temperatures, ripe aster seeds tolerate winter frosts and in the spring they give forth friendly shoots. This property of the crop is used by flower growers who do not want to bother with germination and sowing at home. Seeds are sown directly into the ground at the site of their future growth and flowering.
How to grow asters from seeds using this method? There are two options to choose from:
Seeds planted in autumn undergo natural stratification, so their seedlings, as a rule, are stronger, more friendly and suffer less from changeable spring weather and diseases.
When to plant aster seeds when growing in open ground? In autumn, sowing is carried out from mid-October and, weather permitting, spruce until the end of November. In spring, you can sow even in the snow on land prepared in the fall until mid-April. In this case, the planted areas are covered. Second term spring planting asters begin to seed in May, when it is warm and additional protection no longer required.
To prevent the crops from being too dense and the sprouts from being weakened, the seeds are planted:
The top of the crops is sprinkled with a peat-humus mixture. If shelter is required for crops, it is removed as soon as mass shoots appear on the site. At the stage of true leaf formation, seedlings are thinned. The excess should not be thrown away; asters grown from seeds in open ground take root well if they are moved to another place.
Growing aster from seeds does not take a lot of time and effort spent on caring for this plant. Asters do not require certain conditions and can grow almost wild. In this article we will look in detail at how to properly plant seedlings in open ground at home, when and under what conditions.
To be sure of the germination of seeds, look at the year of production on the bag and the expiration date. It is better to take the freshest seeds, because asters quickly lose their viability.
It is not necessary to purchase seed in bright packages with beautiful drawings. Often, seeds in nondescript packets turn out to be fresher and better than those in beautiful bags, because the excessive brightness and colorfulness of the designs sometimes serves as a kind of advertising for the sale of low-quality planting material.
To create beautiful flower beds, provide garden landscaping or personal plot bright flower beds, choose a mixture of asters. They usually come in up to 10 different colors. If you want to decorate your landscape space in a special way, buy individual colors in separate bags.
To ensure that the flowering period of asters does not fall during autumn frosts and bad weather, it is important to correctly plan the time of sowing seeds. The best time is February-March. During these months, aster seeds are sown so that flowering occurs in September; it is not for nothing that the aster is called the queen of autumn.
If your climate differs from the average in Russia, for example, snow falls much later or does not fall at all, asters can be sown in April and even in May.
It is recommended to sow asters in special soil for sowing flower seedlings. If it is not possible to purchase it, or you have the soil prepared in advance in the fall, you can sow it in it. Regular soil must be mixed with a small amount sand and peat.
When the asters grow, you can pick them. It depends on how you want to use the seedlings: sell some of the flowers or plant them all outside.
For sale, pick each plant separately into small cups. It looks presentable and allows you to trade asters individually. In addition, it is much more convenient to plant them from such containers.
If you plan to plant these flowers in flower beds soon, prepare large seedling boxes for picking. The soil can be used the same as for sowing. Drop each plant into boxes 5cm apart on each side. To avoid damage root system, carefully separate each unit of seedlings along with the root soil. Make a hole in the prepared soil, lower the “seedling” into it and press the soil on top.
In some regions local climatic conditions allow you to sow asters directly into the ground. This applies to areas where winter is short and warm. In principle, you can sow asters in the ground in Middle lane Russia, because with self-sowing they grow well and produce flowers no worse than with careful care of the seedlings and proper planting.
Aster seedlings do not require special care. Like any other plants, it needs to be watered periodically and loosen the soil when a crust forms.
If the seedlings are not developing well, purchase special fertilizers or liquid fertilizer for flower seedlings from a specialized store and apply in the recommended proportions.
When 6-7 leaves appear, the seedlings can be hardened off so that in the future they can withstand temperature changes between day and night and be resistant to frost. To do this, take the boxes with seedlings outside for 3-5 hours every day. Of course, for the first time this time should be no more than an hour, and subsequently it must be gradually increased.
When the root part of the asters’ stem is about 7 cm, the seedlings can be planted in the ground. The landing site must be chosen in advance. Asters are unpretentious in terms of lighting and location relative to trees, fences, etc.
If asters have already grown in the planned location, you need to choose another one or change the soil in the flowerbed. This is especially important in cases where in previous years the plants in this soil suffered from any diseases.
Asters do not like overly acidic soil, so the soil must be limed during spring or autumn digging.
Under no circumstances add fresh manure when planting asters! This will lead to the death of the seedlings.
Planting is done in loose soil. For better survival, plant flowers directly with pieces of root soil. Place plants 20 cm apart. If the package with seeds indicated that this variety is very bushy, increase this interval.
Plants are planted in small depressions and compacted with soil on top. If for some reason the seedlings have stretched out, they need to be buried a couple of centimeters.
After planting, thorough watering of the plants is necessary. To avoid the formation of a crust after the soil dries, mulch the soil with peat.
Planting asters in the ground and further care for her.
Aster is loved by many gardeners and landscape designers precisely because it does not require special care, regular feeding, and so on. This is a huge plus if you are going to go somewhere for a long time and no one will be able to care for the flowers. However, if you pay enough attention to these flowers, they will delight you abundant flowering and richness of colors.
When the asters gain color, remove the lower ground leaves. By then they usually look very unattractive and only take away nutrients, intended for flowers. As they fade, remove dried flowers. So the new ones will be larger and brighter.
When asters fade, many gardeners think that it would be a good idea to collect their seeds so that next season don't waste money on them.
To prepare your own seed, carefully look at the packages of planted asters, if they have been preserved.
It is important that among them there are no varieties labeled F1, which indicates that the plant belongs to the category of hybrids.
Why are seeds from hybrid varieties of asters bad? Hybrid flowers most often have various exotic colors, big size And unusual shape. However, all these characteristics were obtained by introducing into the genetic structure of the seeds the characteristics of other plants or other varieties of asters.
When collecting seeds from hybrid plants and then sowing them, some of the characteristics are lost, and you get completely different flowers and a spoiled mood.
Wait for the aster flowers to dry. To avoid losing most of the seeds, spread cardboard or light-colored cloth under the seed-bearing plants. In case of premature fall, you will not lose the seeds.
After drying, check whether the seeds are ripe: remove a few pieces from the dry flower. Mature seeds are hard and dark in color.
Collect dried flowers, carefully holding the head in your hands so as not to scatter the seed. Place them in a warm, dry place for a couple of days and then dry out the seeds. They must be stored in a dry, warm place to protect them from premature germination, mold damage or loss of germination.
We have considered how to grow aster from seeds very simple, it is important to follow all agrotechnical rules, and then the plants will delight you with abundant flowering!
Be sure to watch this helpful video!
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.
Astra is loved all gardeners for its wonderful qualities.
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.
There are two known ways seed growing asters: with and without seedlings.
At 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 They are characterized by resistance to drought and disease, as well as long 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 early winter.
Aster seeds can be sown in spring, autumn and winter.
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.
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 prepared with early autumn furrows and mulch to 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.
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.
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
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. Place several crystals (1 g) of potassium permanganate in 100 ml of water and stir thoroughly. The resulting solution is diluted with another 100 ml of water. This way we will 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 onto it. They should be immersed in the solution. After 25 minutes, remove the napkin and wash the seeds in clean water.
It is worth noting that seeds collected from one’s own plot do not retain the properties of the variety of the mother plant. It's better to buy planting material well-known companies in specialized stores. This way there is a greater chance of getting high-quality planting material that no longer requires processing.
Callistephus are grown by sowing seeds directly permanent place, and through seedlings. Let's first consider sowing seeds in seedling boxes.
In March–April, soil is poured into prepared boxes (garden soil is mixed with humus) and rows are made 0.5 cm deep every 2 cm. The soil is moistened and seeds are laid out. They are covered with earth on top and covered with transparent film or glass.
The optimal germination temperature is +20-25 0 C. 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 are dumped into boxes with fresh soil according to a 5x6 pattern. Already at this stage, it is recommended to treat the seedlings with a pink solution of potassium permanganate to prevent the development of blackleg 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. Low growing varieties(10-30 cm) are planted according to the pattern 20x20 cm, medium-growing (30-60 cm) - 25x25 cm, tall (60-90) - 30x30 cm. The color looks good along garden paths and paths, especially dwarf varieties.
Callistephus are successful in any garden, well-fertilized, sandy loam, light and medium loamy soils. To avoid Fusarium disease, fresh manure should not be applied. The best predecessors are marigolds and calendula; avoid sowing after carnations, tulips and gladioli.
Seeds are sown in open ground in spring and autumn. Pre-winter crops produce early, friendly shoots that develop well and are more resistant to cold weather and drought, bloom 2 weeks earlier and are more resistant to disease.
Spring sowing can be carried out in 2 terms: in April, as weather permits, and in May. This makes it possible to admire the beautiful lush inflorescences from mid-July until late autumn.
Seeds are sown in pre-watered rows 1 cm deep, spreading them every 1.5 cm. You can mix the seeds with a handful of dry sand to make sowing easier.
The seeds can be soaked in advance by spreading them on a damp cloth, but dry ones also germinate quite quickly. The seeds are covered with humus and covered with 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.
The plant loves watering and loose soil. It is necessary to water rarely, but abundantly, followed by loosening. Approximately 2 buckets of water are poured per m2.
Feeding:
In dry summers, fertilizing is applied in liquid form. If the summer is rainy, then fertilizing is done in dry form, followed by incorporation during loosening.
Many gardeners prefer to weigh out fertilizers almost by gram. For them, it is recommended to use ready-made liquid mineral fertilizers for flowers, for example Florist for growth And Florist for buds.
