In caring for the garden, sometimes there is no time at all to provide proper care for the flowers, so for most gardeners the most convenient option grows aster - one of the most unpretentious, but at the same time amazingly beautiful flowers!
Aster is able to regenerate its damaged root system and even during flowering can easily tolerate replanting
Advantages of growing aster:
Even a novice gardener can easily figure out how to grow asters. The main thing is to plant flowers in soil that has been previously fertilized with nutrients, and do not forget about weeding and timely watering. Well, if you manage to fertilize a couple of times over the summer, your flowers will grow especially beautiful and large, with powerful stems. However, some features of growing asters still need to be taken into account.
Video about sowing and growing aster
In order for multi-colored asters to get sick as little as possible and delight you with their bright beauty for a long time, you need to correctly determine the place on the site for planting them and prepare suitable soil. Like many other garden flowers, asters form large, healthy buds only if there is sufficient moisture and nutrients in the soil. Therefore, a flowerbed for them should be prepared in the fall by digging up the soil and adding river sand with humus or sand and peat to make the soil fertile, breathable and well-drained.
The acidity of the soil should be close to neutral. If you add humus immediately before planting asters, the plants may be affected by fungal fusarium (growing asters on dense or acidic soils leads to the same result). In the spring, before digging, it is recommended to add ammonium sulfate, superphosphate and potassium salt to the soil.
To prevent the risk of asters becoming infected with fusarium, they should not be planted after potatoes, tomatoes, carnations, gillyflowers, gladioli, and tulips. Asters can be grown in the same flower bed for six years, and asters can be returned to their original place only after four years. Best results This can be achieved by sowing asters after marigolds, marigolds, and perennial herbs.
The best results can be achieved when sowing asters after marigolds, marigolds, and perennial grasses
Asters feel good in partial shade, they love open sunny places, but in extreme heat and drought they lose their decorative value. It is advisable to choose a place for the flowerbed that is protected from the wind and from constant dampness, so that groundwater did not lie too close to the surface of the earth.
You can prepare aster seeds yourself, collecting them from dried inflorescences at the end of summer, or purchase seeds in a store for each season, experimenting with different varieties astr. The main thing is that the seeds are of high quality, then the seedlings will sprout 100%
Planting asters in seedlings
Sowing asters without seedlings
Aster seeds are sown as soon as the ground warms up, directly onto the flower beds, sprinkling a little soil on top and covering with film until germination. With the emergence of young seedlings, the film can be removed and the plants can be covered only in case of frost. It is not necessary to pick them, it is enough to sow them at intervals of a couple of centimeters, and then thin them out so that there are 12 cm between plants, or leave the plantings thickened. Asters planted without seedlings begin to bloom much earlier.
Asters cannot tolerate dampness or excessive waterlogging and are considered drought-resistant flowers, but in dry weather they must be watered abundantly. Pay special attention to watering when setting buds, otherwise lush flowering you can't wait.
Landed on fertile soil Asters, with good watering and periodic fertilizing, will bloom wonderfully until the cold weather. For the first time, flower beds with asters are enriched with complete mineral fertilizer two weeks after transplanting the seedlings into a flowerbed, and during the period of bud formation and flowering, fertilizing is used without nitrogen fertilizers. Organic fertilizers Apply only on poor soils.
Video about asters
Because the main enemy asters - diseases, especially fusarium, it is recommended for prevention to spray the plants with a solution that contains the following microelements: potassium permanganate, magnesium salts, zinc, cobalt, copper, ammonium molybdate and boric acid.
Also make sure that when growing asters they do not show signs of rust, late blight, sclerotinia, powdery mildew, rhizoctonia, jaundice, damage by slugs, aphids, cutworms, spider mites, nematodes.
Asters are my favorite flowers. They literally charge me with their energy. Admiring them, my soul blooms like their flowers. I’ll tell you how to grow aster seedlings so that these beautiful flowers will delight you as much as they do me.
It’s been five years since I stopped growing aster seedlings at home. Careful soil preparation, illumination, picking, hardening and transporting plants to the garden plot require a lot of effort and time. All this can be done much easier.
In the fall I choose a place for aster seedlings. I remove plant debris, spread Kemira with loose, well-ripened humus and dig up the soil. I make the bed at least 20 cm high so that the earth warms up faster in the spring.
When and how to grow asters and seedlings, there are no special tricks. At the beginning of April, if the snow has not yet melted, I sprinkle the bed with wood ash and after two weeks it is ready for sowing aster seeds. I loosen the soil with a hoe, level it with a rake and make edges along the edges so that water does not flow down.
I prepare seeds for growing aster seedlings in advance. In winter I store them on the refrigerator door. A week before planting, I take them out to keep them warm. Be sure to pickle the seeds in a strong solution of potassium permanganate and soak them in Epin’s solution, then dry them on newspaper. I sow aster seeds the next day, because after such preparation they are not recommended to be stored for a long time.
Using a plank, I make even grooves 1 cm deep across the bed at a distance of 10 cm from each other and pour boiling water from a kettle over them. I sprinkle the seeds thickly - this way they germinate more easily.
Then I fill the grooves with sand, install small arcs over the bed and cover them with film, leaving a small hole at the end of the tunnel for ventilation.
Short-term frosts down to minus 3° are not dangerous for growing aster seedlings, but if suddenly the temperature is promised lower, then I cover the bed with an old blanket at night.
When the first shoots appear, I try to thin them out as early as possible - I remove the excess and weak ones. During the formation of the second pair of true leaves, I feed the seedlings with a humate solution. And of course I water, loosen and fertilize the plants regularly.
At the end of May, I begin to harden the aster seedlings. First, I completely open the end of the tunnel, then lift the film from one side. I'm waiting a few more days for the aster seedlings to grow stronger in the air. During this time, I prepare flower beds and places for planting flowers. Planting aster seedlings on permanent place This is usually done on cloudy days or in the evening. At first, it is advisable to shade the plants.
Over the past years, I have accumulated a lot of experience, which showed how to grow aster seedlings directly on garden plot, and not on a city windowsill. Follow my example and these beautiful flowers will delight you until late autumn.
Galina Kotenkova
Many flower growers are very fond of such a flower as chrysanthemum. It is popular and can grow both in open ground and at home. In the latter case, a pot is used to grow the flower. Caring for it both indoors and street conditions will be exactly the same, only unlike garden ones, indoor chrysanthemum differs in small sizes. So how to care for a chrysanthemum in a pot? Let's try to figure this out.
This flower can be either annual or perennial. It has a branched root system, the development of which occurs parallel to the surface. The leaves of the plant are light green and are dissected, serrated or notched. A dense inflorescence is formed small flowers, collected in a basket.
Indoor chrysanthemum has a large number of varieties that grow wonderfully at home. These types differ from garden ones in their miniature size. This is explained by the fact that for growing indoors they use drugs that stop their growth for decorative purposes.
When purchasing a chrysanthemum for growing in pots, you should choose a strong and healthy specimen with a well-formed stem and dense foliage. After purchase, the flower adapts to new conditions for some time. To prevent the plant from becoming infected with diseases from other indoor flowers, it is quarantined for several days.
In order for a chrysanthemum to grow well at home, it is necessary to provide it with optimal temperature regime. She does not tolerate heat and direct exposure sun rays. Better conditions– this is cool air and short daylight hours. To make the chrysanthemum bloom as long as possible, optimal temperature for this it should be +15 degrees, and Maximum temperature for her growth is within +18 degrees.
If you like these cute flowers that you are used to growing in open ground, then you should try to “move” them into the apartment. This is not difficult to do. Select relatively short varieties of asters, plant them in a prepared container and allow them to bloom in the yard. Next, try bringing a pot of asters into your apartment and observe the plant.
Choose sunny windows to grow these plants. They love sunbathing and do not suffer from direct sunlight. As for watering, it should be abundant and regular. Asters love moist soil, so if you notice. If the plant behaves “gloomily”, try watering it. The soil for seedlings should be light. Be sure to use drainage when planting asters.
If you are planning to grow asters from seeds, then pay attention to following points. First of all, decide on the sowing time. You can start sowing asters in late fall to enjoy the colorful flowers in winter. However in early spring It’s not too late to do this either. Sowing dates vary depending on the variety and optimal conditions for growth. If your seedlings begin to stretch upward, then they should be moved to a sunnier side.
Asters can be either annual or perennial. It follows that the question of replanting for each variety is individual. Obviously, there is no point in replanting annual varieties. They will delight you for several months, after which they die off. All you have to do is empty the pot for new seedlings.
Otherwise the situation will be perennial varieties astr. If necessary, you can transplant them into a larger pot with updated soil mixture. However, it is best to remove asters that have already survived the flowering period to a cool place and maintain soil moisture. The ground part of the flower dies, however root system remains viable.
Of course, if you purchased an aster in a store and brought it home in a purchased pot, then it is best to deal with the issue of replanting the plant. Pay attention to the condition of the aster's roots. If you notice that the roots are slightly blackened or dry, carefully remove them from the plant.
Following simple rules for caring for asters will allow you to enjoy their flowering for a long time.
Good day everyone!
Today I want to talk about how to grow asters from seeds. Familiar to us annual asters is a species of the aster family. This flower is called Callistephus or Chinese Aster. Its stems are branched, green or red with a powerful fibrous root. Small alternate leaves, inflorescence - basket.
This flower occupies a place in my front garden special place. My grandmother loved it very much and her asters always bloomed by September. She simply sowed them in the ground, and then planted them in the flowerbed. They bloomed late, but still made us happy. The flowers were the simplest - pink and purple daisies. Now there are many varieties of this flower. They are varied in petal shape, color, and plant height. They live up to the name, because Astra means “star” in Latin. Now I no longer sow aster directly into the ground; I want it to bloom earlier. To do this, you need to grow asters at home with seedlings. Or in greenhouses.
Asters vary in flowering time:
They usually bloom until frost. These beauties are not afraid of the cold, so seedlings can be planted in the Urals in May. It is desirable that by the time of planting in open ground the seedlings should be one month old, small, about 6 cm, with good roots.
Taking into account all this knowledge, determine the sowing time. I always sow aster in early April at home. You can also sow seeds in the greenhouse at this time.
If you have space on the windows or a heated greenhouse, you can sow aster in March. But there is no need to do this even earlier. The seedlings will be drawn to the light, which is still not enough, they will become thinner, fall down and then wither. I had such an experience.
Aster seeds are quite large and can be spread out sparser. I sow first in small containers, then plant them in separate cups or small boxes. Astra is not afraid of transplantation; it grows its root system in a spacious pot.
You can buy the soil or prepare it yourself. I usually take garden soil, add humus, purchased soil, ash, or maybe sand. To create a light soil that allows air and water to pass through well.
Aster seeds quickly lose their viability; it is better to take them completely fresh. In the second year, half of the seeds may not sprout.
I sow the seeds to a depth of about 1 cm. I water it and put the container in a bag, and after a few days shoots appear. I put it immediately closer to the window so that it is light and cool.
As soon as a couple of true leaves appear, you can plant them. Aster seedlings are strong, but fragile at the junction of the stem and the root. Therefore, first we wet the soil well, and after half an hour you can carefully remove the small asters with a match or a toothpick and plant them in prepared large cups.
Asters are watered infrequently, but abundantly. Containers for seedlings must have drainage so that excess water could have drained. You cannot fill the aster with water, otherwise you may get sick with blackleg and die.
Seedlings usually grow well. If you have prepared good soil before sowing, there is no point in using fertilizers. But if the soil is poor, you can water your seedlings with biofertilizer a week after transplanting. You can pour infusion of ash.
There is no need to get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers. Otherwise, there will be huge green bushes, and flowering will come later and will not please you at all with quality.
In a normal Ural spring, aster seedlings can be transplanted outside in mid-to-late May. But in order for young plants to withstand replanting and possible cold snaps well, they must be hardened off. In early April, begin to take the seedlings outside. If growing in a greenhouse, open the doors on warm days.
Usually in April, almost all of my seedlings move to the veranda. I only bring it home if frost is expected.
Such seedlings can be planted in a permanent place
She loves a sunny place, non-acidic, fertile soil. Asters are not planted with fresh manure!
I plant tall cutting asters at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. They branch well and form many shoots with flowers. I plant low, border ones closer, about 15-20 cm from each other. Then, growing, they bloom in a continuous carpet.
Groups of flowers of the same color look interesting. And low ones can be planted with different colors, there will be a variegated border or an island. For beautiful lush flowering, remove old flowers in time.
A week after planting the seedlings, I water it with ash infusion or biofertilizer. Spring and early summer are dry, and we don’t get much rain. In order not to constantly run around with a watering can, immediately after watering the flowers, mulch them with hay, grass, sawdust, and wood chips. This will reduce the work of both weeding and loosening. And for good flowering Asters need to be loosened frequently. Although in general it is a very unpretentious flower.
Beautiful, healthy flowers will decorate your garden until frost.
As I already said, I try to grow aster with seedlings. But if this is not possible, you can grow aster seedlings by sowing seeds in the ground in early spring. They do this early, in April. Small area loosen with humus, after sowing the seeds, water and cover with film. When the asters come up, we replace the film with a covering material so that the soil does not dry out.
You can sow aster seeds before winter. So they themselves will determine in the spring when it is better for them to ascend. When the asters grow up, plant them in flower beds. By the way, such plants do not suffer from fusarium.
Asters sprout well by self-sowing; in a warm spring, they will bloom in August-September. They can be thinned out or transplanted. But in order to get beautiful lush plants that bloom from July, you have to grow seedlings, especially in the Urals and to the north.
Video about aster fusarium disease.
I usually leave the first, large flowers for seeds; they have time to ripen well. When the flower fades, darkens, and a small fluff appears in the center, I cut it off and put it in a paper bag. This should be done in dry weather, during the day. If it is damp, you need to disassemble the inflorescence and dry it well so that the seeds do not rot. The seeds usually ripen in a bag, then I store them at home until sowing. You need to sign the bag so you know what variety you are sowing.
Fresh seeds are best sown before winter. Late autumn into the frozen ground so that they no longer thaw and germinate in the cold. You can even sow directly on the snow in December and cover it with soil, and in the spring cover this place with film for early shoots.
Asters are very good for cutting. And my schoolboy takes away five or six bouquets by the first of September: both to school and to music school. He often brings his flowers to school on Teacher’s Day (and this is already October). True, not every year is so successful. If it hits severe frost, then the asters turn yellow and wither.
Let growing aster from seeds on your site bring you joy.
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Sincerely, Sofya Guseva.
