Flowers such as asters, planting and care in the open ground behind which usually does not cause special problems, are one of the most beloved plants. And this is not surprising, tk. these flowers are considered very hardy, but at the same time they can enjoy with their brightness and variety of varieties, asters begin to blossom from August and end in autumn.
In this article, read:
- 1 Choosing the right place
- 2 Soil selection and planting
- 3 How to care for asters
- 4 Diseases and pests
- 5 Astra. Growing sprouts. Video
- 6 Multicolored unpretentious aster in the garden plot
Choosing the right place
Before you figure out how to properly care for these amazing cheerful plants, you should learn how to properly plant them in the ground. First of all, it is necessary to determine the place where they will grow. It is best to plant such plants in the penumbra, since direct sunlight can leave burns on delicate florets, thereby ruining their decorative appearance. But if we are talking about a well-lit area in the garden, where direct sunlight is not constant, there, too, you can safely plant these flowers.
Carefully you just need to be with places where the sun is always hot. If there is no way to find another, more suitable place, then it will be necessary to think in advance about the small pritenenie plants. To do this, prepare a special net, which is convenient to pull on the pegs inserted into the ground.
These flowers do not tolerate excess moisture in the soil, but at the same time they love water. Therefore, whenever possible, you should plant asters in elevated areas, from where excess moisture will drain down. Also immediately it is necessary to free this place from weeds and carefully loosen the ground.
Some gardeners prefer to plant their asters not on separate sites, but to frame them paths and flower beds. This is a good solution, but it is best then to give preference to not very valuable varieties of flowers that are small in size. Still, the soil should be carefully prepared.
Astra is a herbaceous plant of the family Compositae.
Astra is Italian.
When choosing a place to grow, one must always take into account one nuance. Categorically it is not recommended to plant flowers in close proximity to tomatoes, potatoes and gladioli. Otherwise, the risk of plant disease with fusariosis will increase several times, which is especially damaging for valuable varieties of flowers.
Soil selection and planting
For aster, any soil is suitable, but it should be loose and nutritious enough. That is why before planting it is necessary first to sprinkle the land with river sand and humus, and then it is good to loosen. Also increases the nutritional characteristics of ordinary peat, which also the roots will be partially protected from rotting.
As for acidity, it should be neutral. To always maintain it at this level, you need to periodically inject potassium salt or superphosphate into the soil. It is best to do this in the spring just before the asters are planted in the ground.
And now as for the very process of landing asters in the open ground. Usually, valuable varieties are planted in ready-made form, rather than germinated from seeds. It will be so much easier and faster to achieve flowering. Let's consider now in more detail, how correctly to plant asters in a garden if it would be desirable to receive as a result beautiful bright paths from blossoming bouquets.
After the place is selected, it should be conditionally divided into several tracks. Then in the last lane, start digging holes. Their depth should be small. At the same time, a distance of about 20 cm should be observed between the holes. Fertilizer (ordinary manure or dry bird droppings) can then be filled in the wells, and then young asters are planted.
As soon as you put the plant in the hole, immediately sprinkle it with earth, then a little bit around the stem. This will securely fix the astra in the soil. Experts advise to plant the plants so that new young roots are formed as soon as possible. The remaining series are filled in the same way.
Surprisingly tight ball of double flowers, so looks like a bush of perennial asters close relative of annual asters.
Astra alpine, long time lush flowering, unpretentious.
During the landing of asters, you should not forget that the distance between the rows should be respected. In the ideal, it should be about 25-30 cm. When planting the plants is completed, it is necessary to make small depressions between the rows to form ditches. In them water is poured, which will ensure for all garden asters a uniform watering.
How to care for asters
Now as to the peculiarities of care for asters growing in the open ground. There is nothing complicated, you just need to adhere to some important rules and do not overdo it with watering and fertilizers.
Both perennial and annual asters are very fond of moisture, but watering plants outdoors should be only if rains are not frequent. In this case, it is best to pour well ditches between the rows. Repeat irrigation should only after the earth in these ditches completely dry up and begin to crack.
In the event that in the summer often rains, and the average air temperature does not exceed 25 °, it is recommended and completely refuse irrigation. In most cases, in such conditions, the flowers feel quite comfortable.
Fertilize plants is recommended only during the active vegetation and during flowering. In order for a young plant to develop faster and release a lot of leaves, it is recommended that nitrogen fertilizers be applied to the soil every week. But during flowering, you should feed asters with fertilizers, which contain a large amount of potassium and phosphorus.
As a rule, in the open ground, both annual and perennial asters can be grown. And all of them must be prepared for the winter after the end of flowering. For this, flowering shoots are cut off, and the places of cuts are sprinkled with charcoal. To the land does not dry out strongly, it is recommended to mulch it.
As for simple asters, which were not planted, but germinated from seeds, it is possible to do nothing at all. You just have to wait until the shoots begin to dry up on their own, and then just pull the plants out of the soil.
Aster is one year old Chinese.
Flowering carpet of stunted asters.
Diseases and pests
Like any other plant, asters can be sick and infected with pests. There are several dangerous diseases and parasites from which one should try to protect these flowers. But if they get sick, they will need to take measures to treat them.
So, most often young plants are affected by a black leg. To notice it is easy enough: the plant first becomes stunted, and then the stem at the bottom becomes soft, begins to rot. To prevent the appearance of such a disease, you need to make sure that the soil does not over-moisten, and the aster does not grow too close to each other. As for prevention and treatment, it is recommended to sprinkle the earth with dry charcoal or ash. But if this does not help, it makes sense to use special shop drugs.
A very unpleasant pest that hits asters is the firefly. The insect lays its eggs in the still unfulfilled inflorescences in August. Usually the blossoming of a flower coincides with the development of a caterpillar from a larva. At the same time, she starts ruthlessly devouring the aster flower in the middle, which causes a particular trouble to the flower growers. It is necessary to fight such a pest only with special preparations, one of which is Aktellik. But if this does not help, then it makes sense to turn to stronger insecticides.
So, planting and care in the open ground for such a plant does not give much complexity. The most important issue here is to protect the soil from waterlogging and plants from pests. As an aster, long-term, and one-year, are equally susceptible to all kinds of diseases, unless optimal conditions for development and growth are provided. Especially this applies to young seedlings of flowers and hybrid expensive varieties of asters, which have not yet managed to adapt to the conditions of growth and flowering in the open air.
