Aster has rightly earned universal recognition due to its exceptional diversity: bushes from miniature to giant are decorated with inflorescences of various shapes of all colors and shades. Aster varieties with a compact bush form are used in borders, and tall asters are magnificent in flower beds, rivaling the chrysanthemum. Aster blooms 3-3.5 months after sowing, so it is better to grow it through seedlings.

Sowing annual aster for seedlings
Aster seeds quickly lose their viability, so only fresh seeds should be used for sowing. The time for sowing aster for seedlings is early April. For sowing, you can use it by adding washed sand (0.5 parts sand to 5 parts soil). Experienced flower growers prepare for aster soil mixture on one's own. To do this, you need to thoroughly mix the washed sand (2: 1: 0.5), adding 0.5 cups or 1-2 tablespoons dolomite flour for every 5 liters of soil mixture.

After this, the mixture must be sifted for an hour. After sifting, it is advisable to add 0.5 cups of perlite to the mixture. It allows the soil to “breathe” after watering, absorbs excess moisture, and then slowly gives it to the roots of the plants. If the soil mixture for the aster is not steamed, then be sure to place it in a container and pour it until it is completely wetted with a fungicide solution or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. These measures cannot be neglected, because aster seedlings very often suffer from lodging, or caused by various types fungal infections.

photograph of soil cultivation

Prepare aster seeds for sowing. To do this, before sowing, aster seeds must be treated with a solution of any fungicide or mixed with a small amount dry Fundazola, observing all safety measures.

photo of preparing asters for sowing

Spread the prepared seeds evenly over the surface of the moist soil, using a small sheet of paper folded in half. Immediately put labels with the names of the varieties.

photo of aster seeds

Sprinkle the aster seeds on top with well-washed sand (preferably calcined) in a layer of 0.5-0.8 cm. This will protect the root collar of the seedlings from getting wet when watering and being damaged by the black leg. There is no need to water from above, because moisture from the soil will gradually penetrate into the sand and it will become moist.

photo: protecting the aster from soaking when watering and damage by blackleg

Cover the crops from drying out and place them in a warm (+15...+20°C) bright place. Make sure the sand is slightly damp at all times. If necessary, moisten it with a spray bottle.

After 5-7 days, as soon as shoots appear, the shelter must be removed. At this time, it is especially important not to overdo it with watering. It’s not a big deal if the sand on top dries out, because by this time the root of the seedling will have already grown into the moist soil. If you do notice the first signs of blackleg, then the diseased plants should be immediately removed with a lump of earth, filling the resulting hole with fresh soil. After this, water the soil again with a fungicide solution.

photo: asters shoots

Aster pick
With the formation of 2-3 true leaves, aster seedlings are ready for picking. To do this, you can use the same soil composition (as for sowing - read above), but without sifting. Add 1 tablespoon to the mixture, containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements. To ensure that the fertilizer is evenly distributed, the mixture must be mixed thoroughly.

photo of asters being prepared for picking

Fill the pots or cassettes with the prepared soil mixture and compact them a little so that the soil does not settle too much when watering. Make holes in the pot with a spatula so that the roots of the seedling can fit freely in them. If the roots are too large, you can pinch them a little. Place the seedling in a hole with a small recess so that there is about 1 cm left to the cotyledon leaves.

photo of picking aster in cups

Carefully compact the soil around the aster seedling so that it is not dislodged when watering.

photo of soil compaction when picking aster seedlings

Gently water the picked seedlings. Try to start watering from the edge of the pot to the middle, avoiding the leaves if possible. Place the seedlings in a bright place, take care that at first they are not exposed to direct Sun rays. The temperature should not exceed +20°C.

photo of how to water aster seedlings

If you have properly added mineral fertilizers to the soil mixture, then at first you don’t have to worry about feeding the aster seedlings. If planting seedlings is delayed for some reason, then feed it with any mineral ( Fertika, Agricola, Mortar and etc.). With the appearance of 4-5 leaves, begin hardening the aster seedlings to fresh air.

Planting an aster in the ground

It is advisable that when planting the aster stem does not exceed 5-7 cm. The seedlings should have 5-6 well-developed leaves and undergo hardening. Overgrown plants will not bloom well. Aster plants hardened in the fresh air can withstand short-term frosts down to -2°C. Astra develops well on sunny places, while withstanding slight shading. The place for planting it needs to be changed every year, especially if the plants suffered from fusarium in the previous summer. The spores of this fungus remain in the soil for up to 5-6 years. The place where gladioli used to grow is also not suitable, because they are susceptible to the same diseases as asters.

If the soil on your site has, and you have not added lime since the fall, then before spring digging, add 120-200 g of dolomite flour or one and a half cups wood ash per 1 sq. m area. On very heavy clay soils add additional peat and sand. It is also necessary to apply 40-50 g of complete mineral fertilizer before planting ( Nitroammofoska) per 1 sq. m. Mix thoroughly so that the fertilizer is evenly distributed in top layer soil. The bulk of the aster's roots are located at a depth of 15-20 cm. The aster cannot tolerate it at all.
It is best to plant aster seedlings in the evening. The distance between plants is from 15 to 30 cm, depending on the variety. If for some reason the seedlings become too elongated during cultivation, then when planting, deepen them by 2-3 cm. After planting, compact the soil around the plant in the form of a hole for watering.

After planting, water the seedlings in the holes and mulch the soil with peat to prevent a crust from forming.
Further care consists of watering, loosening and weeding. It is important to keep the soil loose. In the second half of summer, the aster is fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. Phosphorus (20-30 g of superphosphate per 1 sq. m) promotes abundant flowering and brighter color of inflorescences, and potassium (15-20 g of potassium salt per 1 sq.m.) significantly increases plant resistance to various diseases.

Tip: aster looks most impressive in single-varietal plantings of 15-30 plants in a group.

How to grow annual aster from seeds

Astra: growing seedlings at home

The botanical name of the annual aster is Calistephus, which means “beautiful crown” in Latin. It really crowns the garden season, decorating the area when almost all the perennials have bloomed. Thanks to the abundance of different varieties, growing annual aster is very interesting!

Sowing annual aster for seedlings

Aster seeds quickly lose their viability, so only fresh seeds should be used for sowing. The time for sowing aster for seedlings is early April. For sowing, you can use ready-made soil by adding washed sand (0.5 parts sand to 5 parts soil). Experienced gardeners prepare their own soil mixture for aster. To do this, you need to thoroughly mix peat, turf or garden soil, washed sand (2:1:0.5), adding 0.5 cups of wood ash or 1-2 tablespoons of dolomite flour for every 5 liters of soil mixture.

After this, the mixture must be sifted and steamed for an hour in a double boiler. After sifting, it is advisable to add 0.5 cups of perlite to the mixture. It allows the soil to “breathe” after watering, absorbs excess moisture, and then slowly releases it to the plant roots. If the soil mixture for the aster is not steamed, then be sure to place it in a container and pour it until it is completely wetted with a fungicide solution or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. These measures cannot be neglected, because aster seedlings very often suffer from lodging, or black leg, caused by various types of fungal infections.

Prepare aster seeds for sowing. To do this, before sowing, aster seeds must be treated with a solution of any fungicide or mixed with a small amount of dry Fundazol, observing all safety measures.

Spread the prepared seeds evenly over the surface of the moist soil, using a small sheet of paper folded in half. Immediately put labels with the names of the varieties.

Cover the crops from drying out and place them in a warm (+15...+20°C) bright place. Make sure the sand is slightly damp at all times. If necessary, moisten it with a spray bottle.

Aster pick

With the formation of 2-3 true leaves, aster seedlings are ready for picking. To do this, you can use the same soil composition (as for sowing - read above), but without sifting. Add 1 tablespoon of complete mineral fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements to the mixture. To ensure that the fertilizer is evenly distributed, the mixture must be mixed thoroughly.

Carefully compact the soil around the aster seedling so that it is not dislodged when watering.

Gently water the picked seedlings. Try to start watering from the edge of the pot to the middle, avoiding the leaves if possible. Place the seedlings in a bright place, making sure that at first they are not exposed to direct sunlight. The temperature should not exceed +20°C.

If you have properly added mineral fertilizers to the soil mixture, then at first you don’t have to worry about feeding the aster seedlings. If planting seedlings is delayed for some reason, then feed it with any mineral fertilizer for seedlings (Fertika, Agricola, Mortar, etc.). With the appearance of 4-5 leaves, begin hardening the aster seedlings in the fresh air.

Planting an aster in the ground

It is advisable that when planting the aster stem does not exceed 5-7 cm. The seedlings should have 5-6 well-developed leaves and undergo hardening. Overgrown plants will not bloom well. Aster plants hardened in the fresh air can withstand short-term frosts down to -2°C. Aster develops well in sunny places, while withstanding slight shading. The place for planting it needs to be changed every year, especially if the plants suffered from fusarium in the previous summer. The spores of this fungus remain in the soil for up to 5-6 years. The place where gladioli used to grow is also not suitable, because they are susceptible to the same diseases as asters.

If the soil on your site is highly acidic, and you have not added lime since the fall, then before spring digging, add 120-200 g of dolomite flour or one and a half cups of wood ash per 1 square meter. m area. On very heavy clay soils, add additional peat and sand. It is also necessary before planting to apply 40-50 g of complete mineral fertilizer (Nitroammofoska) per 1 square meter. m. Mix thoroughly so that the fertilizer is evenly distributed in the top layer of soil. The bulk of the aster's roots are located at a depth of 15-20 cm. The aster does not tolerate fresh manure at all.

It is best to plant aster seedlings in the evening. The distance between plants is from 15 to 30 cm, depending on the variety. If for some reason the seedlings become too elongated during cultivation, then when planting, deepen them by 2-3 cm. After planting, compact the soil around the plant in the form of a hole for watering.

After planting, water the seedlings in the holes and mulch the soil with peat to prevent a crust from forming.
Further care consists of watering, loosening and weeding. It is important to keep the soil loose. In the second half of summer, the aster is fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. Phosphorus (20-30 g of superphosphate per 1 sq.m.) promotes abundant flowering and brighter colors of inflorescences, and potassium (15-20 g of potassium salt per 1 sq.m.) significantly increases the resistance of plants to various diseases.

Tip: aster looks most impressive in single-varietal plantings of 15-30 plants in a group.

Very beautiful flower, quite popular in the world. True, they bloom a little late, but they are still very pleasing. Today, there are a very large number of varieties of this flower; its name is translated from Latin as “star”. Due to the fact that the flower blooms very late, but you still want it to start blooming as early as possible, many begin to plant seedlings on asters at the beginning of spring. Today we will explain to you how to grow aster seedlings at home.

When to sow asters - timing of sowing seeds

Asters can be distinguished by flowering time:

Early asters begin to bloom after 90 days after germination.
Average asters bloom in 110 days.
All varieties late date flowering - after 130 days.

Since these are late flowers, they bloom right up to frost. These beautiful flowers are not afraid of the cold at all. It is very advisable that before the time you drop them off in open ground, the seedlings were a month old, quite small, about 6 cm, with good roots.

Therefore, you should determine the sowing time yourself. Very often, seedlings for asters are sown in early April. If you have a greenhouse, you can sow asters at the same time. And if you have heating in your greenhouse or on the windowsills, you can sow asters in March, but you shouldn’t do this earlier, since sunrises love light and will be drawn to it, and if you plant it very early, there will be quite a bit of light and the sunrises will begin to fade .

Sowing seedlings at home

The seeds for sowing aster are quite large compared to others, so they should be spread out sparingly. First you need to sow in small containers, then you need to plant them in separate cups or small boxes. There is no need to be afraid to replant, the aster loves it, and in a spacious pot it will grow the root system.

You can buy the soil or prepare it yourself. You can take even the most ordinary soil from the garden, add humus to it, it is worth adding purchased soil, ash, you can also use sand. All this is needed so that you get fluffy soil that will allow air and water to pass through well.

It is best to use the freshest seeds. If they are two years old, they are unlikely to pass.

You need to sow the seeds to a depth of 1 cm. Water and place the container in a bag and within a few days the first sunrises will appear. Place it immediately close to the window so that it is light enough and a little cool.

When you see real leaves, you can plant them. Aster seedlings are quite strong, but very fragile in the place where the stem transitions into the root. Therefore, you first need to moisten the soil, and after a while (after about half an hour) you need to carefully remove it with a toothpick or you can use a match, small asters and plant them in pre-prepared cups or boxes.

How to care for seedlings at home

Asters need to be watered not often but abundantly. Cups for seedlings must have drainage so that excess water can drain away. But never pour water on it, because it may get sick and die after a while.

It grows quickly and well if you have prepared it very well. good soil, then there is no need to fertilize. But if the soil is poor in nutrients, then a week after transplanting it is worth watering the seedlings with biofertilizers. You can pour tincture of ash.

Don't get carried away nitrogen fertilizers, although they claim that they are good, it’s still not worth it, otherwise there will be very large, dense, green bushes, and flowering will come a little later and the quality will definitely be lower than desired.

Planting seedlings and care

The seedlings can already be transplanted into open ground outside in the middle or towards the end of May. But in order for the plant to successfully survive replanting and all possible cold snaps, it is necessary to harden them. At the beginning of April, you can already take the seedlings outside; if they are growing in your greenhouse, then you need to warm days Be sure to open the doors.

Tall asters should be planted at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. They branch very well and form a lot of shoots with flowers. When they grow they will bloom in one continuous carpet.

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. Amazing plant, which has no shortcomings and delights with its advantages, amazes with its variety of types and varieties.

Our gardens and summer cottages They 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. 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 period, 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 plastic bag to 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.

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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 hold underground part 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. The problem is quite easy to identify; stripes appear on the stems brown tint, 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.

Before you grow these amazing flowers, you need to prepare planting material. Seeds collected on your site must be treated with any fungicide or potassium permanganate solution. Place several crystals (1 g) of potassium permanganate in 100 ml of water and stir thoroughly. The resulting solution is diluted with another 100 ml of water. This way we will get a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate for seed treatment.

The resulting solution is poured into a cup, a cloth is placed and seeds are poured onto it. They should be immersed in the solution. After 25 minutes, remove the napkin and wash the seeds in clean water.

It is worth noting that seeds collected from one’s own plot do not retain the properties of the variety of the mother plant. It 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. Pre-winter crops produce early, friendly shoots that develop well and are more resistant to cold weather and drought, bloom 2 weeks earlier and are more resistant to disease.

Spring sowing can be carried out in 2 terms: in April, as weather permits, and in May. This makes it possible to admire the beautiful lush inflorescences from mid-July until late autumn.

Seeds are sown in pre-watered rows 1 cm deep, spreading them every 1.5 cm. You can mix the seeds with a handful of dry sand to make sowing easier.

The seeds can be soaked in advance by spreading them on a damp cloth, but dry ones also germinate quite quickly. The seeds are covered with humus and covered with film, securing it around the perimeter with planks or bricks.

When shoots appear, the film is removed. It is advisable to thin out overly thickened crops. Seedlings removed during thinning can be used as seedlings.

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. Take a matchbox of 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 recommended to use ready-made liquid mineral fertilizers for flowers, for example Florist for growth And Florist for buds.