Aster flowers: cultivation, breeding and care. Varieties of perennial asters for rockeries

If you try hard, you can on your own suburban area grow a real star. Astra lends itself very well to planting and care in open field. In this article you can find a description of the plant and its varieties. Here you can get information about reproduction, cultivation and combination with other plants. Learn a lot about the use of asters in landscape design using country photos as an example.

Description: varieties and varieties of asters

The culture has earned universal recognition due to the variety of plant forms: from miniature to giant shrubs, which are decorated with flowers of various shapes and shades.

perennial asters

Astra alpine

This type of plant includes a wide variety of subspecies and series of varieties.

Alpine aster. Blooms earlier than other varieties. Already at the end of May, you can see blossoming buds on it. Bushes of low growth - 20-25 cm. The leaves form beautiful bushes in the shape of a hemisphere. The color of the flowers of this variety of asters is replete with its diversity. There are both white and pink, dark purple with a bluish tinge, flowers with a bright orange eye. The most common varieties:

• Gloria - blue flowers with a bright orange center;
• Wargrav - pink flowers with a yellow eye;
• Albus - snow-white flowers;
• Abenshine - Terry pale pink flowers with a yellow center.

Mongolian aster. It blooms in mid-July and belongs to the summer-flowering type of culture. It has its name due to its territorial origin: this series of varieties comes from Mongolia. Bushes reach 1 m in height, flowering is quite plentiful with large loose rosettes. It loves sunlight and tolerates frost well.

New England aster

American (New England) aster. It blooms late - in the middle of autumn. In the southern regions it may bloom in November. Huge bushes reach a height of 2 m. It has large bright flowers shades unusual for asters. Most popular:

• September Ruby - red flowers with a light eye;
• Violetta - flowers of a rich purple color;
• Purple Cloud - high bushes with huge lilac flowers;
• Kylie - frost-resistant aster (tolerates night temperature drops to -5 ° C), the bush is dotted with small pink flowers.

Italian aster

Chamomile (Italian aster). The flowering period begins in August, the flowers are small lavender hue, collected in inflorescences in the form of umbrellas of several pieces.

• Ultramarine- purple flowers with blue tips and a yellow core;
• Violet Queen - the most common variety in this series, has beautiful purple blooms.

annual asters

Plants of this type are distinguished by a limited growth time. Such a flower must be planted every season. Varieties of annual asters differ in the shape of the inflorescence:

Peony asters. Small decorative bushes up to 70 cm tall. The flowers are large, up to 15 cm in diameter. Peduncles are long, 1 bloom each. These asters are mainly used as cut decoration. The combination of various varieties of asters in a bouquet looks stunning. The most popular variety of peony-shaped annual asters with a tall sprawling bush with double reed flowers up to 13 cm in diameter is Ostrich Feather. Its flower stalks are long and elastic.

Astra annual peony

Chrysanthemum asters. This variety is so named because the flowers of the plants resemble chrysanthemums. Bright representative this series - "Apollonia". The bush is formed in a pyramidal way with a height of about 65 cm. The flowers are large - 10-11 cm. 10 or more rosettes can bloom simultaneously on a bush.

Globular asters. They got their name from the shape of the flowers. The most popular variety is "Martian". The bushes are low up to 45 cm. It has strong peduncles, 42-45 cm long. It produces up to 17 small (5 cm in diameter) flowers per plant.

Needle asters. They are called so because of the shape of the pseudolingual petals on the inflorescence, twisted into a tube and resembling long needles. Variety "Cassandra" is widespread in the central and southern regions. Bushes high up to 80 cm, upright. Good strong flower stalks, the length of which is 35-40 cm. Up to 17 inflorescences, 10 cm in diameter, can form on a bush.

Aster needle

The variety of asters allows them to be grown for use in landscaping and cut flower decorations.

Planting a plant

Planting asters in open ground, made after selection suitable site. A permanent place should be selected taking into account the photophilous nature of the plant. You should also prepare good drainage for flowers. Astra feels best in the place where calendula used to grow.

If the landing is seedling method, then first you need to sow seeds in open ground. Sprouts germinate in 5-7 days. After the appearance of 3-5 developed sheets on them, picking and thinning are performed. Next, asters land on permanent place.

Asters should be planted in a well-lit area.

Most auspicious time for planting young asters - mid-spring. Already in April the air temperature is suitable. Seedlings are planted in the evening.

In order to prepare the soil, it is necessary to deeply dig a piece of land in which asters are supposed to be planted in autumn, with the introduction of humus or compost (2 kg / m 2) into the soil. After the snow melts, the site is dug up again. If the land is poor, then 30 g / m 2 of superphosphate and 20 g / m 2 of potassium salts must be added to it.

Important! The first watering is not done at planting, but after 2-3 days.

plant care

Astra is not a very demanding culture, so caring for it does not take much time and effort. The main thing is to loosen the earth in time and remove weeds. This procedure must be performed after watering has been done or it has rained.

Transplanting a young plant into the ground

For asters, watering is important. But here it should be borne in mind that they endure excess moisture as painfully as a lack. AT hot weather it is better to water asters growing in open ground less often, but more abundantly (30 l / m 2). If watering is not done on time, then the inflorescences may lose their decorative appearance.

Care also includes the timely removal of dried flowers and leaves. This should be done in the morning so that the plant has time to tighten the wounds. If dead or diseased areas of the flower are not removed, the plant will waste nutrients to restore them in vain.

It is very important to comply optimal mode watering to make the plant feel good

Advice. In order to please the beauty of the aster, planting and care must be performed correctly.

Fertilizer and top dressing asters

An important step in the cultivation of all varieties of asters is top dressing. For the whole season it is necessary to apply fertilizer at least three times.

10 days after planting:

• ammonium nitrate 20 g / m 2;
• potassium sulfate 10 g / m 2;
• superphosphate 50 g / m 2.

When the first bud appears:

• potassium sulfate 10 g / m 2;
• superphosphate 50 g / m 2.

Astra must be fertilized several times per season.

At the beginning of flowering:

• potassium sulfate 10 g / m 2;
  superphosphate 35 g / m 2.

Timely fertilizer soil will allow the plant to delight you with many more new blooms.

Plant propagation

Growing an aster implies its subsequent reproduction, which is carried out with the help of seeds and dividing the bush. Planting seeds of annual asters in open ground is carried out in the spring no later than 2-3 years after their collection. And perennials are sown at the end of the season in the fall, immediately after collecting the material.

Aster seeds

Also, perennial asters are bred vegetative method(by dividing the bush). If the plant is divided in spring, then in autumn it is possible to observe the flowering of its separated part. Astra tolerates division very easily. Propagation by the vegetative method is carried out when the detachable part has 4 new shoots, one bud and several roots.

From May to August, asters can be propagated by cuttings. As planting material choose apical cuttings(6 cm). Reproduction is carried out with the planting of material in a prepared mixture of turf, peat and sand. A month later, the cuttings are fully rooted.

Diseases and pests

Asters, like any other plants, are subject to attack by pests and pathogens. Also, this culture is affected by viral diseases. Signs of disease appear on the stems, leaves and inflorescences of the plant. The growth of the affected specimen slows down, the flowers are deformed and may die.

Pest of asters - plowed slug

To avoid losses among plantings, it is necessary to use high-quality planting material and choose virus-resistant varieties. Also, prevention can be proper care behind culture.

The most dangerous for asters are insects carrying viral infections.

Farmed slug. It feeds on the green part of the plant. Eats leaves, and sometimes buds. When a crop is damaged by this pest, oblong holes are formed on the leaves, mucous secretions are observed. Slug reproduction occurs in conditions of high humidity.

You can fight it by destroying weeds and carrying out autumn plowing. Sprinkling lime along the boundaries of the site will also help.

Earwig. Adults are especially dangerous. The attack by these insects occurs in the second half of June. They feed on buds, inflorescences and aster leaves.

Earwig

The main method of control is the pollination of plants with foundationazole.

Aster blizzard. This is a small butterfly (20 mm in wingspan). Both adults and caterpillars are dangerous. The attack by these insects most often occurs during the flowering period. Adult individuals lay eggs in the inflorescence, caterpillars feed on pollen for the first time, and then eat the whole flower.

To avoid such attacks, it is necessary to prevent asters from planting in proximity to sunflowers. It is also necessary to carry out tillage before planting with bazudin, since the caterpillar pupates and winters directly in the soil.

Spider mite. small insect yellow shade, is located on the bottom of the leaf and sucks the juice out of it. Damaged leaves dry and fall off. Active reproduction of the tick occurs in dry weather.

Spraying the plant with a solution of 0.2% karbafos or onion infusion will help to cope with the pest. For the preparation of which, it is necessary to lower 100 g of warm onions into 3- liter jar with water, cork and hold for 8 hours. Strain the liquid and add another 7 liters of water. To improve the effect, add 45 g of liquid soap.

The most dangerous asters diseases include:

Fusarium

Fusarium. It is caused by the fungus Fusarium, which is found in the soil in the form of spores. The fungus gets in the process of absorption by the roots useful substances and clogs the entire vascular system of the plant. Manifested by dark stripes on the stem and withering of the leaves on one side. You can also notice a pinkish coating on the basal area - this is the Fusarium mycelium. Spreads with increasing humidity.

You can fight the disease by adding lime and pickling planting material in a solution of foundationol. Steaming the soil will also help prevent the formation of fungus.

Jaundice asters. viral disease, which can infect the plant with cicada and aphids. Manifested by lightening of the leaf plate along the veins. With the progression of the disease, growth suppression is observed. The buds turn green and stop developing.

Jaundice asters

To prevent the development of the disease, it is necessary to destroy the carriers of the virus. Affected plants are removed and burned. They fight with aphids with a decoction of yarrow, they are sprayed with each bush of asters growing in open ground.

Blackleg. A disease caused by a fungus. Young plants are affected. Manifested by blackening of the neck of the root and the base of the stem. The pathogen actively develops in acidic soil.

To prevent the disease, early picking of young seedlings of asters and sprinkling of the basal area with sand is carried out. When a disease is detected, the affected plants are removed and the soil is disinfected.

Astra: combination with other plants

Asters are beautiful on their own and in the neighborhood with other plants. The combination in the flowerbed of asters of different varieties will bring variety to the garden bright colors. The plant goes well with phlox and dahlias. Alpine aster, which has blue flowers, can be combined with bearded irises.

Astra looks very beautiful not only in the flower bed, but also in a bouquet

Echinacea aster will help create a good composition, such a duet will look especially attractive during autumn leaf fall. They also look very good near tall asters with inflorescences. warm colors perennial sunflower flowers. The combination of plants, matched to each other or in contrasting colors, is the most attractive for any garden.

Astra in landscape design

Growing asters using landscape design involves special care behind the plants. They are given appropriate shaping and decoration with additional materials.

Asters are great for landscape design.

In landscape design, perennial asters of small stature are mainly used. The favorite of designers is the Alpine aster. Its small size and abundant flowering cannot leave anyone indifferent.

Alpine aster looks very advantageous in combination with natural stone. It emphasizes the severity of the shape of the stones, and the delicate shades of the flower stand out especially well against a gray or beige background.

How to sow asters: video

Every year at the end of summer, the flower beds are painted in different colors rainbows. This is full of asters, involuntarily transferring everyone to memories of the school time. By that time, most of the plants have already faded, and beautiful, unpretentious "stars" are pleasing to the eye and decorate the garden.

Photos of asters flowers only prove a huge number of colors and unusual shapes. Gardeners call this cute flower callistefus. If you decide to acquire these attractive terry beauties in your flower bed, summer cottage or flower garden, then get acquainted with the main types, varieties and features of growing aster flowers from seeds.

A little about the history of the flower

Astra refers to annual and perennial herbaceous plants or Compositae. Sources indicate from 200 to 500 species of these flowers. Most of them are distributed in North and Central America. The flower was secretly brought to Europe by French monks from China (XVII century). From Latin, "aster" is translated as "star".

Exist old legend, which tells of two monks who were trying to reach the stars. To do this, they climbed the highest mountain of Altai, but the stars remained inaccessible and distant. Disappointed travelers had to return to the foot of the mountain. Here they stumbled upon a wonderful meadow strewn with beautiful flowers that looked like stars. The monks were very happy and decided to bring some flowers to their monastery. They dug them up and planted them. The flowers were given a starry name - asters. Since then, the Chinese have associated this plant with beauty, elegance, charm and modesty. Asters are most suitable for Virgos and are a symbol of the dream of the unknown, a talisman and a guiding star.

Key characteristics of the aster

incredible attraction, long flowering, a large color palette attracts aster flowers. Photos confirm their magnificence. This flower shows all its charm in the fall. If you do not know what color an aster flower is, then you will simply be surprised at the huge number of colors. The flowering of this plant can be enjoyed from August to November. Here are the main character traits callistephus:

• Compositae dicotyledonous plant;
• many perennial and annual species;
• the presence of dense foliage;
• stem height from 20 cm to 2 m;
• simple, double and semi-double flowers;
• occurs naturally in forest, steppe and mountainous regions;
• color palette from white to dark purple.

Asters have a developed root system. The leaves are simple, crenate with large teeth and a broadly oval shape. Stems can be upright and sessile. Inflorescences are presented in the form of a basket, collected in panicles or shields. The core is most often yellow color. Propagated by seeds. Borders, group plantings, ridges, rockeries, balconies, terraces are decorated with these flowers.

Description of varieties of annuals

Depending on the shape of the petals, annual asters are divided into three classes:

1. Tubular. These flowers have tubular petals. Among them there are also feathery varieties. They also include the midget variety, which can be grown not only in the garden, but also in pots.
2. transitional. This class has reed and tubular flowers. This includes simple, coronal and semi-double asters. Simple asters have a flat basket in the middle, consisting of thin yellow tubules. Frames the middle of several rows of straight reed petals. Semi-double flowers have more volume. Their reed petals stick up and to the sides. Coronal asters look like lush pompoms. Their core cannot be seen.
3. Reed. The yellow tubules in the middle of these flowers are not visible at all due to their pomp. There are spherical and shaggy varieties. Curly asters with curly ends look elegant. This class includes ray callistephus with narrow petals that curl but do not grow together. This also includes needle-shaped asters with twisted long petals.

In many sources there are the following types of this plant: simple, spherical, pompon, needle, chrysanthemum, rose, radiant. Early varieties bloom in July, medium - in early August, late - in late August. Depending on the height of the bush, they distinguish dwarf varieties, low, medium, tall, giant asters. Many varieties have been bred to decorate flower beds, and there are also species for cutting into bouquets.

Different varieties and forms of inflorescences

The best varieties flowers of asters (simple) with small inflorescences are Waldersee, Edelweiss, Pinocchio. With medium inflorescences - Salome variety. Large flowers are distinguished by Margarita and Madeleine.

From crown varieties with small flowers it is worth highlighting Tikuma, Ariake, with large and medium ones - Aurora, Princess. Large inflorescences in Fantasy, Erfordia.

Among the semi-double varieties, Victoria, Mignon, Rosette stand out. Curly asters are represented by the colors of Comet, Queen of the Market, California Giant. Milady, American beauty, Germany, are credited to spherical callistefuses.

Very beautiful needle varieties: Exotica, Record, Compliment, Anniversary. Hemispherical inflorescences have Amor, Miss.

Reproduction of annual callistefus seeds

Grow aster flowers by seedlings or seedlingless method. the best way considered seedling. How to grow seedlings? Seeds in containers or greenhouse grooves are sown in last days Martha. The sown material is watered with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and covered with a film or damp paper. Before sowing, seeds and soil are treated with a fungicide to prevent black leg disease.

After 3-5 days, the first shoots appear. During this period, remove the film or paper from the containers and put the seedlings in a bright place. With the advent of the first leaflet, the seedlings dive at a distance of 5 cm from each other or leave one in a cell. Optimum temperature for seedlings +15 °С is considered. At the end of April, seedlings are fed with a solution of nitrophoska and Agricola, and the procedure is repeated two weeks later.

Asters do not need too wet soil, so watering should be rare so that the soil does not dry out. After watering, each time the seedlings are aired.

How and when to plant seedlings?

In mid-May, seedlings are planted in open ground. Before that, they are hardened several times, taking them out into the open air. Asters are adapted to the cold, so they will not be afraid of even small frosts. These flowers love a bright, even place where water does not stagnate after rain or watering.

Seedlings ready for planting already have well-developed roots, the height of the seedlings is about 10 cm. The plants are planted in an open area in the evening. First make grooves, fill them with water. The distance between the grooves can vary from 30 to 50 cm.

As soon as the seedlings begin to grow, they are fed with complex fertilizer, after a month the procedure is repeated. In dry weather, moderate watering is carried out. Sandy soil with non-acidic chernozem, fertilized with humus, is most suitable for them.

Spring sowing in the ground and caring procedures

Flower growers living in warm climatic conditions grow annual asters without seedlings, sow seeds directly into the ground. It contributes abundant flowering and relieves some diseases. Such asters will only bloom a little later.

Sowing seeds is carried out in April, when the earth is already warming up a little, or for the winter - in November. After the first shoots and the appearance of the first leaves, the seedlings dive so that the distance between them is 15 cm. A little later, the extra bushes are carefully dug up and transplanted to the right place.

How to care for asters?

Callistefus has no special care requirements. They only need the following procedures:

1. timely and sufficient watering.
2. Loosening and weeding the soil.
3. Top dressing with fertilizers.

Do not over-moisten the soil. Watering is carried out abundantly, but infrequently. So that moisture is well preserved, loosening is carried out after watering. For better development plants, hilling bushes. The risk of diseases is reduced by regular weeding. During the growing season and flowering, the flowers must be fertilized.

Perennial aster flower

In rose gardens, perennial asters are often used. Their flowers are much smaller than annuals. They grow in bushes from 20 to 40 cm high. Plants have dense foliage, as well as white, pink, purple, blue or crimson flowers.

All perennials are divided into early flowering and autumn flowering. The first group includes Alpine, Bessarabian and Italian asters. Alpine variety blooms in May and has tiny flowers, similar to daisies. In June-July, the Italian aster blooms, its flowers look like a small chamomile. The lilac Bessarabian variety also blooms in summer.

Autumn-flowering perennials include shrubs, New England and Homeland shrub variety considered to be North America. Its bushes reach 20-60 cm in height. Even non-flowering bushes decorate the garden, because they resemble boxwood with an abundance of small foliage. The most common in Russia are New Belgian flowers. They can be dwarf and tall. They are distinguished by powerful bushes, paniculate flowers and a variety of colors. Often in the autumn gardens there is also a New England aster. Its bushes can reach a height of up to 160 cm.

Diseases and pests

Sometimes asters undergo Fusarium wilt. During flowering, the plant becomes lethargic, the leaves fall off. It's better to burn them.

Often flower growers have to deal with powdery mildew on asters. She appears at improper watering, poor soil, too dense planting. They fight the disease with drugs "Topaz" and "Sulfarid".

Also, flowers can be affected by fungi, jaundice, rot. Mushrooms exterminate "Polyhom" or "Fundazol". For the prevention of rot do spraying blue vitriol, copper oxychloride or Bordeaux liquid.

Astra - beautiful flower. Not at all exotic, but not a single flower bed in our front gardens can do without it. Her beautiful flowers various shades delight us with a long warm autumn until the first snow. Perennial Astra is herbaceous plant with small leaves and flowers blooming at the end of summer. Peonies and chrysanthemums look like her, and therefore they are often confused.

Flowers are:

• White;
• Burgundy;
• Lilac;
• Pink;
• Purple.

Height, depending on the variety, varies from 20 cm to 150 cm.

This plant has many varieties that have different bush heights and coloring of flowers. As a result, by mixing and selecting varieties, you can create the most beautiful flower bed, which will delight us all autumn with its flowering.

A variety of colors allows the aster to occupy a leading position in popularity in landscape design.

perennial stunted

Among the large variety of perennial Asters, a group of dwarf stunted ones stands out well. They grow up to a height of 20 cm, and with their help, rock gardens and the edges of various ridges and flower beds are formed.

When the flowers bloom, the small bush is completely covered with flowers, so that even greenery is almost invisible.

Gardeners appreciate the view for excellent frost resistance, it will be necessary to cover them with spruce branches only in the northern regions of Russia, where there are severe and prolonged frosts.

In contrast, there is a variety of Callistefus Chinese. The variety is also known as an annual, as it blooms from mid-summer to October.

Pink

Pink shades of flowers can also have Alpine, New Belgian and other types of perennial Asters. All of them differ in the period of flowering and the height of the bush.

Bush

Bush - a perennial species, grows in a compact bush about 50 cm in height. The homeland of the species is recognized North America. Flowering occurs in September and lasts until the first frost.

Flower shades:

• White
• purple

White

White perennial is also not the name of the species, since many varieties of Alpine and Italian perennial Astra species bloom with white flowers.

Alpine

A popular variety with early term flowering. Astra is native to the Alps. The height of an adult bush is 30 cm. In sunny areas it can grow about 15 cm. It is often planted at the forefront of the flower bed or along garden paths.

Flowers blooming on a bush have the following parameters:

Italian

This perennial Astra grows to a height of 60 cm and is a representative of this species, which is planted in the middle ground of flower beds. Her inflorescences reminiscent of chamomile flowers and have a diameter of up to 4 cm and a light purple color of the petals.

If not for the purple petals, Italian would be a copy of chamomile

New England: tall view

Tall, grows up to 150 cm in height. Therefore, it is planted with a tapeworm in the center of the flower bed, planting it various varieties. Flower buds are collected in dense brushes of 25 pieces, the diameter of a single flower reaches 4 cm.

Color shades:

• White;
• Pink;
• Purple.

Landing

To make the flower bed look beautiful and please the eye, it is important choose the right varieties Asters and plant them correctly. All procedures are simple, but they should be followed in order for the perennial to please with its flowering.

How to choose a place to land

In order for the bushes to grow well and not get sick, and in the fall they are completely covered with flower buds, you need to choose the right place in the flower bed. The soil in the area allotted for perennial Asters should be sufficiently loose and nutritious.

Check the quality of the soil BEFORE planting, otherwise the flower may hurt and grow poorly

If the soil is poor in trace elements, then complex fertilizers should be applied before planting.

Before planting the rhizomes of the plant, humus cannot be introduced, since not rotted humus will provoke the development of fusarium.

The place should be sunny, but the flowers easily tolerate penumbra or lacy shade from the foliage of a tree.

If in the garden The groundwater lie very close to the surface of the soil, then when planting they make a 10 cm pillow of gravel in order to avoid rotting of the root system of the plant.

How to sow seeds

Perennial Astra reproduces well by sowing seeds. To do this, untreated seeds are treated with any growth stimulant and fungicide, after which they are planted in prepared boxes up to 10 cm deep, filled with nutrient soil.

To make the rows even, they can be made with a knife or wooden ruler.

The depth of planting seeds in the ground should be no deeper than 2 cm.

After the seeds have been laid out in the prepared grooves, they are sprinkled with a small layer of disinfected (calcined) sand. After that, the earth should be shed with a pink solution of potassium permanganate - this will prevent infection of the seedlings with the "black leg".

In order for the seedlings to sprout more amicably, the seedling box is covered with glass or placed in a transparent bag to form greenhouse conditions.

The air temperature in the room where seedlings are grown should be +20 degrees. When most of the germinated seedlings appear, the glass is removed and the first watering is done.

What time to grow

The end of March is the right time to start sowing perennial Asters for seedlings. If it is necessary to propagate by seeds by sowing seeds immediately into open ground, then this period depends on the gardener's habitat.

In the southern regions of Russia, they are planted in open ground, depending on weather conditions in early April and covered with foil to create greenhouse conditions. In the Moscow region the beginning of sowing seeds falls on the first days of May, since return frosts maybe even at the end of May.

Seeds can be sown in autumn before winter, but then they will need to be covered with peat, which will protect them from freezing.

How seedlings are grown

So that the seedlings do not stretch excessively, it is necessary to take them out to a cooler room, where the air temperature will be about 16 degrees Celsius. The room should be sunny.

Timely rotation of seedlings to the light ensures its proper development.

In order for seedlings to develop evenly from all sides, it is necessary turn around in relation to the sun.

Don't forget to do timely watering, preventing young seedlings from drying out.

Basic rules of care

In order for perennial bushes to please their owner, they must be cared for. Here are some wishes that must be met when cultivating the plant.

Watering

Any Asters and perennials are also fairly drought tolerant plants. But in order for the flowering to be lush during the summer, regular watering of the plant is necessary. But they should not be flooded, and therefore, during the period when there is no rain, they are watered for many years. once every 10 days.

With a lack of moisture, the bush will turn yellow and drop foliage.

Temperature

The temperature does not really matter, but at an average temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, the plant develops well. If the air temperature drops to +5 degrees or rises above 35 degrees, Astra falls into a dormant state.

Naturally, the root system does not develop and flower buds are not laid.

fertilizers

The plant requires three feedings during the growing season. Of course they can live without additional conditions, but fertilizing the flower will result in more lush bloom and nice shape bush.

All top dressing should be done only after watering - this will save root system plants.

Diseases and pests

Fusarium - this disease is not treated, all perennial Asters infected with this disease are destroyed outside the site. But disease can be prevented doing prevention:

1. Do not fertilize with manure the soil intended for planting Asters.
2. The soil is limed, thereby lowering its acidity.

Fusarium is dangerous not only for asters - this disease is on the list of the most dangerous for a number of plants. For example, we already wrote about it in the section,.

Incurability makes fusarium one of the most dangerous enemies aster

Rust on sheet plates are raised parts that are located on the underside of the sheet plate. sick plants are destroyed, and the rest are treated with the drug "Hom".

Sometimes aphids and onion bugs can be seen on the bushes - these pests can be easily destroyed if you dilute one Iskra tablet in a bucket of water.

It is worth starting the treatment of a diseased plant immediately after the discovery of the disease.

Flower propagation methods

Except seed propagation perennial Asters, there are simpler ways:

1. The division of an adult bush.
2. cuttings.

The division of the bush is The easiest way, which should propagate a perennial plant. The best time for this is spring. The division of an adult bush can be done once every 4 years, this time is enough for the divided bush to acquire a large number of roots and branches on the bush.

Therefore, in order to propagate a bush, you need:

1. Dig up the old bush.
2. With a shovel, divide it into parts in which there will be roots and the vegetative mass of the plant.
3. They are planted in prepared holes and watered so that they take root better.

Don't forget to maintain the temperature - create greenhouse conditions using a simple glass jar

Cuttings are carried out just as easy, as well as the division of the bush. To this end, in June, the apical cuttings are cut and planted in the ground where there is no sun. For greenhouse conditions, it is well worth covering with a three-liter glass jar.

Watering is done as the soil dries out. They spend their first winter under a jar, and in the spring they remove it and transplant young bushes to their permanent place of growth.

Perennial Astra is unpretentious plant , which deserves its place in the garden in the flower beds. Because we can't imagine without it autumn garden. Adhering to simple rules for caring for her, you can observe all her beauty when she blooms against the background of yellowed foliage.

Incredible bright shades of aster flowers

Try to find an amateur gardener or a professional breeder who is indifferent to asters.

And how can you not love these elegant flowers that fit perfectly into any garden! Appearing for the first time in China, they spread to other countries, and were especially fond of our compatriots. Asters bloom from spring to late autumn, so if you wish, you can make sure that the site is always decorated with luxurious plants.

Growing aster flowers is a simple matter, so ennoble household plot even a novice inexperienced in garden art can. By following the tips below, you will not make mistakes that can kill seedlings. And focusing on plant varieties, you can choose exactly those flowers that fit perfectly into the backyard landscape.

Juicy pink asters - decoration of the summer cottage

Blue asters frame the path to the house

Popular types

Asters are a very large family, so choosing a plant to your liking will not be a problem. Let's get acquainted with the most common of them.

• Ostrich feather. Tall, flowering bush for about two months. The heads of the flowers are double, with long petals resembling Christmas tree tinsel.

Astra "Ostrich Feather"

• Duchess. The spherical flowers of this tall bush amaze with the brightness of colors.

Astra "Duchess"

Idea! If you want to spruce up a playground in your yard, these flowers are perfect for this project thanks to their cheerful colors.

• Bouquet. Terry, blooming from mid-summer to mid-autumn flowers. Plants of this variety love the sun and are afraid of the wind - keep this in mind when choosing a site for planting asters.

Bouquet terry asters

• Victoria. Low shrubs with daisy-like flowers.

Astra "Victoria"

• American beauty. Frost-resistant, not loving moisture asters with multi-colored round flowers. Their bushes are quite sprawling and low, so they look good along garden paths.

Frost-resistant aster "American Beauty"

Like many other garden flowers, asters are divided into annuals and perennials. If you like change and annually redistribute the land in the garden (which is very useful for asters), pay attention to annual plants, but if you don’t like spending time and effort on constantly updating landscapes, flowers that bloom from year to year are at your service. of the year.

• New England and New Belgian asters. Their flowers are tall, collected in a panicle. In warm areas, they bloom until December.

New England or New Belgian aster

• Italian aster. In the wild, it is found on the flatter edges. It thrives best in soils rich in limestone. The color range of asters of this variety covers all possible shades of lilac.

Delicate Italian aster

Idea! To make the aster bush look natural in your garden, consider the type of terrain in which it grows wild. Accustomed to the open spaces of meadows, flowers in a close environment will look rough, and dwarf bushes creeping around the stones will be lost against the background of trees.

Place to land

Perennial asters love loamy or neutral soil, while annual asters prefer areas of land with a high content of sand and a small amount of humus. You should not plant plants in too shaded places, because if the shade is thick, they can start to hurt.

Large red asters planted near the house

How to sow asters?

Sow seeds in spring. To do this, they dig the ground in the fall, adding about 200 g of nitrophoska and a bucket of compost for each square meter. There should be little sun on the site, but lowlands should also be avoided. Every year it is necessary to change the landing site of asters, since substances that have a particularly bad effect on the bush accumulate in the soil and remain active for several years.

The sown land is covered. Periodically, the cover is removed so that the sprouts harden. When warm temperature is finally established, the beds open completely.

Aster seeds are sown in spring

Growing aster seedlings

Planting asters through seedlings is a more laborious task. But the presence of an intermediate period helps to protect the bush from annoying viruses that lie in wait for the plant.

For seeds you can buy ready soil or prepare it yourself. To do this, do the following:

• mix the earth with peat and washed sand;
• add wood resin (100 g per 5 liters of mixture) or dolomite flour (1-2 tablespoons for the same volume);
• sift and steam the mixture;
• it is also desirable to pour 100 g of perlite into the mixture.

Aster seeds do not have to be sown directly into the ground - you can plant seedlings

In order to prevent the development of fusarium (we will discuss this asters disease below), the mixture is soaked with a fungicide solution. They also process the seeds before planting.

Evenly sown soil is covered with sand, which soon becomes wet. As with sowing seeds in the ground, the seedlings are covered. When the leaves become more or less noticeable, the sprouts dive. A spoonful of mineral fertilizer is added to the already familiar soil recipe. Having strengthened the flowers in the holes, they are watered.

Asters seedlings need to be fed and fertilized

Seedlings are planted when the sprouts already have 4-5 leaves. Before planting, the soil should be additionally fertilized with humus or compost, and the seedlings themselves should be well watered. A week later, young plants are fed with complex fertilizers, and then this operation is repeated after three weeks.

Asters planting time

Usually aster seeds are planted in early spring, seedlings - in mid-May.

Advice! If you missed the spring time, use cuttings, which are allowed to be done all summer. To do this, you need to cut off 5-7 cm of the top of the plant, plant it in sandy-peat soil (1: 1: 2) and keep it in a greenhouse. In a month you will receive a full-fledged aster bush.

Seedlings of aster flowers are planted in the ground in mid-May

Rules for the care of asters

Caring for asters in the garden consists of watering, keeping the soil loose and controlling weeds. Fertilize the bush should be no more than two times per season, so as not to cause disease.

Watering and loosening are interconnected: after the first action, it is necessary to perform the second. But do not get carried away: water the bush infrequently, but in large volumes. If the weather is dry, as well as during the growing season, the amount of water can be increased, but do not go too far.

Astra needs to be watered rarely, but plentifully

During the season, the aster is fed 3 times. For the first watering, which takes place two weeks after planting, use a mixture of saltpeter (20-25 g), superphosphate (50-60 g) and potassium sulfate (10-15 g) per 1 m².

The next two top dressings are timed to coincide with the appearance of buds and the beginning of flowering. The amount of potassium sulfate in the mixture increases to 50-60 g/m².

Delicate pink asters at their summer cottage

Diseases and remedies for them

More than 20 viruses are dangerous for asters. The most common of these diseases are fusarium, black leg and rust.

• Fusarium is manifested in the yellowing of plants, their wilting and further death. The reason for this is the harmful Fusarium mushrooms. To avoid an unpleasant development of events, prevention of fusarium is needed. It is carried out at the sowing stage (we have already talked about this above). It is also advised to burn diseased plants.
• From the darkening of the legs, use a decoction of onion peel (20 g per 1 liter), infused for a day. Once every six days, you need to spray the bushes with this liquid 2-3 times.
• Rust is fought with a mixture of sulfur and lime (1: 1). She needs to spray the plant once a week.

Large healthy flower asters

Terry round flowers bright purple asters

Summing up

Asters are majestic flowers that look great in flower beds and in bouquets. All these plants need is a choice best way planting asters, compliance with the rules of care and processing. Remember that flowers, like all living beings, need care and love - and then they will give you joy.

Multi-colored asters will decorate any flower bed

Some varieties of asters look like field daisies

Bright purple asters with yellow centers

Aster flowers - video

Asters are one of the most famous and sought-after flowers in the garden. They have many varieties with different forms, size, color palette, which is why they attract the attention of landscape designers and simple gardeners. Their decorative qualities, as well as unpretentiousness to growing conditions, allow you to create any compositions in flower beds, decorate hedges, decorate balconies and collect amazing bouquets. In ancient times, the flower was considered a talisman, it was often planted near houses and temples, and the ancient Greeks dedicated it to Aphrodite, who personified beauty and unfading youth.

Main types

To date, a huge number of varieties are known this plant- about 4 thousand, which are conditionally divided into 40 variety groups. But the aster population is not limited to this, and every year the number of newly bred species increases. The classification of a crop is quite complex, including the distribution of varieties depending on various characteristics: color, size, petal shape, flowering time, nature of use, etc. Among the variety, there are the most common varieties, represented by perennial and annual species.

perennial asters

This group brings together representatives different sizes and colors. Tall ones are used to decorate flower beds, and small ones are used in landscape design for arranging rockeries, alpine slides. Here you can highlight such popular varieties as:

"Marie Ballard"- voluminous bushes, full of blue buds. Flowering can be admired for about two months. The culture is great for cutting.

"Violet"- small compact bushes, often decorating the facades of flower beds. It has beautiful purple with blue flowers that form a continuous cover.

"White Lady"- a one and a half meter beauty, covered with many small white or light pink flowers, looks great on the site, even growing alone.

"Constgans"- stands out for its special branching, the ability to bloom before the onset of frost. It has rich dark purple buds with a yellow core, which form a real "carpet" during flowering.

Bars Pink- a chic shrub that grows up to 1.5 m. Small buds (about 4 cm in diameter) have a pink color, suitable for cutting.

"Dwarf"- undersized, spherical bush, not exceeding a height of two tens of centimeters. Flowering, represented by a large range of colors, lasts from July to late autumn. Due to its compact size, this mixture can decorate not only garden plots, but also home flowerpots and balcony boxes.

"Rose"- a great option for bouquets. It has flowers with double petals - flat pink and tubular brown.

"Freakart"- the flowers of these asters look like daisies, but have a beautiful lavender-blue color. The bushes have delicate inflorescences that bloom alternately, creating a long, long flowering.

annual asters

This group includes about 600 species, among which there are representatives different heights and color spectrum, different size buds and other characteristics. The same group includes simple and terry baskets. Let's take a look at some of the more popular beautiful varieties, namely:

"Galaxy"- has terry inflorescences about 8-9 cm in diameter, presented in a variety of colors. Widely used in bouquet compositions.

"Dwarf"- has charming peony white flowers. The bushes are compact, grow up to 30 cm, making them suitable for growing in flowerpots and boxes.

"Symphony"- tall culture, reaching a meter mark. The peculiarity of terry flowers lies in the original color - purple-red petals are framed by an elegant white edging. Flowering is abundant and long.

"Lady Coral"- has large buds about 16 cm in diameter with a variety of colors. Often decorates flower beds, but also looks great in a single version.

Proper care of asters

Caring for asters does not bring much trouble. An important condition for its comfortable existence is loosening and weeding of the soil, which are carried out simultaneously with watering or after heavy rain.

Lighting

Astra feels equally comfortable both in well-lit areas and in partial shade. For more lush flowering it is still better to choose open sunny areas or balconies facing south. Good lighting necessary for the plant when it is at the stage of young seedlings.

Temperature

The optimal range for the growth and flowering of the culture is the temperature of +18…+25C. Special temperature regime must be observed when growing seedlings. Before germination, the container with seeds is stored at a temperature of +20 ... + 22C, with the appearance of the first sprouts, it drops to +15, and when transplanted into large containers, it rises to +23. mature plant quite resistant to temperature extremes and, in most cases, able to bloom until frost.

Humidity

Waterlogging of the soil can lead to incurable diseases of the plant, therefore, even when planting, it is necessary to provide at the bottom landing pit quality drainage. Great for easy landing permeable soil with a deep location of groundwater. Spraying is not used - regular watering is enough.

Watering

Astram can equally harm both drying out of the soil and its waterlogging. Watering should be regular, but moderate. In the hot season, you can reduce their number, but with each watering, increase the volume of water - by 1 sq.m. should take about 2-3 buckets. At the same time, it is necessary to carry out loosening in order to provide the root system with an air supply.

Fertilizers and top dressing

Feed the aster to a greater extent mineral fertilizers. From organic fertilizers you can choose chicken manure, which is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20, but it should be used only on poor soils. The first time they introduce top dressing with minerals a couple of weeks after planting in the ground, the next two - during the periods of bud formation and their flowering.

Pests and diseases

The main diseases that can befall an aster include fusarium, black leg, rust and jaundice. Most often, you can encounter Fusarium, which leads to wilting. It is impossible to save culture - it must be removed and burned. In an aster with a “black leg”, the rhizome rots, the bush turns black and fades. The plant is removed from the soil, which is then treated with potassium permanganate. "Rust" is characterized by swelling and drying of the leaves. "Jaundice" is much less common, mainly carried by pests such as cicadas and aphids. It is manifested by the burnout of leaf blades, stunting and budding. In this case, spraying with insecticides will help.

Among the pests, the most dangerous spider mite, meadow bug, earwig, aphids and slugs. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to dig the soil every autumn with the removal of the remains of annuals. Chemicals such as foundationol, metaldehyde, karbofos, etc. will help to cope with pests.

The place of the intended landing of the aster must be chosen and prepared in the fall. Better fit sunny area with light fertile soil, which must be dug up by adding humus or compost, 2 kg per 1 sq.m. In the spring, digging is repeated again, but with the addition of superphosphate (20 g / 1 sq.m). It is advisable to moisten the soil before planting. Bushes are planted in holes at a distance of at least 25 cm from each other, but it can be large, depending on the estimated size of an adult bush of a particular variety. Landing must be sprinkled with earth, but not watered. The first watering should be carried out after 3 days, and after a couple of weeks, nitrogen fertilizers should be added to the soil.

Reproduction of asters at home

The most common method of growing asters, applicable to all species, is to obtain seedlings from seeds. Perennials are often also propagated by cuttings or tuber division.

Reproduction by seeds

Seeds can be planted in open ground in spring when the temperature reaches +20C. Most often, seedlings are grown at home, creating a greenhouse. The container must be filled with a universal composition of the soil, the seeds are planted to a depth of half a centimeter and poured with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Next, cover the planting with glass or polyethylene and place in a warm place with a temperature of about +22. Every day, the greenhouse is ventilated, and the bed is gently watered with warm water at room temperature. After a week, the first sprouts will appear - then the protection must be removed, and the container must be moved to a well-lit place, but with a lower temperature, in order to avoid stretching the sprouts. Dive is carried out with the appearance of the first full-fledged leaves.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings can be carried out throughout the summer. To do this, cut off the top of the plant up to 7 cm long and plant it in a small container (glass) or on a prepared garden bed containing sand and peat in the soil. At home, the cuttings should be located in a dark place. At the time of rooting of sprouts in the open field, it is necessary to create greenhouse conditions, so they are covered with plastic transparent bottles. A month later, the plant is considered quite complete.

Reproduction by division

The procedure for dividing a perennial bush is carried out in the spring - then the first flowering can be seen in the autumn of the same year. It is necessary to separate the segment from the mother bush so that it has from 3 to 5 shoots and at least one bud with roots. The plant is planted in a prepared hole and sprinkled with a three-centimeter layer of earth, systematic watering is carried out for quick rooting.