Optimal conditions It’s quite difficult to name asters for planting, it all depends on varietal characteristics. Early varieties sown first. They look great in flower beds and alpine roller coaster. Seeds are sown from the second ten days of March and already in the summer, by the end of July, they delight with their flowers. Seeds late varieties Seedlings are sown from the third ten days of April to the second ten days of May. They are the ones that go into bouquets by September 1st and bloom until frost.
Agricultural technology
In order for asters to delight with an abundance of flowers, you should choose right place for landing. It is good if it is a sunny place, but they also grow well in partial shade. spoils them appearance with strong scorching sun, which should be taken into account when choosing a landing site. The soil should not be over-moistened, and the area should be well ventilated.
The soil needs to be light, with a neutral balance; you should take care of fertility in the fall. To do this, manure is added to the soil at the rate of 3 kg per 1 square meter. Sand is also added. In the spring, the soil needs to be fertilized again; it is dug up and superphosphate is added. The norm per square meter is 20-40 g. Immediately before planting, the soil is loosened, weeds are selected and well moistened.
How to feed asters?
Subsequent care for asters consists of timely watering, loosening, removing weeds and fertilizing. How to feed asters? The choice of fertilizer depends on the time of feeding. Organic fertilizers are not recommended.
If these care conditions are met, the plant will delight you with large bright flowers. In the process of care, do not forget about diseases. To prevent most diseases, plants are sprayed with preparations containing copper, potassium, zinc and boric acid. In particular, if it is noticed that the leaf has begun to wrinkle, it should be treated with a pest control drug. For these purposes, Iskra or Inta-vir are used.
Important! Asters grown seedling method, bloom earlier than asters sown in the ground.
Why do asters need fertilizer?
How to fertilize asters in open ground and what products should be used for this? The first fertilizing in the open ground is necessary for good establishment of the plant in a new place. At the same time, the young flowers will become stronger and the root system will receive an impetus for development. Also, the first feeding will begin the formation of branching, which will ensure large number flowers.
Feeding asters for abundant flowering- ordinary ash. It has a positive effect on the formation of flowers. The aster will produce more buds.
To maintain the vitality of the flower during the budding period, fertilizing is also necessary. Fertilizing at this time stimulates the development of the root system, has a positive effect on the size of flowers, and strengthens the immune system.
Pay attention! Final fertilizing activates longer flowering and is responsible for the quality of flowers.
Fertilizers for asters
Usually during the season after landing in open ground carry out 4 feedings of asters. It is best to use mineral fertilizers, since organic ones can provoke the development of diseases. How to fertilize aster in open ground?
First fertilizing in open ground
After planting in open ground, as soon as the plant takes root, the leaves stop turning yellow, the plants need to be fed. How to feed asters to grow? In this case, mullein is used for feeding. It is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10.
Important! First, asters should be watered first, only then should they be fed. Such a scheme is necessary in order not to burn young plant. For successful feeding, the solution is poured in doses under each plant.
At the same time, ash can be used as fertilizer. It can be applied up to two times per season. Consumption rate – 300 g of ash per 1 sq. meter.
First fertilizing in open ground
Second feeding
2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the flowerbed, a second feeding of asters is carried out. If asters were planted by sowing seeds in open ground, then the time for the second feeding was after thinning.
In this case, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are used. The consumption rate for the first is 50 g per square meter. m., the second - 10 g. per sq. m. m.
Before applying fertilizer, the area is watered and loosened, only then granules are scattered on the surface of the earth. You can also prepare a solution from the specified amount of fertilizer and pour it under the root. It is necessary to water carefully so that the concentrated solution does not get on the green part of the flowers.
Superphosphate
Third feeding
During the period of bud formation, it is time for the third feeding. How to fertilize the aster at this moment? At this time, phosphorus fertilizer is applied - 60 g per 1 sq. m. m. This not only stimulates the growth of the root system, but also promotes the emergence of new shoots.
To protect against various diseases and to increase the protective forces of the plant, fertilizing based on potassium sulfate is used. Prepare a solution: dissolve 60 grams in 10 liters of water. drug. The resulting solution is used to water the areas with aster.
Third feeding
Fourth feeding
During the period of active flowering, a fourth feeding is carried out. It is performed according to the same scheme as the third. Fertilizers are applied in the same quantity and in a similar composition.
Important! In this case, foliar feeding can be carried out. It’s good if the product contains zinc, boron, and manganese.
You can also use Humate to feed the plant at any stage listed above. This is a universal fertilizer that has a positive effect on plant growth and development.
Experienced gardeners have their own tricks for growing asters. They concern not only feeding, but also all care in general. Here are some folk secrets:
- So that there are flowers large sizes, and the plant itself has grown strong and strong, even before planting, the seeds are soaked for 6 hours in a solution of zinc chloride. To prepare it, dilute 0.6 grams in 1 liter of water. drug.
- To increase the duration of flowering, aster is sown directly into the ground. It is worth considering that in this case it will not be possible to obtain seeds for further propagation.
- Seeds are sown in open ground around the beginning of May, then seedlings appear in late May - early June.
- You can sow seeds in late autumn; even the month of January is suitable for sowing seeds. Required condition is frostbite in the soil, since in this case the seeds will not germinate until spring, which means they will not die.
On well-cultivated black soils, asters grow with a minimum amount of fertilizing. But clayey and loamy soils require preliminary preparation and application of fertilizers. Asters do not demand attention special attention in terms of care, but if you give them a little more feeding and regular watering, they will bloom until late autumn.
Preparing the soil for flowers
Feeding of asters begins in the fall, that is, when they are not yet on the site, but only when planting is planned. The soil is dug to a depth of 30 cm, humus or compost is added. Fresh manure is also suitable for autumn laying. Over the winter, soil bacteria will process it into an accessible nutrient containing nitrogen and potassium, as well as microelements.
At autumn preparation open ground can be used to feed asters superphosphate and potassium salt in quantity 9 g per square meter one and the other substance. if the soil has increased acidity, it is advisable to carry out liming.
But it is advisable not to overdo it with lime, as alkaline soils Phosphorus is poorly absorbed, which will lead to underdevelopment of the root system, poor growth and flowering. To increase the pH by one unit, it takes add 300 g of lime per square meter.
Clay soils are diluted with sand. To do this, simply scatter it around the area and dig it up. This composition better allows air to pass to the roots of plants.
Before planting, seeds are soaked for 6–7 hours in a solution of zinc chloride. After this procedure, asters bush better and grow lush.
Asters are sown in late April or early May. It is not customary to sprinkle the seeds with soil. After 5 days, shoots appear. At this moment, you need to control the humidity of the open ground so that it does not dry out and the seedlings do not die.
First feeding of asters in open ground
A week after germination, the seedlings are picked and planted in a flower bed. Rooting takes 2 weeks, after which you can begin to gradually feed the plants with complex fertilizers containing nitrogen for the growth of green mass, potassium for the formation of buds and phosphorus for the root system.
It is necessary to include all three components so that the balance is not disturbed. nutrients. How to feed asters comprehensively:
- nitroammofoska – three-component mineral fertilizer;
- superphosphate, potassium sulfate and urea (or potassium nitrate).
One-component fertilizers must be mixed in accordance with the instructions so that there is no too much of one substance and it does not interfere with the absorption of the rest. Feeding asters for abundant flowering begins before the laying of flower stalks. These are organic or mineral potassium-phosphorus fertilizers - wood ash, compost, humus.
Video: Asters - the secret of early flowering
Important! Before flowering, asters are fed with humus, which contains a lot of potassium but no phosphorus. In order for plants to develop properly, you need to add phosphate rock or superphosphate
The most balanced content of substances in wood ash is phosphorus, potassium and microelements to maintain plant immunity. For irrigation, an ash solution is prepared: 300 g of ash per bucket of water is left for 4 days and then the soil is watered. Liquid fertilizers are absorbed faster and better by asters than dry fertilizers.
To disinfect the soil and prevent nutrient deficiency, ash is scattered over the surface of the soil and watered. Ash fertilizer decomposes slowly in the soil, so it can be applied once every 3 years.
Feeding asters during flowering
Asters have a long flowering period. At proper care– loosening the soil, removing weeds, watering, asters bloom until October inclusive.
You can extend the flowering period with organic or mineral mixtures. Feeding asters in August with microelements paired with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers has a positive effect.
If you use specially designed purchased formulations- this will make the work easier. The fact is that only very good people can correctly calculate the amount of substances in a mixture based on the characteristics of the soil. experienced gardeners, which are on personal experience we selected the optimal ratio of substances and chose working proportions for our site. For beginners, it is better to use ready-made fertilizers and observe the plants how they react to fertilizing.
Just aster season fertilize three times:
- before buds form;
- at the stage of the appearance of the first flowers;
- during flowering.
Nitrogen substances are used only during the first feeding. The other two are carried out by potassium and phosphorus.
Diseases of asters caused by fungus
Despite their disease resistance, ornamental asters are sometimes affected by a fungus whose spores are carried by insects. The most common:
- blackleg;
- fusarium;
- rust;
- jaundice;
- Rhizoctonia.
Treat fungal diseases asters doesn't make sense.
It is urgent to remove the affected plants from the common flowerbed and destroy them, and then disinfect the pruning shears. Sulfur preparations, which are sprayed on plants before budding, will help reduce the risk of fungal disease. In the open ground, while the plant is gaining strength, preventive measures are carried out using copper oxychloride.
When caring for the garden, sometimes there is no time left to provide proper care for the flowers, so for most gardeners the most convenient option is growing aster - one of the most unpretentious, but at the same time amazingly beautiful flowers!
Choosing a place to plant asters
Astra is able to regenerate her damaged root system and even during flowering you can easily tolerate replanting
Advantages of growing aster:
- flowers are not afraid of cold weather, but perennial asters they are even able to bloom in frosts down to -7 degrees;
- seeds stand up well unfavorable conditions and sprout with ease;
- It is convenient to propagate aster both by seeds and vegetatively;
- growing seedlings does not cause much trouble, but you can sow aster seeds directly in the beds;
- aster is able to regenerate its damaged root system and even during flowering can easily tolerate replanting;
- A huge selection of varieties and varieties of aster with flowers of the most amazing shapes and colors allows you to create a real masterpiece from your flower garden!
Even a novice gardener can easily figure out how to grow asters. The main thing is to plant flowers in soil that has been previously fertilized with nutrients, and do not forget about weeding and timely watering. Well, if you manage to fertilize a couple of times over the summer, your flowers will grow especially beautiful and large, with powerful stems. However, some features of growing asters still need to be taken into account.
Video about sowing and growing aster
In order for multi-colored asters to get sick as little as possible and delight you with their bright beauty for a long time, you need to correctly determine the place on the site for planting them and prepare suitable soil. Like many other garden flowers, asters form large, healthy buds only if there is sufficient moisture and nutrients in the soil. Therefore, a flowerbed for them should be prepared in the fall by digging up the soil and adding river sand with humus or sand and peat to make the soil fertile, breathable and well-drained.
The acidity of the soil should be close to neutral. If you add humus immediately before planting asters, the plants may be affected by fungal fusarium (growing asters on dense or acidic soils leads to the same result). In the spring, before digging, it is recommended to add ammonium sulfate, superphosphate and potassium salt to the soil.
To prevent the risk of asters becoming infected with fusarium, they should not be planted after potatoes, tomatoes, carnations, gillyflowers, gladioli, and tulips. Asters can be grown in the same flower bed for six years, and asters can be returned to their original place only after four years. The best results can be achieved when sowing asters after marigolds, marigolds, and perennial grasses.
The best results can be achieved when sowing asters after marigolds, marigolds, and perennial grasses
Asters feel good in partial shade, they love open sunny places, but in extreme heat and drought they lose their decorative value. It is advisable to choose a place for the flowerbed that is protected from the wind and from constant dampness, so that the groundwater does not lie too close to the surface of the earth.
Planting asters in seedlings and without seedlings
You can prepare aster seeds yourself, collecting them from dried inflorescences at the end of summer, or purchase seeds in a store for each season, experimenting with different varieties astr. The main thing is that the seeds are of high quality, then the seedlings will sprout 100%.
Planting asters in seedlings
Seedling method:
- in the last days of March, seeds treated with fungicide are sown in boxes or in a greenhouse along previously prepared grooves;
- sprinkle with a thin layer of finely sifted humus on top;
- the ground is carefully watered weak solution potassium permanganate;
- crops are covered with paper or film;
- until the first sprouts appear, the seedlings should be kept at a temperature of +18 degrees;
- after five days you can remove the film and bring the seedlings out into the light;
- watering is carried out after green sprouts appear;
- picking should be done when the first true leaves are formed;
- seven days after picking, you can begin weekly feeding of aster seedlings with complex mineral fertilizers;
- Plants can be planted in a flowerbed as early as the beginning of May.
Seedless method
Sowing asters without seedlings
Aster seeds are sown as soon as the ground warms up, directly onto the flower beds, sprinkling a little soil on top and covering with film until germination. With the appearance of young seedlings, the film can be removed and the plants can be covered only in case of frost. It is not necessary to plant them, it is enough to sow them at intervals of a couple of centimeters, and then thin them out so that there is 12 cm between plants, or leave the plantings thickened. Asters planted without seedlings begin to bloom much earlier.
Basic rules for caring for asters
Asters cannot tolerate dampness or excessive waterlogging and are considered drought-resistant flowers, but in dry weather they must be watered abundantly. Pay special attention to watering when setting buds, otherwise lush flowering you can't wait.
Landed on fertile soil asters at good watering and periodic fertilizing they will bloom wonderfully until the coldest weather. For the first time, flowerbeds with asters are enriched with full mineral fertilizer two weeks after transplanting the seedlings into the flowerbed, and during the period of bud formation and flowering, fertilizing without nitrogen fertilizers is used. Organic fertilizers Apply only on poor soils.
Video about asters
Since main enemy asters - diseases, especially fusarium, it is recommended for prevention to spray plants with a solution that contains the following microelements: potassium permanganate, magnesium salts, zinc, cobalt, copper, ammonium molybdate and boric acid.
Also make sure that when growing asters they do not show signs of rust, late blight, sclerotinia, powdery mildew, rhizoctonia, jaundice, damage by slugs, aphids, cutworms, spider mite, nematodes.
Astra is one of the most common flower crops from Russian gardeners. Planting aster in open ground will not cause much difficulty even for novice gardeners. Unpretentiousness, easy plant care, long flowering make this flower a desirable decoration for any garden.
Homeland of the aster - Far East, Korea, China. Another name for the annual aster is Callistephus sinensis. This plant is quite cold-resistant and quite light-loving. Successful cultivation asters will not provide high temperature air and optimal soil moisture. Aster prefers light soil with weak acidity.
When preparing the soil for planting asters, humus or compost can be added during autumn digging. Under no circumstances should you fertilize with manure; its application contributes to the infection of plants with fusarium!
Asters vary in size flower baskets and stem height. Tall varieties good for cutting into bouquets; low-growing and small-flowered varieties will perfectly decorate flower beds and lawns. You can also plant asters on balconies and loggias.
2 ways to plant asters
Growing annual asters from seeds is possible in 2 ways: seedlings and non-seedlings. Germination lasts for 2 years, so when buying seeds you need to pay attention to the expiration date - by the end of the second year, germination drops. Which method of planting asters to choose depends only on the flowering time of a particular variety. After germination, early varieties bloom after about 90 days, mid-late varieties after 100, and late varieties after 120 days.
Seedling method
Growing asters from seedlings around mid-summer allows you to get flowering plants. Asters are sowed for seedlings in last decade March - early April, if you plan to plant in open ground by mid-May.
Growing aster for seedlings consists of several stages.
- First you need to prepare the soil; it must be nutritious, abundantly fertilized and breathable. You can take soil from the garden or vegetable garden, add sand, compost or humus (or peat). For disinfection, prepare a solution of potassium permanganate - 1 g per 5 liters of water - and water the soil with the hot solution. Boxes and pots for planting are rinsed with the same solution. The drain must be placed at the bottom so that water can drain easily.
- The seeds are buried 0.5-1 cm, and the water for irrigation needs to be warm. The next watering is done only after seed germination. It is advisable to cover the boxes with seeds with film to maintain temperature and humidity. After seed germination, the film is removed. Caring for seedlings is to ensure good lighting and not very high air temperature, approximately 18˚C.
- When two full leaves appear, the seedlings need to be transplanted, preferably into separate pots. Although the aster is not too afraid of transplantation, the base of the stem of the seedlings is very delicate. It is advisable to water the seedlings abundantly, but rarely, avoiding excessive soil moisture, which contributes to the appearance of fungal diseases.
- It is better to plant asters in open ground around mid-May, when the seedlings reach a height of 10-12 cm. It is better to plant the plants in the evening; the soil must first be watered and preferably mulched with grass or sawdust. Tall varieties are planted at a distance of about 30-40 cm so that the grown bushes do not interfere with each other. It is better to plant low species at a distance of about 20 cm, then adult plants form a continuous carpet when flowering.
- The place for planting the aster should be well-lit and dry, so that the water does not stagnate for a long time after watering. Growing aster in the place where tomatoes or potatoes grew is undesirable; pathogens of fungal plant diseases often remain in the soil after these crops. When planting, you should try not to bend the roots and not cover the growing point with soil.
Sowing aster seeds in open ground (seedless method)
When planting without seedlings, asters are sown in 2 periods: early spring or in the fall. At spring planting sowing is carried out towards 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.
- To sow aster in open ground, prepare furrows approximately 2 cm deep; it is advisable to water the prepared beds with a solution of potassium permanganate in the same way as the soil in containers prepared for seedlings.
- Seeds are sown in prepared furrows, lightly sprinkled with soil, watered fairly warm water and before emergence, cover with film during spring planting. Instead of film, you can mulch the furrows with garden soil or humus - a layer of about 1 cm. Do not water the beds until the seeds germinate.
- Thin out the plants after the formation of the third or fourth true leaf, leaving the required distance between shoots depending on the variety. It is better not to pull out the excess seedlings, but to carefully remove them from the ground - and you can plant them in other beds.
At autumn sowing It is impossible to plant seeds in the ground, because the soil is already frozen. Therefore, the seeds are mulched with humus with a layer thickness of 3-4 cm or compost. In the spring, when the ground thaws, you need to loosen the rows, leaving the mulch in place until the sprouts appear.
Caring for asters in open ground: watering and fertilizing
If the land for planting flowers has been properly prepared, caring for aster in the open ground is so simple that it allows novice gardeners to grow them. Only timely watering and weeding of the beds will be necessary.
- Plantings should be watered as the soil dries, avoiding waterlogging. Growing aster on damp, heavy, close-lying soils groundwater extremely undesirable, because it leads to rotting of the roots. In addition, asters need to loosen the soil to saturate it with oxygen. Regular weeding and weed removal help prevent diseases.
- If the summer turns out to be dry, you can mulch the ground under the asters with dry grass, sawdust or pine needles. This will help retain moisture in the soil between waterings.
- Care in the form of fertilizing will be useful for the aster. Plants are fed with mineral fertilizers: superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate. Can also be used wood ash. But nitrogen fertilizers It should not be used for feeding, as this leads to enhanced education leaves and reduces the number of inflorescences.
- Fertilizers can be applied dissolved in water or in dry form. The first feeding of asters is carried out 2 weeks after planting in the ground. Fertilizer is applied a second time during the formation of buds, and a third time at the beginning of flowering.
Diseases and pests affecting asters
Asters are quite often affected by various viral and fungal diseases, even despite fairly careful care. Let's list the most common dangers.
- Fusarium.
Fungi usually contaminate the soil; their proliferation is facilitated by excessive soil moisture and high air temperatures when growing asters. Annuals get sick more often; the disease manifests itself in the form of dark stripes, and only on one side of the plant. Then the leaves begin to turn yellow, the buds wither, and the plant dies.
To combat the disease, you need to reduce the acidity of the soil by adding lime to it, spray the flower garden with copper oxychloride, and make sure there are no aphids.
- Blackleg.
The fungi that cause this disease are present in any soil. They mainly affect young shoots near the base of the stem, which becomes thinner, turns black, and the plant quickly dies. Acidity and high soil moisture contribute to the spread of the disease.
You can fight the disease by disinfecting equipment and soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, removing diseased seedlings, maintaining optimal humidity and careful care.
- Septoria (brown spot).
The causative agents of this disease are localized on plant debris. Rusty or light brown spots appear on the affected leaves, which spoil the appearance of the plant. Diseased leaves dry out and fall off. Fungi actively reproduce at temperatures of 23-25 °C and high humidity.
Caring for a diseased flower bed consists of spraying copper oxychloride or Bordeaux mixture once every 2 weeks - this will help stop the spread of the disease. It is imperative to destroy the affected plants.
- Mosaic disease, or jaundice.
The virus is carried by insects: aphids and cicadas. Light veins appear on the leaves, the plant stops growing, and the buds do not bloom. It is impossible to fight this disease; there are only preventive measures: immediately remove diseased specimens and destroy insects.
- Bacterial spotting.
Bacteria live in plant debris and can also infect seeds. Brown spots appear on the leaves, stems and buds; the disease begins during the formation of buds and greatly spoils the appearance of the plant. Gradually all the leaves are affected, dry out and fall off.
If signs of the disease appear, you need to spray the plantings with Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride 2-3 times every 10 days.
To prevent fungal diseases, you can add an infusion of nettle or celandine to the water for irrigation. To prepare the infusion, pour 1 kg of raw herb into a bucket hot water, leave for 2-3 days, strain. When watering, add about a glass of infusion to a bucket of water.
To keep your flower garden happy until late autumn, it is enough to follow simple recommendations and take care of the plantings:
- use proven healthy seeds;
- treat seeds before planting;
- fight pests that carry diseases;
- remove diseased plants immediately;
- avoid waterlogging of the soil;
- regularly loosen the rows.
Aster is a real star of autumn flower beds. Not a single gardener ignores its variety of colors. There are approximately 600 varieties of this flower, with an amazing variety of shapes and colors. Growing special varieties in greenhouses will make it possible to obtain flowering asters in early spring or late autumn. Simple rules for planting and caring for this flower will allow every gardener to grow asters in their own area.
Asters Many gardeners grow them on their plots, but few feed them. Meanwhile, to strengthen the seedlings, for the lush flowering of plants already planted in the ground and growth, we need feeding. About How can you feed asters?, we read in the book by O. Ganichkina.
Feeding seedlings
It is enough to feed aster seedlings once in early May. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoon of potassium humate (universal) and the same amount of nitrophoska in 2 liters of water. Seedlings can be moved into open ground at the end of May and covered with protective material until June 10.
Open ground. Feeding during the growth phase
In open ground, it is recommended to feed asters for the first time before budding. To do this, dissolve 1 tablespoon of potassium humate (universal) in a 10-liter bucket of water. Instead, you can use Intermag fertilizer for flowers. Solution consumption: 3-4 liters per 1 square meter.
Method of feeding (first) from another source: Use complex fertilizer “Flower”. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of the product in 10 liters of water. Solution consumption: 4 liters per 1 square meter.
Feeding during and for flowering
Second feeding required during budding and the appearance of the very first flowers. Use “Potassium Humate” or “Intermag” for flowers.
- A solution of potassium humate is prepared in the following proportion: 1 tbsp. spoon for 3 liters of water. Solution consumption: 3-4 liters per 1 square meter.
- Intermag solution: 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. Consumption: 3-5 liters per 1 square meter.
And in another source, during the formation of buds, they recommend feeding:
- Agricol 7 (complex fertilizer). Prepare a solution: for 10 liters of water 1 tbsp. spoon of fertilizer. Solution consumption: 4 liters per 1 square meter.
From my own experience and about soils
We never feed asters, and they delight us with their blooms despite this. Fertilizing will be advisable on poor, unfertilized soils. Asters prefer light to medium loamy soils. These flowers are planted with seeds in open ground in the fall before winter or in the spring, as well as with preliminary cultivation of seedlings.
- Dig up and flavor the soil with humus and peat (3 kg each), as well as superphosphate and potassium sulfate (1 tablespoon each), you can also add urea (1 tablespoon), wood ash and dolomite flour(200 g each). The proportions are given per 1 square meter.
Asters love wood ash, therefore, both as a fertilizer and for feeding during growth, you can simply scatter it on the surface of the soil around the plants. For 1 square meter you need 300 g. ash.
