Aster seedlings at home. Growing an Aster: A Guide to Creating the Perfect Flower

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The rich and at the same time simple charm of asters will not leave anyone indifferent. But they will not be able to be grown correctly if the sowing dates are not observed. When to plant asters for seedlings?

Astra is a whole genus herbaceous plants, uniting a huge number of species. According to botanists, there are about 200 of them. These plants belong to the Asteraceae or Compositae family. Moreover, the name of the genus comes from the Greek word meaning “star”.

Note! Garden aster, which is most often grown on personal plots, isolated in 1825 into a separate genus Callistephus and called Chinese callistephus. Chinese aster, garden aster and annual aster, as well as callistephus are the same plant.

IN wildlife Callistephus or garden aster lives in China, Korea, and Mongolia. This is an annual plant with a herbaceous erect green (less often reddish) stem that produces a lot of shoots and bushes well. Its height can reach 90 cm. The root system is very powerful and branches widely. The leaves are oval, fairly wide, serrated.

Callistephus has become widespread in gardening thanks to its fluffy basket-shaped inflorescences, which have different colors and sometimes reach 10 cm in diameter. Aster blooms for a short time, usually in summer and towards autumn. The inflorescences can be painted white, lilac, purple, red and other colors, and the petals (or rather, tubular or reed small flowers) can be curly, reminiscent of bird feathers, or straight.

On a note! Callistephus aster growing in the wild is not as beautiful as those that were bred as a result of the work of breeders. Now there are a large number of varieties and hybrids that differ from each other in the shape, size and color of the inflorescences.

Aster thrives growing in regions with different climatic conditions. But in cold areas, it will most likely be possible to wait for its flowering only by growing its seedlings in the winter.

Sowing dates

When to sow asters for seedlings? The answer to this question will depend on many factors, including climatic conditions specific region. For example, in warm regions, aster is planted only in early May. Sowing deadlines are June 10-15. In the northern regions, these flowers are sown no later than April, and better yet, in March. The growing season of aster from the moment of germination to the first flowers lasts from 80 to 130 days.

Also, the time for sowing asters depends on when you need to get flowers - in the middle of summer or by September 1, and so on. The wishes and growing conditions of individual varieties are taken into account ( early varieties– 80-90 days, mid-early – 110 days, late – at least 120-130 days, and this is the end of summer and the beginning of autumn). Simple calculations will be helped by the information that will be given on the package of seeds. And to get plants that will bloom in different time, you need to plant seedlings at different time intervals. Thus, the duration of flowering can be significantly increased.

Note! From the day the seeds are planted until the moment when the aster seedlings move to open ground, it will take about 2 months.

Prices for aster seeds

aster seeds

Seed preparation

Preparation for sowing asters begins long before the procedure itself. First, you should imagine what the flowerbed should look like, and, based on this, choose callistephus varieties that are suitable in color and height. If there is a desire to create a flowerbed consisting of several tiers, then those species that have low stems are selected to the foreground. For the distant or central rows (in a round flower garden), the choice is made in favor of tall varieties.

When choosing seeds, their shelf life is also assessed. These dates must be indicated on the packages. You should not take old seeds - they may lose their viability.

Attention! You can also use your own collected seeds, which are easily obtained from the fruits that appear after flowering. The seed matures approximately 30-40 days after the first flowers appear.

Aster seeds are very light and quite small - 1 gram contains about 500 pieces! Therefore, it is convenient to carry out pre-sowing preparation procedures by wrapping the seeds in a piece of natural fabric. Etching is done in the following way: potassium permanganate is diluted in a glass of water until it turns pink, and a bag of seeds is placed in this solution for 2-3 hours. After this procedure, they are washed and dried.

Note! Those seeds that are sold in capsules (coated) have already been initially processed, so they cannot be soaked. But it is best to disinfect seeds collected with your own hands, just in case.

Aster seeds can also be pre-germinated before sowing. This is not necessary, but it will make them sprout faster. In order for aster seeds to germinate, they are also wrapped in a piece of cloth and dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 10 hours, then squeezed out, wrapped in a plastic bag and kept warm. Sprouts will appear quickly, after which the seeds can be planted in the ground. Also, to accelerate growth, planting material is dipped in a solution of any growth stimulant that is purchased in the store.

An alternative option is to germinate seeds on toilet paper.

Preparing the soil and container

Proper soil suitable for asters is also an important condition for the success of seed germination and growing seedlings. You can also use a mixture from the store, but most gardeners prepare the substrate themselves. It's not as difficult as it seems - it's enough to keep all the proportions correctly.

To prepare soil for asters, mix peat, turf soil, and clean river sand in a ratio of 1:2:0.5. Also, for about every 5 liters of soil, add a glass of ash. The latter can be replaced dolomite flour– a couple of tablespoons is enough.

On a note! To use soil from the store, add a little coarse sand to it - approximately 5:0.5. The sand must be washed.

Some gardeners prefer to use vermicompost, which is added as a leavening agent (1:2).

Coconut fiber prices

coconut fiber

By the way, before use, it is recommended to calcine the soil in the oven, pour boiling water or potassium permanganate on it, you can use a fungicide solution - in general, disinfect it in any way. This is especially important for soil mixtures made independently. Yes, and purchased soil may also contain something harmful and dangerous, so prevention will not hurt.

You should also prepare separately sand, which will be needed for sprinkling the crops. He should also be subjected to preventive treatment to avoid unpleasant situations.

The container for seedlings can be anything, but most often long wooden or plastic boxes are used. Special ones are also often used, in which the seeds are sown in portions. Containers should be rinsed thoroughly before filling with soil. It is necessary to make holes at the bottom for water drainage, and a small layer is poured in front of the soil drainage material, for example, expanded clay.

Sowing seedlings

How to properly sow aster seeds for seedlings? The instructions are quite simple and are presented in the table below.

Table. Sowing aster seeds.

Steps, photo	Description of actions
	The soil is placed in boxes or other containers quite tightly, but in such a way that there is some distance left to the edge of the container - about 1-2 cm. If the soil has not been treated before the stage of filling the containers, then it should be spilled with a pink solution of potassium permanganate to avoid the development of infections.
	Aster seeds are carefully removed from the packaging so as not to be lost, after which all preventive measures are carried out with them. If you don’t want to soak them, then immediately before planting it won’t hurt to treat the seeds with a dry fungicide - there will definitely be no harm from this, and the procedure won’t take much time.
	The soil in the containers is slightly moistened with water from a spray bottle. Aster seeds should be placed carefully and evenly on the soil surface. It is convenient to do it this way: the seed is poured onto a small piece of paper, on which a depression is formed. In order for the seeds to fall onto the ground, the paper is tilted towards the container, and the paper is gently tapped with a finger. We should not forget about the designation of varieties - labels can be pasted on containers or pieces of paper with the names of asters can be inserted directly into the ground.
	Aster seeds are not sprinkled with soil - coarse, pre-treated sand is used for this purpose. Layer thickness is about 5-8 mm. The use of sand is necessary in order to protect future shoots from the “black leg” - the fact is that sand does not accumulate water, and the stems will not get wet when watering.
	To retain moisture and heat, the container with seedlings is covered with a lid - polyethylene, glass, plastic. Then the seedlings are removed to a bright place. If necessary, moisturize only with a spray bottle so as not to wash away small sand particles.
	About a week after the first shoots appear, the lid is removed.

Video - Sowing aster seeds in boiling water

Seedling care

Now, so that all the work does not go to waste, the seedlings should be properly cared for. Small asters, like other plants, need warmth, light and moisture in sufficient, but not excessive quantities. Containers with seedlings are placed on a bright window or. The air temperature is maintained at about +18-25 degrees until the sprouts appear, and then decreases slightly.

It is important to maintain the correct watering regime. It should be sufficient, but moderate. Determining when it’s time to water the seedlings is quite simple - the sand on the surface of the soil becomes dry. The main thing is to remember that under the sand there is soil that retains moisture better, and therefore you should not pour too much water.

Approximately 10 days after removing the cover that protects the seedlings from environmental influences, the first true leaves appear on the sprouts. And this is a signal to carry out such a procedure as picking.

You can use exactly the same soil that was used for sowing the seeds, but this time it is poured into individual cups. A small depression is made in the center of the soil so that the roots of the asters fit well into it. small plant planted in a hole so that about 10 mm remains to the cotyledons, and the root system is sprinkled with soil. The soil around the stem should be slightly compacted with your fingers. After this, the seedling can be watered, with the stream of water directed along the edge of the pot and not onto the plant.

Note! It is convenient to remove seedlings from a common container using a small wooden spatula.

Immediately after picking the plant in a straight line sunlight They don’t exhibit it – it’s dangerous for them. But you shouldn’t put them in a dark place either. The air temperature in the room is maintained at about +20 degrees. Daily temperature changes are gradually introduced: during the day +16 -18 degrees, and at night only +12-15 is enough.

The first feeding of aster seedlings is carried out 10-14 days after picking: they are watered with a solution of mineral fertilizers. You can use the ready-made mixture or dilute 20 g of saltpeter and 15 g of superphosphate in a large bucket of water and water with this solution. On average, before seedlings move into open ground, they manage to feed them at least 2 times. The optimal interval between feedings is 14 days. You can also fertilize asters by spraying them - it all depends on the specific preparation that is used.

Caring for aster seedlings

Unfortunately, young asters often suffer from “black leg”. If the first signs of this scourge are noticed, then the diseased seedlings are removed, and all the rest are spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Properly planted lobelia can radically change appearance the entire garden plot. It is great for decorating flower beds, ridges, and flowerpots, and is used to create alpine slides. At the same time, growing this plant yourself from seeds is not at all difficult. For everything to work out, you need to know how and

Before growing 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 is better to buy planting material from well-known companies in specialized stores. This way there is a greater chance of getting high-quality planting material that no longer needs processing.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

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 scheme 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.

Planting aster seeds in open ground

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. Winter crops They produce early, friendly shoots that develop well and withstand cold weather and drought more easily, 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.

Growing and care

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:

With the development of 4-5 pairs of true leaves, buds are laid. During this period, you need to feed the plants with ammonium nitrate (matchbox per 1 m2).
With the appearance of buds, a second feeding is carried out. They charge matchbox superphosphate, potassium salt and nitrate per 1 m2.
The third phosphorus-potassium (30 g per 1 m2) fertilizing is carried out at the beginning of flowering.

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 advisable to use ready-made liquid mineral fertilizers for flowers, for example Florist for growth And Florist for buds.

Perhaps every gardener will agree that today aster is one of the brightest, most unpretentious and popular flowers growing in gardens and front gardens. With its bright buds and ability to maintain a fresh appearance for a long time, this crop attracts the attention of both gardeners and florists. In this article we will look at the features of growing aster from seeds. Useful recommendations will also be given in the review.

Origin

The aster is native to East Asia and was brought to Europe in the 18th century by a camel caravan. Then the flowers traveled quite a long way through the entire territory of Siberia, reached the European part of Russia, and then were brought to Moscow. And they ended up straight in the royal gardens of France. There, flowers immediately gained particular popularity and thereby became famous throughout the world.

At that time, the so-called language of flowers was popular in French homes. In this language, the aster flower meant “the versatility of love.” By giving such a flower to a lady, the gentleman thereby said that his love for her is multifaceted.

In the Czech Republic, where aster is also popular, it is called autumn rose. Also in Ancient Greece Asters were credited with magical protective powers. That is why most often these plants were planted in front of temples or in front of the houses of noble people. Also in ancient times, asters were used to decorate clothes and hairstyles. IN Ancient China asters were called “stars on earth.” U symbolizes modesty, tenderness, grace. And in the popular teaching of Feng Shui, love and tender feelings.

The scientific name of the flower is Calistephus, which means "beautiful crown" in Latin. This is not surprising, because it begins to bloom in the fall, when everything around has almost faded and lost its attractiveness. Today it is difficult to find a plant that has as many different types and colors as the aster. Currently, there are about 4 thousand species of this flower. Thanks to the diverse color scheme and the abundance of varieties, growing this flower on your site is becoming a very popular activity.

Description and appearance

Today, there is a wide variety of varieties available on the market, as well as in flower shops. Each of them has its own growing method. Flowers amaze with their unusualness, variety of shapes and colors. Most varieties of asters (more than 500 species) grow wild in North America. There are only 26 varieties of asters in Russia.

All varieties of aster can be divided into three types:

dwarf;
American;
Italian.

Dwarf asters

Today, dwarf low-growing asters (we will consider growing from seeds later) can rightfully be considered the most popular and sought-after type of flower on the market. All types of this plant grow in lush bushes, the height of which reaches from 30-150 cm. The size of the flowers of dwarf asters reaches 3-5 to 1 cm. They are most often used for landscaping balconies, as well as for growing in pots. This species is also especially popular among landscape designers (especially the perennial alpine aster, which is not at all difficult to grow from seeds).

The most popular varieties of dwarf asters:

Ada Ballard.
Beechwood Revel.
Astra Milady (considered one of the best and most popular varieties of dwarf asters in the world).
Alpine aster (growing from seeds is described below).
Erfurt dwarf.

American asters

The most famous varieties of American asters include:

Bars Pink.
Rubishats.
Constgans.
Dr. Ekener.

Italian asters

They are also called chamomile or European asters. This perennial. This species is especially popular in France and Italy, as well as in some countries of South-Eastern Europe and Western Siberia. The diameter of the flowers reaches 5 cm.

The most popular varieties include:

Heinrich Seibert.
Rose.
Herman Lene.

There are also a lot of popular varieties among annual asters. Chinese asters are often grown from seeds on plots. Flowers are distinguished by a variety of petal shapes, colors, and plant heights. Growing peony aster from seeds is popular among summer residents. The structure of the flowers is very similar to the peony. The shape of the buds is arched-spherical. The bush itself reaches a height of 40-50 cm.

The pompom aster looks very beautiful (growing from seeds and when to plant is described later in the article). The flowers are double, flat, round in shape. The bush itself is not tall and looks decorative and beautiful in flower beds.

Let us now consider how and when to plant asters, growing from seeds.

Preparing seeds for planting in the ground

Absolutely all types and varieties of aster are not recommended to be planted directly into the ground. So that the seeds can form into a beautiful lush bush, the seeds must be prepared for planting in advance. All planting material must be treated with a fungicide solution or potassium permanganate. Place several cotton pads in a container with the solution. Then you need to place the seeds on top and leave them like that for 25 minutes. It is important that the aster seeds are completely in the solution. After which they must be washed thoroughly running water. Now the seeds are ready to plant.

Landing

Do not put it directly into open ground; not all plants take root in this way. In any flower shop You can purchase high-quality soil for planting flowers. There is no need to cultivate or fertilize such soil; all these procedures have already been done by the manufacturers of this product. Before you start growing aster from seeds at home, the soil must be poured into a container for seedlings, then slightly moistened. Next, distribute the seeds evenly and sprinkle soil on top. There is no need to sprinkle them too much. After all this has been done, the container with seedlings must be covered with a clean film, which will keep the soil moist.

The first shoots begin to appear after 5-7 days. After this, the film can be removed.

Picking

After 2-3 full-fledged leaves have formed on the seedlings, the aster can be picked. The resulting shoots must be transplanted into clean pots with fresh soil. Flowers tolerate this procedure very well. Usually, after transplantation, the sprouts begin to grow actively.

Planting seedlings in open ground

At the age of 5-6 weeks, the seedlings are completely ready for planting in open ground. Despite the fact that aster is a frost-resistant plant, it is recommended to plant it in warm weather. Planting in the warm season (mid-May is optimal) will help preserve as many shoots as possible.

American asters: cultivation and care

Perennial asters are grown from seeds in sunny areas; asters do not really like shade. It is desirable that the soil is loose and rich in microelements. Flowers of this type do not need frequent watering. A slight drying out of the soil is tolerated normally. It is better to water flowers in moderation. American asters do not require frequent fertilization. Fertilizing with potassium and phosphorus is necessary only in the spring. Otherwise, flowers only need the microelements contained in the soil. If you periodically remove all dried leaves and flowers from the bush, the plant will bloom until late autumn.

With the first snow the bush will need to be pruned. All shoots must be cut very low. Only stumps 3 cm high should remain from the bush. As described earlier, this type of asters is not susceptible to pests. Flowers reproduce by division. You can always dig up some of the roots with shoots from one bush and transplant it to another place. Asters tolerate division very well.

Dwarf asters: cultivation and care

Most often, asters of this type are found in pink and red shades. Purple ones are the least common. Growing this species of asters from seeds is unremarkable. This species is unpretentious in watering and feeding. Flowering begins in mid-July and continues until September. Dwarf asters are biennial plants. This type of flower is most optimal for landscaping balconies. There is no need to fertilize plants with natural ingredients (manure, humus). Asters of this type need to change planting sites or soil every year (if growing in balcony boxes).

Italian asters: cultivation and care

Italian asters are the most beautiful type of these flowers. The inflorescences are hemispherical in shape. But this species blooms very little. From mid-July to September. The plant loves sunny places and calcareous soils. Growing aster from seeds is not difficult. This species is unpretentious in its care. Flowers must be periodically watered moderately and also loosened. It is necessary to fertilize the plant no more than once during the entire flowering period. One of the obvious advantages of this type is the ability to maintain a fresh appearance for a long time. Italian asters can last in a vase for more than one day.

Seedless (winter) method of growing aster from seeds

Today, many gardeners actively use planting seeds in autumn soil in their practice. This method of planting is often called seedless. It is best to plant seeds in late October or early November. It is recommended to plant in slightly frozen soil. Growing aster from seeds is carried out as follows. To plant seeds, you need to make a bed with well-dug soil. It is also recommended to fertilize the frozen ground with microelements. It is best to plant seeds in the grooves, at a distance of 2 cm from each other. The bed must be covered with plastic wrap until spring. This method plantings are most often preferred by gardeners. Plants grown in this way are more frost-resistant.

Difficulties with cultivation

There are cases when asters grow very poorly or die. And there are times when they don’t grow at all. This is not a reason to be upset. You should carefully check the expiration date of the seeds. Or soak the seeds for a day in ash (1 teaspoon per glass of water). If you don’t have ash on hand, you can soak it in aloe juice (also a teaspoon per glass of water). It is also recommended to change the soil.

Flowers have incomplete inflorescences when abundant watering or lack of potassium.

Diseases of asters

Fusarium. It is a fungal disease. Not only asters, but also any other garden flowers and plants are susceptible to this disease. The disease mainly affects mature plants. Stems and leaves weaken, turn yellow and wither on only one side. In order to prevent this disease, it is not recommended to plant asters in the same place all the time. If the plant does become infected, it is recommended to dig up the affected parts of the bush and take them away from the site or burn them. This disease very quickly spreads to other garden plants.
Most common fungal disease, to which absolutely all seedlings are susceptible, is called black leg. It begins to develop due to acidic soil. The stems of all seedlings begin to rot and turn black. Diseased plants should be removed immediately and the affected areas should be watered with a fungicide.
If there are coniferous plants on the site, it is advisable to plant asters away from them. The fact is that rust spores often form on coniferous trees. Once on the leaves of flowers, the spore begins to actively multiply, thereby killing garden plant. If the flowers do become infected with rust, it is recommended to treat them every week. Bordeaux mixture (1 %).

How to collect aster seeds

The very first flowers are best suited for seeds. Most often they are the largest and strongest. When an aster flower withers and darkens, a small fluff appears in its center, which must be cut off and stored in a clean bag. It is most convenient to collect seeds in dry weather. If it has rained outside and the seeds need to be collected urgently, it is recommended to disassemble the flowers and dry them. This method will save the seeds from rotting. The collected seeds are usually ripened in a bag.

As already described above, growing such a flower in your garden or on the balcony is not particularly difficult. It is enough to follow all these recommendations, and the result will not take long to arrive. And the fruits of your work will delight you and those around you with their bright blooms for a long time.

Flower beds are often decorated with colorful plants such as aster. They bloom in the fall, are unpretentious and usually there are no difficulties with them. The flower is sown with seeds directly into the ground or its seedlings are planted, then they begin to bloom earlier.

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

How to choose the right seeds for seedlings

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

If the seed is in bright packaging with beautiful design, it's best not to buy it. Seeds in nondescript bags most often turn out better and fresher, since the colorfulness of the design and excessive brightness are a kind of advertising to sell low-quality planting product.

For creating beautiful flower beds mixtures of asters should be chosen. They usually contain up to 10 different colors. For a special design landscape design You should purchase flowers in separate bags.

Timing of sowing seeds. When to plant flower seedlings? To prevent their flowering from falling during autumn frosts, it is important to correctly determine the sowing time. The best thing sow them in February-March.

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

Growing from seeds

We have already figured out when to plant this flower. How to grow good seedlings?

In order for the plant to be strong, the seeds should be sown initially. plant in nutritious soil. You can do it yourself.

To do this, mix in equal proportions:

humus;
sand;
garden soil.

This mixture is then steamed in the oven, after which wood ash is added to it. It is very useful to add perlite to the prepared soil, which improves soil aeration and allows the root system of seedlings to develop better.

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

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

To prevent moisture from evaporating so quickly, crops should cover with a piece of glass. Shoots begin to appear on days 5–10, and the glass is removed after that.

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

As the soil dries out, it moisturize with warm water from a spray bottle. In this case, you must be careful not to overwater the plant, otherwise a disease such as blackleg may occur.

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

Picking seedlings

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

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

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

Seedling care

Asters should be watered abundantly, but infrequently. So that there is no stagnation excess water, in containers for seedlings there should be drainage done. It is also not recommended to fill the flower with water, otherwise it may be affected by a disease such as blackleg, and it will die.

Feeding seedlings. If high-quality soil is prepared before sowing, then the seedlings do not need additional feeding. A week after transplanting the seedlings, poor soil is watered with biofertilizer or ash infusion.

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

Hardening of seedlings. When 6–7 leaves appear, you can begin to harden the seedlings so that in the future they can easily tolerate temperature changes and be resistant to frost.

For this purpose, boxes with seedlings are taken outside for 3–5 hours. At first, the duration of stay in the open air should be about an hour, gradually increasing its duration.

Possible difficulties when growing seedlings

The sprouts have not sprouted or are growing poorly. It is necessary to sow new seeds, first soaking them for a day in ash or aloe juice. The soil must be changed by disinfecting it with a biofungicide or potassium permanganate.
A disease such as fusarium has arisen. To prevent it, flowers should not be fertilized with manure. It is also not recommended to plant asters in a place where potatoes, physalis, tomatoes, as well as gladioli, tulips, and carnations were previously grown.
Incomplete inflorescences developed. This is possible if the plant is infected with spider mites or aphids. Also, defective flowers can appear due to improper nutrition.

How and when to plant seedlings in open ground

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

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

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

The workpieces are planted in small depressions and compacted with earth on top. If for some reason the seedlings have stretched out, they are buried several centimeters. After planting the plant water thoroughly, and to prevent a crust from forming after the soil dries, mulch the soil with peat.

Caring for asters in the garden

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

Thus, to grow a flower from seeds, you need adhere to certain rules. Failure to comply with them contributes to the emergence of various problems.

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

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

Collecting aster seeds

Of course, today you can buy the seeds of any aster in a store or on the Internet. However, if possible, we advise you to collect them yourself in the fall from the healthiest, strongest plants - this way you will be confident in quality and freshness planting material, what is not less important.

Aster seeds can be stored for no more than two years, as their ability to germinate is quickly lost.

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

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

Soil preparation

Spring sowing of aster seeds can be done as early as March, so make sure that you have the soil prepared by this time so as not to do it at the last moment.

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

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

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

Sowing aster seeds for seedlings

What do the seeds of perennial and annual aster look like? They are quite large, so there should be no problems with planting.

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

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

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

Move the seedlings to a cool room (up to 15°C) and moisten them regularly with a spray bottle as the soil dries out. Make sure there is no waterlogging - aster seedlings are very sensitive to blackleg disease.

Picking

Aster seedlings dive when they have 3-4 true leaves. It is important to prevent the seedlings from growing too tall.

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

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

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

As soon as new leaves appear, young plants can begin to be “hardened off” - regularly taken out to Fresh air in a shaded place or ventilate the room. Gradually increase the hardening time.

Transplanting seedlings into the ground

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

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

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

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

Under no circumstances feed young asters with fresh manure - this will most likely lead to fusarium disease and plant death.

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

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

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

A seedless method of growing asters from seeds

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

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

To begin with, a bed is formed with well-dug soil, where you can additionally add humus or peat (up to 3 kg per 1 sq.m.), as well as superphosphate (1 tbsp.). Parallel grooves with a depth of about 2 cm are made in the bed at intervals of 15 cm. Dry aster seeds are laid out in them at a distance of about 2 cm from each other, which should be sprinkled with a layer of soil up to 2.5 cm on top.

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

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

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

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

Incredible bright shades aster flowers

Description and characteristics of culture

It is difficult to find a garden plant that is distinguished by great species diversity than aster. Today, about 4 thousand varieties of this crop are known: they are distinguished by flowering time (early, middle, late), bush height, inflorescence structure and other characteristics. The most common varieties in our gardens are perennial New Belgian and New England varieties, as well as annual callestiphus, which are also called Chinese asters.

Astra "Ostrich Feather"

Callistephus chinensis

Frost-resistant aster "American Beauty"

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

Astra "Duchess"

Astra "Victoria"

Violet-blue needle aster

In general, among the huge assortment of aster varieties, a gardener can easily find something he likes, but to grow a crop it is very important to know its main features.

Asters love fertile, well-drained and breathable soils with low or neutral acidity.
It is preferable to choose open or slightly shaded areas, protected from drafts, with deep groundwater to avoid excessive moisture. It is better to avoid dry places where direct sunlight constantly falls, otherwise the flowers will be crushed and lose their decorative effect.
Growing asters
You should not plant the crop where tomatoes, potatoes, gladioli and tulips used to grow. Ideal predecessors for planting are marigolds, marigolds and perennial herbal plants. In addition, planting a plant in the same place can only be done for six years, after which a four-year break is required.
Beautiful asters bloom when agricultural technology is followed
The site for planting asters should be prepared in the fall - dig up the soil well and add a sand-peat mixture, or a mixture of compost and peat (at the rate of 2-4 kg per square meter). If you apply fertilizer immediately before planting the plants, they can be affected by fungal diseases.
We have been preparing the garden bed since the fall
In the spring, the soil needs to be dug up again and fed with superphosphates (20-40 g per square meter), as well as potassium salt and ammonium sulfate (15-20 g each).
Fertilize the garden bed in spring
It is best to collect aster seeds yourself, since their ability to germinate is quickly lost - fresh (last year's) material is suitable for sowing.
Collecting seeds
It is very important to plant asters at a certain time: seedlings - in late March - early April, seeds - in late April - early May (sometimes in winter or late autumn). There is no need to be afraid of late frosts, as plants can withstand temperatures down to -4°C. Late sowing of asters simply does not make sense - the plants will not have time to gain strength for flowering before their life cycle ends.

You can grow asters from seeds either by seedlings or without seedlings, that is, by sowing the material directly into the ground. The first method is more complex and painstaking, but it gives a much better chance of growing healthy, strong flowers.

Instructions for growing asters without seedlings

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

Step 1. There is no need to germinate seeds before sowing, as young shoots may freeze or die. If the seed has been treated with preparations for germination, it must be thoroughly dried.

Growing aster in open ground - seeds

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

Preparing the bed

Step 3. The seeds are sown so that the intervals between them are at least 1-2 cm, watered from a small watering can (if sowing is done in cold weather, there is no need to water the planting), and sprinkled with soil or mulch (layer thickness 2-2.5 cm).

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

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

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

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

Many gardeners claim that asters that were planted without seedlings grow strong, healthy, and are also more resistant to diseases.

Blooming asters in the garden

Instructions for growing asters in seedlings

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

Aster seedlings from seeds

Stage one: prepare everything you need

To grow seedlings you will need:

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

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

Nutrient soil mixture - preparation

Stage two: sowing the seeds

Sowing seeds for seedlings is the most important stage, therefore it is very important to comply correct sequence actions.

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

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

Aster seeds can be soaked

Seed preparation

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

Place the soil for growing seedlings in a container

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

Soil disinfection

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

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

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

Sprinkle aster seeds on top with well-washed sand.

Step 6. Cover the crops with glass or film and place them in a bright place ( optimal temperature– 20-22оС).

Cover the crops

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

Seedling emergence

Aster shoots (7 days after sowing seeds)

Caring for the crops at this stage involves regularly moistening the soil - this is best done with a spray bottle so as not to flood the sprouts.

Stage three: picking seedlings

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

How to dive asters

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

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

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

Place the seedling in the hole

Gently compact the soil around the seedling

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

Gently pour from edge to center

Step 5. The seedlings are placed in a lighted place where direct sunlight does not reach. Recommended temperature is 20°C.

As the soil dries out, young asters water warm water, trying not to overdo it. As soon as 4 leaves appear on the stems, you should begin hardening the plants - take them to a shaded place in the fresh air, gradually increasing the residence time. Shoots should be transplanted into open ground immediately after the soil has warmed up well.

Stage four: transplanting plants to a permanent place

Planting an aster in the ground

The transplantation is best tolerated by shoots 5-7 cm high, which have 5-6 well-developed leaves. The area should be well prepared in the fall, and before the procedure the soil should be fed with nitroammophos (40-50 g per square meter) and mix well so that the fertilizer is distributed in upper layers soil. It is better to choose the evening hours for replanting so that the sun does not scorch the young leaves.

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

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

Planting aster seedlings

Step 3. Water the seedlings at the root and mulch with peat, which will prevent the soil from petrifying.

In most cases, aster seedlings take root well, since the plant is distinguished by its ability to regenerate its root system after damage. The most important thing is to do it right managed care for landings.

Transplanting asters

Caring for asters

It is easier to prevent a disease than to cure it. Therefore, it is better to choose a variety of asters for the garden that are highly resistant to disease.

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

Pruning asters

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

Asters - queens of autumn

Video - Asters. Growing seedlings

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

How to grow seedlings of annual asters from seeds at home

An unusually beautiful annual is the aster.

The cultivation of these flowers began in the first half of the 19th century.

And today this is a very popular type of plant among gardeners.

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

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

The color range of the aster is also very diverse and can be presented in either white or reddish, yellow or purple shades, or complex species colors in individual varieties.

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

Let's take a closer look at how to grow annual aster seedlings and what important points need to be taken into account.

How do annual asters reproduce?

Reproduction of asters occurs only with the help of seeds.

When saving normal conditions When stored, their germination capacity lasts up to two years; in the third year, this quality begins to deteriorate sharply, along with germination energy.

When are asters planted?

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

Approximate dates for sowing asters by region:

In the Central regions of Russia, the third ten days of March - the first ten days of April,
IN Southern regions and Chernozem region - late April - early May. Sowing deadline – June 10

According to the flowering period, asters are:

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

What soil is used for planting annual asters for seedlings?

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

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

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

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

The seedling boxes are filled with this mixture, and calcined river sand is distributed on top of it in layers 1 cm in height.

To prevent the development of fusarium on asters, you need to disinfect the soil before planting using a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide.

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

How to plant seeds of annual asters for seedlings?

The prepared soil needs to be slightly moistened, furrows made with a thin stick and the seeds sown.

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

Before emergence, the room temperature is maintained at 18–20 °C.

Shoots usually appear on the fifth day.

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

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

Excessive watering with poor ventilation or low temperature in the room can provoke a disease such as blackleg, which is dangerous for seedlings.

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

Picking seedlings and planting seedlings in the ground

It is advisable to plant seedlings with the appearance of the first true leaves, while seedlings should be buried to the cotyledon leaves.

Plant them in pots or at a distance of 7 cm between plants in boxes with soil.

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

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

Determining and preparing a place for planting is not difficult.

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

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

You need to dig up the soil to a depth of no more than 28 cm.

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

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

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

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

The most popular varieties of annual asters

Kartheiser claw.

By far the most interesting variety.

It is distinguished by its pyramidal shape and the strength of its peduncles.

The flowers are dark blue in color and arranged in long tubes.

This aster blooms buds in July and fades by September.

Purple Tower

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

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

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

Red buds Bolero

It has double flowers forming a hemispherical inflorescence.

It is distinguished by its branching and powerful stems, grows 65 cm high, blooms from the beginning of August until the September frosts.

golden claw

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

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

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

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

Have a beautiful garden!!!

It fills our gardens with color 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. An amazing plant, which has no disadvantages and delights with its advantages, amazes with its variety of species and varieties.

Our gardens and summer cottages are decorated with miniature plants and spreading giants with star heads of all colors of the rainbow. All varieties are grown annual plants seeds.

Timing for sowing aster seeds for seedlings

To ensure that their flowering does not occur during autumn frosts, it is important to correctly determine the timing of sowing the seeds. It is best to sow them in February-March. These are the optimal months for flowering to occur in September. In regions where snow falls a little later or does not happen at all, seeds are sown in April or May. With the seedless planting option, asters are sown in 2 periods: in early spring or in the fall. When planting in spring, sowing is done by the end of April - beginning of May, when the soil has warmed up sufficiently. In autumn, asters are sown, when the ground is already frozen, in pre-prepared shallow furrows. Asters planted in autumn bloom 10-15 days later, but bloom longer and more abundantly.

How to choose and prepare aster seeds for seedlings

The choice depends on the preferences of the gardener. As a rule, seed material is selected based on the color and height of the plant.

They also pay attention to the price segment: there are relatively cheap varieties, and there are more expensive varieties. If possible, we advise you to buy the most cold-resistant and disease-protected varieties.

The most popular varieties: Delight, Andersen, Alpine, Royal, Mongolian, New Belgian and Italian.

Seed preparation can be carried out in two ways: by germination and regular soaking. In the first case, they need to be wrapped in gauze, previously soaked in a weak manganese solution. This procedure is done a week before sowing. After a week, the gauze is wrung out and placed in a plastic bag in a warm place. When the seeds hatch (usually after a few days), they can be sown.

The second option is simpler - it does not require much time. 10-12 hours before planting, the seeds are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate.

Sowing aster for seedlings

Aster seeds are quite large and can be spread out sparingly. 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.

Latest articles about gardening

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 real 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.

Growing aster seedlings in open ground

Seedlings become ready for transplanting at the age of 1.5-2 months; in early spring, when sowing seeds, focus on these dates. Developed seedlings should have 5-7 good leaves and a strong stem 6-10 cm long. Be sure to water the plants an hour before planting to make it easier to remove them from the cups. It is advisable to keep the underground part of the plants in a growth stimulator; this procedure will speed up the establishment. The less the roots are damaged, the better the asters will take root. You need to plant in cloudy weather; on sunny days, plan this work for the evening.

When the places for the plants have already been marked, planting begins.

Dig holes 20 cm deep, put compost at the bottom and cover with a layer of soil.

Fill the holes with water and wait until it is absorbed into the soil.

Immerse the seedling in the soil, burying the above-ground stem 2 cm into the soil; after planting, it should be no longer than 7 cm.

Spread the roots so that they point downwards, cover with soil and tamp lightly.

Water the plantings at the roots and sprinkle the surface of the soil with sand or mulch.

No matter how carefully you remove the seedlings, the roots will still be injured. Solve this problem in advance by sowing seeds in peat pots. All you have to do is plant the seedlings along with the container in the ground and bury them to such a depth that the stem is the required length. Soon the pots will decompose into additional fertilizer and the roots will grow freely into the surrounding soil.

Fighting aster diseases

Fusarium wilt of aster

Furious wilt occurs most often in aster. The time of infection varies greatly, but generally the disease occurs during the period of budding and flowering. It is quite simple to determine the problem; stripes of a brown tint appear on the stems, sometimes the entire stem can change color, and curls appear on the leaves. Basically, the infection occurs through the soil, which affects the root system.

First of all, you should pay attention to the seeds. Before planting, they are soaked for almost a day (16-19 hours) in a solution of microfertilizers.
Before sowing, the soil is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate, at the rate of 1.5 grams of the product per 10 liters of water.
The seeds are sprinkled with sand (dry only).
Diseased plants are disposed of to avoid further damage.

Aster rust

At the beginning of summer, swellings appear at the bottom of the aster leaf blade, containing fungal spores. The leaves of diseased flowers wither and dry out.

Spray treatment

We spray the plants with 1% Bordeaux mixture for 10 days in a row. We also treat them with a mixture of lime and ground sulfur in a 1:1 ratio.

Jaundice of asters

Aster jaundice is a disease caused by a virus transmitted by leafhoppers and aphids.

Control measures: destruction of infection vectors (aphids and leafhoppers); spraying the plant with solutions of actellik (0.1%), pirimsfa (0.1%), inta-vir or pyrethrum (2%), yarrow (8%) with the addition of a 0.2% soap solution; burning plants infected with the virus.

Pests of asters

Infusion and decoction of yarrow are used against aphids and thrips. To prepare the infusion, 800 g of dry crushed stems and leaves are poured with boiling water, washed down with 10 liters of water and infused for 36-48 hours. To prepare a decoction, 800 g of dry crushed leaves are poured into 10 liters hot water, boil for 2 hours, then top up; up to 10 l, filter, cool and use.

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