Perennial asters - all about planting, caring for and growing in the open field. Asters perennial planting and care in the open field photo Astra alpine perennial varieties

What flowers to plant is a question that is asked by almost all gardeners and site owners. The desire to get a chic and constantly blooming flower bed makes professionals and amateurs look for the most exotic flowers. But one flower will certainly be found in any garden or in any flower bed. This is a perennial autumn aster. This is a flower that blooms one of the very last and pleases with its bright colors during the prolonged autumn rains. In this article, we will consider the features of a flower familiar to us, talk about the main types of perennial asters and popular varieties, and also learn all the nuances of agricultural technology for growing autumn beauty.

Varieties of perennial asters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rules for planting perennial asters in open ground

All perennial asters need abundance sunlight. It is necessary to take this fact into account when planning to plant a flower in open ground. Never plant this plant in a flooded area. It is also worth knowing that asters love phosphate fertilizers. Care in the form of soil enrichment is best started even before the seedling is planted in the ground. Be sure to carry out activities such as digging the earth (to a depth of 30 cm), removing weeds and thorough watering before planting. It is advisable to add lime or dolomite flour to the soil when digging.

Planting seeds of perennial asters in open ground

In the southern regions, the seeds of perennial asters are sown directly in open ground. late autumn or in the spring, sprinkling them with a centimeter layer of humus. Slightly strengthened seedlings are transplanted to permanent place. It is important that the seeds are as fresh as possible. Colorful flowers, as in the provided photos, you can see only a year later. In regions with a more severe climate, a seedling method of growing perennial asters is practiced. Purchased soil is quite suitable for planting seeds. A container with sown seeds is covered with polyethylene and placed in a sunny place. When the leaves appear, the seedlings are carefully dived into separate pots.

Reproduction of an aster by dividing a bush

The division of the aster bush ( vegetative way) is simple and fast method propagation and planting new areas with flowers. It is necessary to separate part of the bush along with the rhizome in the spring after the start of rapid growth, remove weak stems and transplant to a new place. Astra can grow in one place up to 7 years, but to renew the bush, maintain lush flowering, it is recommended to replant the culture every three years. Astra perennial quite well tolerates the division of the bush.

Aster care in the open field

Astra can be called an unpretentious plant in care. But in order for it to bloom in all its glory, you need to adhere to some rules of agricultural technology. First of all, it is necessary to ensure proper watering. Perennial refers to moisture-loving flowers. Moisten the soil with plenty of water. But part with this procedure is not worth it. Let the soil dry out before the next watering. During heavy rains, additional soil moisture is not carried out.

It is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil. The earth needs to be loosened regularly, weeding the beds from weeds. In advance, before flowering, high hilling of plants is carried out - this stimulates the strengthening of the root system of perennials. To prolong the flowering period, we must not forget to remove drying inflorescences from the bushes in a timely manner. They are left only on those specimens that are intended for collecting seeds. Astra is a frost-resistant plant. You can leave the perennial to winter in open ground. preparatory activities is trimming the above-ground part and covering the flower bed with a layer of mulch.

Fertilizer and top dressing of perennial asters

Fertile lands with a high humus content are suitable for growing asters in open ground. If the land on the plot does not meet these requirements, fertilization will help correct the situation.

Diseases and pests of perennial asters

Perennial aster is ideal for creating landscape design, resistant to many diseases and pests, unpretentious in cultivation. However, during wet summers, improper watering or planting asters in damp waterlogged soil dramatically increases the likelihood of perennial infection with powdery mildew. The disease is transmitted from plant to plant by air. The affected area depends on the density of growth of asters, the presence of moisture on the leaves. In order to prevent this disease, it is recommended to treat the flowers with Topaz twice before flowering. Topaz should be diluted at the rate of 2 ml of the drug per 10 liters. water.

In autumn, it is recommended to treat Alpine aster with copper sulfate (dilute 50 g of the drug in a standard 10-liter bucket of water), after which the plants need to be cut. Infected shoots should be cut and burned, as the fungus powdery mildew can be on the leaves and stems of the plant all winter, and in the spring throw out new spores and infect nearby flowers.

These flowers are photophilous, prefer light and not acidic fertile soils. Otherwise, they are unpretentious and do not require painstaking care. We tell you how to independently grow perennial asters from seeds and care for them.

In total, there are about 500 species of perennial asters. The leaves of this plant are lanceolate and dark green in color. Inflorescences are baskets about 5 cm in diameter. Flowers can have a simple, semi-double or double shape.

Popular types and varieties of perennial asters

Only a few species are grown in culture:

• Spring (with early flowering) - Alpine and Anders asters;
• Summer (mid-flowering) - Italian asters, stonecrop, Fricara;
• Autumn (late flowering) - heather asters (good varieties Finale, Schneegitter, Lady in Black), shrub (popular varieties Rudelsburg, Heinz Richard, Alice Haslam, Blau Lagune, Krishna, Schneekissen), New England (the most common varieties Barrs Blue and Rudelsburg), New Belgian (for cultivation in middle lane suitable varieties Marie Ballard, Mont Blanc, Jenny).

Features of reproduction of perennial asters

Seedlings of late-flowering perennial asters are planted in spring, and early-flowering - in autumn time. Alpine aster is most often grown from seeds.

The remaining perennial asters are propagated mainly by green cuttings (in May-June) or by dividing the bush. In March, bushes are dug up, cut into pieces with a sharp knife, and each of them should have enough young roots and stems, after which the delenki are seated.

Perennial asters can also be propagated by layering: before the buds swell, the height of the bushes is brought to 15-20 cm by pruning, the layering is provided with high-quality watering, the shoots are separated in the fall.

In one place, perennial asters grow up to 6 years, but it should be noted that during seed propagation they bloom only in the second year.

How to collect aster seeds

To collect seeds, the first few formed inflorescences are left. Please note that the collection period occurs 40-60 days after the start of flowering. Therefore, it is often difficult to collect seeds from late-flowering asters, because frosts often occur in autumn, from which flowers die with unripened seeds. In this case, the heads of asters are cut off in the fall until the moment of cooling and laid out at home on the windowsill. However, unfortunately, these seeds often lose their viability.

In autumn, it is better to dig up a bush of a plant, plant it in a spacious pot and then grow it at home at a temperature of 16-20 ° C in a well-lit place. When the inflorescences wither, and their center darkens and becomes covered with white fluff, the flower is cut off, wrapped in paper and placed in a warm and dry place. Seeds are stored for no more than 2 years.

Growing asters from seeds

Seeds of perennial asters are sown in a sunny area in open ground before winter (frozen ground in November or snow in December) or in spring (in May). At the same time, the seeds are buried in the soil by no more than 0.5 cm. Shoots appear in the spring with the onset of heat. When sown in spring, this process can be accelerated by first germinating the seeds in a damp cloth.

Seedlings are looked after in the usual way until autumn: they loosen the soil superficially, water it in a timely manner, remove weeds and feed it several times a season with complex mineral fertilizer.

In autumn, seedlings of perennial asters are transplanted to a permanent place in the garden (it should be sunny). In this case, the site is prepared 2-3 weeks before planting.

The best predecessors for asters are marigolds and calendula, and undesirable ones are tulips, gladioli, Shabo cloves, levkoy, potatoes, and tomatoes.

Soil for perennial asters

The soil on the site should be light, fertile and not acidic. Astra does not like dampness and stagnant water, otherwise the roots will rot. The soil should pass air and water well and not cake. Suitable turf land with the addition of coarse sand and vermiculite. But it is better not to use compost and humus. Before planting flowers, the soil is shed with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin-M.

Sowing seeds of perennial asters for seedlings

At seedling method perennial aster seedlings are grown in the same way as annual ones. Sowing is carried out in the second half of March - early April. The seeds that have hatched are lowered into cassettes or a small container with fertile soil into pre-made grooves to a depth of 0.5 cm. The container is covered with plastic wrap or plastic lid and kept in a well-lit room at a temperature of 18-22°C.

Shoots usually appear after 3-5 days. After that, the container is slightly opened and, if necessary, moisten the soil from the spray gun. During the day, seedlings are kept at a temperature of about 20 ° C, and at night - at 15-17 ° C. The place should be bright (let's go to the window sill) and well ventilated.

In the phase of three true leaves, the seedlings dive - they are seated in separate small cups or cassettes.

10-12 days after picking, asters are fed with ammonium nitrate (1 g per 1 liter of water). After another 2 weeks, 1.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1.5 g of potassium sulfate and 3 g of superphosphate are added to the soil. Fertilizers are diluted in 1 liter of water.

Planting asters in open ground

When the seedlings reach a height of 7 cm and each plant has 5-7 true leaves, the asters are transplanted into open ground. But 1-2 weeks before transplanting, seedlings should be hardened. To do this, they are periodically taken out to the balcony for a while.

Seedlings are transplanted in cloudy weather or early in the morning and then shaded. Strong and squat plants do not deepen much, and the elongated ones are sprinkled with soil to the lower leaves.

When planting seedlings, it is useful to add a handful of wood ash to each hole.

Plants are located at a sufficient distance from each other: between large asters it should be at least 80 cm, between medium ones - 50 cm, and between small ones - 30 cm.

2 weeks after planting in the ground, the asters are fed with a complex mineral fertilizer, but without nitrogen. The next top dressing with the same fertilizer is carried out during budding.

Perennial asters are watered in a timely manner, but it is important that water does not fall on the leaves. After each watering, loosen the soil shallowly.

Plants are able to winter without shelter, but in regions with snowless and frosty winters, it is better to mulch young asters with peat or cover them with spruce branches.

By following these growing rules, in the second year after sowing, you can easily get beautiful bouquet aster. From medium-sized bushes, you can form spectacular flower hedges. Dwarf plants are well suited for highlighting the contour of flower beds, lawns and borders. Groups of perennial asters of large varieties will be an excellent backdrop for curtains of small perennials.

The perennial plant aster grows in nature in the Southern Urals, in Transcarpathia, in Asia and Europe, in the Caucasus. Today, these unpretentious plants are grown in almost all gardens, regardless of the region. Flowers adorn areas until frost, can be herbaceous and bushy, have big variety flowers of various shapes and colors.

They can be used to create beautiful flower garden or decorate an ugly garden area. In care, perennial asters are unpretentious, but you need to know some features of their cultivation.

General description, varieties, photo

The plant belongs to Compositae and has about 600 species. Due to the fact that perennial asters are characterized by late flowering, they are often called winter asters or octobers. Plants by species can grow as a separate flower or bush, and grow up to two meters. Their flowering begins in the first days of autumn and attracts the eye with its diverse color. Asters inflorescences can have shades from white to purple.

Perennials differ in bush height. high views bush asters are often grown as a flowering fence or located in the center of an autumn flower garden. Low grades are used for framing flower beds and borders.

Perennial asters differ in terms of flowering and appearance. Alpine asters bloom in June, and in August they are replaced by lush perennials of Italian varieties. At the beginning of autumn, bush asters decorate the garden with flowers of various shades.

Types of perennial asters

Alpine aster - photo. A low-growing plant, whose homeland is the Alps, reaches a height of only 30 cm. Its flowers resemble chamomile in shape and have a diameter of 4–6 cm. They are located on one stem. The flowers are formed from a yellow double center and tubular petals in pink, purple or white. Astra alpine begins its flowering in early summer. Her bushes bloom profusely for a month. The plant looks very beautiful on alpine slides or in group plantings with undersized crops. The most popular varieties:

Aster shrub. The plant is native to North America. Varieties of this species distinguished by strongly leafy stems with a height of 20 to 60 cm. Of all kinds autumn perennials aster shrub blooms first. Its most popular varieties include:

1. The Blue Bird variety is dwarf plant 25 cm high. Reed-shaped flowers have a pale blue color with a lilac tint.
2. Variety Alba flor foam grows up to 40 cm in height and has petals of various shapes. Her tubular petals yellow color, and reeds have a snow-white color.

Astra New England. The plant reaches a height of two meters and blooms profusely with white, red, pink, blue or dark purple flowers. Inflorescences with a diameter of 4 cm bloom in early autumn. The view is suitable for making bouquets. Cut flowers in water can stand for two weeks.

Astra New Belgian. Perennial plant from 35 cm to one and a half meters high differs in not very large flowers of light purple, lilac, pink, burgundy or white color . Depending on the variety, the New Belgian aster can be dwarf, medium-sized or tall.

Italian aster. The plant is a bush, the height of which can be up to 70 cm. Differs in corymbose inflorescences- baskets, which are collected from flowers of pink, lilac, yellow or dark blue. It starts blooming at the end of summer.

Features of growing perennial asters

Perennials love sunny areas and well-drained soils. They grow especially well after calendula and tagetis.

Landing

It is best to plant perennials on neutral fertile soils. If the soil on the site is depleted, then it must be fertilized. For this, for each square meter is entered:

• from 2 to 4 kg of compost or humus;
• 15–20 g each of ammonium sulphate and potassium salt;
• 20-30 g of superphosphate.

The site before planting asters is dug up, leveled and loosened. Seedlings are planted from each other at a distance of 20 cm. The grooves for them should not be very deep.. From above, the seedlings are sprinkled with earth and watered. Then for 2-3 days they do not need to be watered. After two weeks, young plants are fed with nitrogen fertilizers.

Damp areas are categorically not suitable for planting crops. The plant grown on them is very often infected with powdery mildew, and eventually dies.

alpine aster

Features of care in the open field

An unpretentious perennial in care, it is necessary to provide infrequent, but plentiful watering, timely weeding and loosening of the soil. When the soil dries out, the bushes lose their decorative appearance. and their baskets are drying up.

To strengthen and accelerate the growth of the root system, bushes are hilled to a height of 5–6 cm before flowering. During the flowering period, wilted and faded flowers must be removed in a timely manner.

When caring for perennial asters, do not forget to feed them. Otherwise, the plants will form few buds and not bloom very profusely. per season the culture is fed three times. Two weeks after planting, superphosphate, potassium sulfate and ammonium nitrate must be added. When buds appear and at the very beginning of flowering, top dressing is done only with superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

Perennial asters in winter

Many types of asters are hardy, but there are some varieties that require shelter for the winter. For this, spruce branches, dry leaves or peat are used. Dried stems are cut off before covering.. After the onset of heat in the spring, the shelter will be removed, the soil is watered and loosened.

In one place, perennials grow for five years. After this period, in the fall, the bushes are dug up, divided and planted in a new place. In this case, it is desirable not to damage the root system so that the plants do not get sick after transplantation.

Possible difficulties in growing

Unpretentious care asters can be affected by some pests and diseases:

1. Asters jaundice is a viral disease in which the leaves first lighten, then the growth of the buds and the whole plant stops. The disease is carried by pests, so first of all you need to destroy them. For this, insecticides are used.
2. Asters rust is manifested by the appearance of swelling on the underside of the leaf. Leaves begin to wither and dry. Rust spores fall from coniferous plants, so crops should be grown away from them. If the disease has appeared, then the bushes are treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid every week.
3. Fusarium is the most common disease of asters. It appears already in an adult plant, which on the one hand begins to turn yellow and fade sharply. The disease is not cured, so you need to apply preventive measures. To do this, cultural circulation must be observed on the site.

Among pests, the threat to perennial asters is the scoop, bud aphid, spider mite, common earwig, meadow bug. So that insects do not overcome the plant, the soil in the garden should be carefully dug up in the fall, removing weeds. Dried plant stems are burned. There should be sufficient distance between planting crops. It is recommended to add compost, humus and lime to the soil. In this case, the plants will be healthy and able to resist various pests and diseases.

Asters are plants that proper fit and care will allow you to decorate garden plot autumn time. Against the background of general withering, they will bring bright colors and joyful notes into it.

What plant to plant in the country, so that it is pleasing to the eye and does not require care efforts? Designers recommend alpine perennial aster. The article outlines recommendations for planting and caring for asters planted in open ground. The varieties of alpine aster, their features and cultivation rules are described in detail. You will learn how to combine aster with other plants and apply in landscape design.

Description: varieties and varieties of alpine aster

Astra is one of the most common colors used in outdoor landscaping, on summer cottages. These flowers delight the eye from spring to late autumn.

Unpretentious bright asters delight the eye of flower growers with their simplicity and grace.

The first of the asters family blooms at the end of May, the perennial alpine aster is a spring-summer flowering plant, up to 25-30 cm high. Usually wild bloom asters lasts more than three to four weeks. Flower rosettes of Alpine aster are medium in size (do not exceed 4-6 cm in diameter), located one at a time on the stem. Alpine aster resembles chamomile in shape and arrangement of petals, which is why it is sometimes called alpine chamomile. This flower is great for decorating the foot Alpine slide, frost-resistant.

The aster looks very nice next to the stones

Diversity colors Alpine perennial aster contributes to its active use in landscape design. Breeders have bred many varieties of alpine aster with different colors of flower baskets: there are dark purple, bluish-purple, light and dark pink, bright orange flowers.

The most common varieties of alpine aster:

• "Albus" - a white low aster, blooms in the first two months of summer, the stems are short (no higher than 15-20 cm), densely dotted with leaves;

Variety "Albus"

• "Gloria" - flower rosettes are painted in blue tones, inflorescences do not exceed 3 cm in diameter;

Grade "Gloria"

• "Goliath" is distinguished by light purple flower rosettes about 6 cm in diameter. It blooms for about a month, the beginning of flowering is June;

Variety "Goliath"

• "Rosea" - a flower of a pink hue, flower rosettes up to 4 cm in diameter;

Variety "Rosea"

• "Happy End" is characterized by strong straight stems, abundantly covered with leaves. It blooms in May, the flowering period is quite long - about a month;

Variety "Happy End"

• "Dunkle Schöne" - a spectacular dark purple aster, inflorescences about 3 cm;

Variety "Dunkle Schöne"

• "Ruber" - an unusual aster of a red-pink hue, flower rosettes up to 4 cm;

Sort "Ruber"

• "Superbus" - aster of lilac-blue tones, flower rosettes about 3.5 cm in diameter.

Sort "Superbus"

Planting a plant

Before planting the plant in open ground, it is necessary to choose a suitable location: all perennial asters love a well-lit sunny place. It is recommended to fertilize the soil before planting asters (phosphate preparations are used), dig up, select all weeds and moisten.

Astra does not need any special care, only watering, loosening and a well-chosen place for planting

It is advisable to add about 200 g of lime to the soil before digging the soil and planting asters (can be replaced with dolomite flour), about 100 g of superphosphate. Dig up to a depth of 30 cm.

Attention! Raw, flooded soils are categorically not suitable for planting asters. Under such conditions, the plant becomes infected with powdery mildew and simply dies.

plant care

Alpine aster is a perennial, unpretentious in care. It is necessary to ensure timely watering of the plant (infrequently, but plentifully) and loosening the soil, weeding weeds. Lack of moisture can lead to loss decorative look flower baskets and their drying. Before flowering, it is recommended to spud the crop to a height of up to 5-6 cm, thus accelerating the growth of the root system and its strengthening. During the flowering period, dried plants must be removed.

Remove weeds from flower beds in a timely manner so that they do not interfere with the growth and development of asters

The flower is frost-resistant, but for frosty winters it is recommended to mulch the perennial with soil or sand, given that the plant buds must be covered.

Fertilizer and top dressing

For lush flowering, Alpine aster requires alkaline permeable soil containing calcium. As fertilizers for transplanting and pruning plants, phosphorus- and potassium-containing preparations should be applied to the soil.

If the aster is planted in soil with a low humus content, be sure to fertilize the soil organic compounds at the rate of about 10 kg of humus per 1 m 2. In addition, 20 g of mineral nitrogen fertilizers should be applied to light soils.

Plant propagation

Alpine aster is propagated in two ways: by seeds and by dividing a bush that has been growing for a couple of years.

Aster seeds

seeds asters are harvested in late autumn after flowering, planted in fertilized soil and covered with a film to obtain greenhouse effect. The resulting seedlings dive in March-April, after the first leaves appear. Asters grown from seeds in the open field bloom only in the second year. This propagation method is quite laborious, since seed germination is low.

The division of the aster bush(vegetative method) - a simple and quick method of propagating and planting new areas with flowers. It is necessary to separate part of the bush along with the rhizome in the spring after the start of rapid growth, remove weak stems and transplant to a new place.

Advice. Astra can grow in one place up to 7 years, but to renew the bush, maintain lush flowering, it is recommended to replant the culture every three years.

Alpine aster tolerates the division of the bush quite well

You can also asters all summer propagate by cuttings. The tops of the shoots are suitable for this, their recommended length is about 6 cm. Cuttings should be planted in beds specially prepared for them with special soil (turf, peat, sand in the ratio of 2 parts of earth to 1 part of peat and 1 part of sand) in partial shade, covered with agrofibre. Rooting time for cuttings is about 1 month. As cuttings, you can use young shoots up to 15 cm tall, cut into several parts, each of which should have 3 leaves. In August-September, such cuttings can be planted in a permanent place of growth.

Diseases and pests

Alpine perennial aster is ideal for landscape design, resistant to many diseases and pests, unpretentious in cultivation. However, in a wet summer, with improper watering or planting asters in damp, waterlogged soil, the likelihood of perennial infection with powdery mildew increases sharply.

The disease is transmitted from plant to plant by air. The affected area depends on the density of growth of asters, the presence of moisture on the leaves. In order to prevent this disease, it is recommended to treat the flowers with Topaz twice before flowering. Topaz should be diluted at the rate of 2 ml of the drug per 10 liters of water.

Powdery mildew control agent

Infected shoots should be cut and burned, as the powdery mildew fungus can be on the leaves and stems of the plant all winter, and in the spring throw out new spores and infect nearby flowers.

For the treatment of asters, biofungicides are used:

1. "Topaz".
2. "Fitosporin".
3. "Alirin" and "Gamair".

Copper sulphate and its solution for plant treatment

There are other ways to protect the plant:

• spraying with an ash solution (dilute 1 kg of wood ash in 10 liters of warm water, leave to infuse for 6-7 days. The drug is applied by spraying the leaf surface three times);
• solution treatment laundry soap and blue vitriol(Mix 100 g of laundry soap with 5 g of copper sulfate, treat the plants twice).

In addition, during the summer period during the phase active growth perennial, it is recommended to carry out three basal feeding of asters with stimulants. At the beginning of budding, asters are treated with Energen (the recommended dose is 1 capsule per half a bucket of water). Then, during flowering, you need to give a second dose: the drug "Agricola for flowering plants» (about 30-35 g per bucket of water). The third time the plant is fed in August with a preparation of potassium sulfate: 30 g per bucket of water.

Alpine aster: combination with other plants

Alpine aster blooms for quite a long time, it is she who can serve as a background for other flowers, gradually replacing each other from spring to autumn.

Asters of different colors can look great in a flower bed

Curb irises, cypress spurge, evening primrose, multicolor spurge, spotted loosestrife, which are painted bright yellow, look spectacular against the background of purple asters. Looks interesting combination bearded irises and alpine asters - by planting blue or lilac varieties nearby, you can create a composition that is pleasing to the eye by playing on a smooth change of halftones.

Astra goes well with:

• violets;
• geraniums;
• stonecrop large;
• sedum prominent;
• derain white;
• bergenia;
• thunberg barberries;
• Japanese spiria.

Alpine aster in the flowerbed

Experienced gardeners willingly include Julia's primrose, reed grass, spartina, creeping thyme in the composition with the Alpine aster. Successful partners for perennial asters are ornamental cereals.

Alpine aster in landscape design

Since the perennial alpine aster is rather unpretentious in cultivation, it is actively used in landscape design, by gardeners and just lovers of wildlife in flower beds, rock gardens, in the design of flower beds, rocky hills, as a balcony plant.

Astra alpine perennial is equally loved by experienced landscape designers and amateur gardeners. It is easy to care for, does not require special watering conditions, but at the same time, it pleases with bright colors for almost the whole summer, emphasizing the beauty of the surrounding nature. Give your attention to the alpine aster, and she will thank you with lush flowering.

Planting perennial asters: video

Alpine aster: photo

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

Flowers are:

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

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

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

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

perennial stunted

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

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

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

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

Pink

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

Bush

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

Flower shades:

• White
• purple

White

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

Alpine

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

Flowers blooming on a bush have the following parameters:

Italian

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

New England: tall view

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

Color shades:

• White;
• Pink;
• Purple.

Landing

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

How to choose a place to land

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

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

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

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

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

How to sow seeds

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

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

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

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

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

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

What time to grow

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

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

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

How seedlings are grown

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

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

Do not forget to do timely watering, preventing young seedlings from drying out.

Basic rules of care

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

Watering

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

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

Temperature

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

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

fertilizers

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

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

Diseases and pests

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

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

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

Rust on sheet plates - these are convex parts that are on the underside sheet plate. sick plants are destroyed, and the rest are treated with the drug "Hom".

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

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

Flower propagation methods

In addition to seed propagation of perennial Asters, there are simpler ways:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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