If there are ideal garden flowers that amaze with variety and beauty, do not require care and are always abundantly blooming, then this - aster, flower, which with a lot of "adventures" arrived in Europe from China in the early 18th century and immediately conquered all the florists of France, and then took a solid place in every European garden.
Photos of flowers asters always differ from each other, which is not surprising, because today more than 600 varieties of these charmers are available for cultivation, which are available practically in every suburban area.
Description and features of aster
Aster- this garden flowers with sturdy and straight stems, from 18 to 85 cm in height, depending on the variety, in addition, there are hybrid varieties reaching 1.5-2 meters. Because of such diversity, among gardeners it is conventionally divided the whole world of asters into three large groups:
low, including miniature species;
average;
high, exceeding 85-90 cm in their growth.
The roots of all types of these flowers are the same - thin, spread horizontally. Very branching. But they themselves - different, both in color, and in appearance and size, from the most simple, like chamomile, to the utmost fanciful, resembling lush hats of chrysanthemums.
As for the features, there are as many as the asters themselves. Each sort of something stands out, in each kind there is something special, special and unique.
Contrary to popular belief that this is the "autumn" plants, which appeared due to the fact that in the street sale bouquets of flowers asters appear in late August, they blossom all season, from the end of spring and to October frosts.
Planting and breeding asters
You can get a lot of asters as you buy seedlings, and you can buy seed bags from the store. Seedlings of aster flowers in many respects it is preferable, especially for beginning florists, as it gives a complete picture of the future. Plant bushes in early May, and in June, depending on the variety. Of course, the first buds appear on them.
Flower seeds asters sown from mid-March to the end of April, the main thing is that the soil has already warmed up. Crops should be closed with a film, this will speed up the germination and protect against frost.
As a rule, sprouts can be expected in a week, provided that the seeds were sown not deeper than a couple of centimeters. Before the time comes, when it will be time sow seeds flowers asters, the land needs to be additionally fertilized, a couple of days before sowing.
As for the landing site, they are completely unpretentious, they feel great in the shade and in the sun. Determining where the flower garden should take into account, in addition to the idea of the landscape model, such a moment as the variety, namely, what will be the asters:
annual;
two-year-olds;
perennial;
low;
average;
high.
Also, absolutely all varieties do not tolerate a certain neighborhood, and planting flowers aster should be produced as far as possible from:
tomatoes and their relatives;
tulips;
narcissuses;
gladiolus;
potatoes.
The soil under cultivation of flowers asterscooked in the autumn, carefully digging up the ground, in place of the future flowerbed they make peat, humus and, if necessary, sand. In the spring, just before planting, the ground is again digested and superphosphates, potassium salt and sulfuric acid fertilizers containing ammonium are added.
Propagated by seeds, ripening depending on the variety, from the middle of summer to late autumn. The best germination is possessed by seeds lying about a year. Samosov at asters is weak, usually, the boxes do not fall independently.
Care for asters
Care behind flowers asters is a moderate watering, loosening of the flowerbed and the disposal of the flower garden from the weeds. Once a season for perennial and biennial it is necessary to make fertilizing, that the earth would not become impoverished, and the bushes blossomed abundantly and for a long time.
Ideal option - ready complexes for asters, besides, they produce more than 50 species, and for each group of decorative varieties, you can choose the most suitable, taking into account the composition of the soil.
It is also necessary to monitor the health of the bushes and in time to carry out treatment and prevention, with the emergence of diseases. In general, all varieties of asters have good immunity, but sometimes are affected:
fusariosis is a fungus that provokes wilting flowers, the source of infection is fresh manure, therefore, it is better not to use it;
gray rot, verticillosis and powdery mildew - preparations based on baseazol are excellent against these ailments, which should be carried out and preventive maintenance in the beginning of summer;
aphids, of all kinds, but mostly kidney - carbofos is used against it, and everything presented in specialty stores means to combat this pest;
meadow bug, this is a rare enough pest, but nevertheless sometimes it appears in gardens, it is necessary to fight it with the help of dust and ready. Available drugs.
Types of aster
Varieties of asters are very many, but among them there are real "stars" and favorites of all florists.
Snow White Annual
it astra white, flowers huge, more than 12 cm in diameter, thick-walled. The height of the bushes is 65 to 75 cm. Blooms for a couple of months, beginning in July.
Resistant to all diseases, extremely unpretentious to the soil, but loves sunlight.
White ball, annual
Low shrubs, from 45 to 55 cm, covered in white with a yellow or greenish middle. In diameter, the size of the flower is 6-8 cm. This variety is often confused with chrysanthemums. Blooms all season.
Incredibly beautiful, but unlike others, it is least resistant to diseases and pests.
Glow, annual
Small shrubs, from 20 to 30 cm, but larger, incredibly similar to dahlias. The diameter of the flower is from 5 to 7 cm, the color is gentle-lilac, this bush blooms from early July to late autumn.
Resistant to all diseases, except aphids. Absolutely unpretentious to the composition of the soil, loves watering.
Dunkle Shin, long-term
Miniature, 20-25 cm tall, with bright, simple and bright blue, purple, resembling chamomile, up to 3.5 cm in diameter.
Excellent wintering, loves light soils, susceptible to mineral fertilizers. Blossoms from the middle of summer to autumn and every year regularly brings seeds with almost 100 percent germination.
Italian, long-term
Slender beauty, height from 35 to 65 cm, with completely straight shoots. Basically, it is grown for cutting, for a very long time, even for asters, stands in a vase in the form of a bouquet.
Medium, with a diameter of 5-6 cm, all shades of blue, pink, lilac and violet. Excellent wintering, resistant to all diseases, does not like moisture, preferring dry soil, very poorly tolerated by the shadow. Blossoms the entire season, and as fertilizers prefer those in which there is lime.
Golden, long-term
The height of the bush is from 50 to 60 cm, not large, but collected in arms. The color is intensely yellow, blooming late, in August, but flowering lasts until November.
It is very frost-resistant, perfectly tolerated by the shadow, it is not very demanding for irrigation and fertilizers.
Virginia, or New Belgian, long-term
Hybrid variety. A real giant, often exceeding a two-meter mark. Less than 1.8 does not grow even on scanty soil. Sami - small, diameter from 3 to 4 cm, painted in all possible colors, from white to purple, with a bright yellow core.
It has affiliated varieties, no less popular - with double colors of blue tones and snow-white snowflakes, semi-double flowers. Resistant to frost, the blossom begins in the middle of summer and ends after the first snow, in November.
Does not require special care, rarely gets sick, prefers mineral fertilizers and light moisture. Deciding to start growing asters, you will inevitably have to face the complexity of choice, as there are so many of them and they are all absolutely beautiful that I want to drop everything at once.
Solve such a problem blend of asters, moreover, a flower garden from different asters looks amazing, however, determining where and which flower of astern will grow, you need to choose plants or one lifetime, or plant one-year plants so that their landing site is easily accessible, to update the flowerbed for the next season.
This is a special, perhaps, so many legends and meaningsattributed to flower, as in astern, not even roses.
Especially a lot of very poetic tales associated with the astra in their homeland, in China, where they still symbolize modesty and wisdom, truth and beauty, elegance and sufficiency, purity of thoughts and accuracy of the chosen path.
In Latin, aster means "star". And in Europe, it is also connected with not a few stories, and even, superstitions. For example, Hungarians still believe that if they throw it into a fire, it will scare off the snake. And in Germany, the flower symbolizes the sadness of a virgin over a lost lover. The authors of modern "floral horoscopes", pushing away from German ballads, made these flowers a symbol of all those born in September.
In principle, no matter what grade was chosen for the garden, you can surely find a beautiful and poetic story that can be read in the late autumn evening, sitting in an armchair next to a bouquet of your own asters.
Flowers contain many secrets and mysteries. Asters are no exception. What we call a one-year-old astra, all the well-known flowers that appear in the middle of summer and pleasing us to frost, are not asters at all.
They are sometimes called Chinese Astra - and this is not entirely true. With multicolored bouquets of these flowers, schoolchildren go to school on the first of September. Therefore, they are considered a sign of the beginning of a new school year and autumn. In fact, these flowers are called kallistefuses. To understand what plants are real asters, let's turn to history.
In the middle of the XVIII century, the Jesuit priest, Incarville, brought from China to the Paris Botanical Garden the seeds of some plants unknown in Europe. It was there that the one-year-old aster first blossomed in Europe and was very much liked by the botanist Antoine Jussier, who called the plant callisteifus, which, in Latin (Caliistephus), means "a beautiful wreath."
Later (in 1753), the famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus gave the plant the name "Astra Chinese", and identified it in the genus asters. But in 1826, these plants isolated from the genus aster in a separate genus Callistefus, returning to the name that he named the plants Jussier. So one-year-old aster - in fact, callistefus.
To the real asters (from the genus of the aster) there are not many nor few 600 species! They are widespread in nature, grow in mountains and steppes, forests. These are perennials or biennial herbaceous plants, less often - shrubs.
Height, depending on the species, varies from 20 (alpine) to 200 cm (New England, New Belgian).
Tall aster species grow rapidly, forming real thickets. The well-known Czech writer Karel Capek wrote about it with humor: "... plant an astra in spring, and by October it will give you a two-meter-high virgin forest, in which you are afraid to enter, because you are not sure if you will find the way back."
The stems of the asters are erect, strong, with simple elongated or lanceolate, slightly serrated leaves. The rhizome of plants is horizontal, thin, strongly branching.
Flowers of an aster are inflorescences-baskets consisting of many small flowers. The marginal ligulate flowers, which are commonly called petals, are painted in purple, lilac, blue, pink, red, yellow and white. They surround a yellow "eye" formed by tubular flowers.
It is in tubular flowers that seeds are formed. Unlike chamomile and rudbeckiy, reed, flowers in asters are small. Their width is usually 2-5 mm. The diameter of the inflorescence varies from 1.5 to 8 cm.
Seeds of asters are elongated, flat, dark. As a rule, they have an appendage - a parachute, like a dandelion, helping them to fly away from the mother plant.
Blossom asters from the end of spring (alpine) to late autumn, remaining even after frosts (New England). Apparently, therefore, the autumn-blossoming species in the people are called "frosty", "winter", "Indian summer". There is an aster and a more poetic name of the flower-star, since the name of the genus in Latin sounds like "asters", which means "star".
Depending on the timing of flowering, all the asters used in ornamental horticulture are divided into two groups: vesennetsvetuschie, letnetsvetvetuschie and osenennetsvetuschie (late-flowering).
Spring-bearing species of asters have, as a rule, unbranched stems with a single flower basket on top. These plants are small or medium-sized.
Late flowering asters are powerful, often tall plants with branching stems and numerous flower baskets collected in large paniculate or umbellate inflorescences, which are often used in the compilation of bouquets.
The following types of asters are of greatest interest for flower beds and landscaping plantings.
Spring-bearing species of asters;
The first, at the end of May, the alpine aster (Aster alpinus) blooms - a low plant (up to 25 cm) with slightly hairy stems and leaves. The leaves are collected in basal rosettes, forming half-spherical bushes.
Flower baskets 3-5 cm in diameter are located one at the top of the stem. Ligulate flowers are lilac, tubular - yellow. Blossoms for 20 days are abundant, so that the bush is covered with flowers.
Astra Alpine is suitable for rocky slides and rock gardens. They plant it also in groups and in mixborders, in curbs. After 3-4 years, plants need to be planted, since the lower part of the stems is lignified and bare, the bush becomes poorly decorative, the flowering weakens. Astra is undemanding to growing conditions and grows well on any light soils.
Of particular interest are the varieties of the Alpine aster, differing in the coloration of the inflorescences:
- Albus - height 30 cm, flowers white;
- Dunkle Sheen - height about 30 cm, flowers are dark purple;
- Happy End - height up to 25 cm, flowers pink;
- Abenshine - height 25 cm, flowers are terry, light pink.
The hybrid between the astral alpine and the astro of the European is Triumph, about 20 cm high with beautiful bluish-violet flowers and bright orange eyes. Blooms later than other varieties - in June-July.
Astra Mongolian (Aster mon-golicum) - tall, up to 1 m, a plant native to Mongolia. Attractive large brush-like inflorescences of white flower baskets with a diameter of 2 cm. The relatively small size of the baskets is compensated by their abundance. Blossoms aster Mongolian in late July or early August.
Quite often in the flower beds you can see aster chamomile, or European, or Italian (Aster amellus). Its bushes in height 40-70 cm are formed by strong straight stems. Beautiful lilac-blue flower baskets 3-5 cm in diameter are collected in large umbellate inflorescences, which are often cut off for bouquets. Blossoms in August-September.
Derived varieties are distinguished by higher height and large inflorescences of different colors. The most decorative varieties are Blükendekke with silver-violet-blue flowers and low shrubs, up to 50 cm; Bre-slough (height 50 cm, violet-blue color petals); Lady Hindlip (pink, height of the bushes - 60 cm); Sternkugel (light-violet, late flowering, bush height-55cm).
Greater attention of flower growers, especially landscapers, deserves aster clear-leaved (Aster sedifolius). It is distinguished by dense hemispherical shrubs with a height of 60-80 cm. The leaves are bluish-green, linear-lanceolate, with rounded ends. Branched stems carry lilac umbellate inflorescences. Blossoms in August-September. Effective next to the grasses and later blooming on dry patches of cotton.
As among all living organisms, among the asters there are "white crows" in which even the botanist hardly recognizes an astra. Inflorescences of some species consist only of tubular flowers.
These include astringent, or ordinary mammal (Aster linosyris), despite the fact that some botanists distinguish this species in another genus. Its bushes about 50 cm high are covered with very narrow leaves, the width of which is 1-2 mm.
Flower baskets consist only of gold-yellow tubular flowers and are devoid of "petals". They are collected in dense corymbose inflorescences. This unusual aster blooms in August-September. It grows well on sandy soil in the neighborhood of fescue, feather grass, and thorns.
The Golden Dust variety (or Golden Dust) is distinguished by a more compact bush with dark yellow flowers and brightly colored leaves. Late flowering asters have been grown in the front gardens since ancient times. This, first of all, tall - New England and New Belgian. They can be found in almost every village courtyard and in the suburban area. The native land of plants is North America.
In nature, the New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) grows in open, moist places. Its powerful shrubs reach a height of 2 m. The stems and leaves are covered with soft hair.
This is one of the signs that the Astra New England and its varieties can be distinguished from the Virgins asters. The root system is dense, and the root "often lignifies. Blossoms aster in September-November.
Flower baskets with a diameter of 2.5-4 cm with purple, red, pink, violet-red reed and yellow tubular flowers. This species has one drawback - on cloudy days and at night the flower baskets are closed and lowered.
It seems that the plant has faded. This is why New England aster is rarely used for cutting. Taking into account this peculiarity, selection was carried out along the path of breeding varieties that do not have this disadvantage. It should be noted an important positive quality of this species - resistance to powdery mildew, which asters are affected quite often.
There are varieties, differing in the height of the bush from 40 to 200 cm, the size and color of the inflorescences. Andenken en Paul Gerbry height about 1 m, with dark pink inflorescences; Bars Pink - height about 1.4 m, baskets of semi-double flowers light pink; Rubinshaht (a sort of the famous German breeder Foster) is 1.2 m high, the inflorescence is dark purple-red.
For the middle band, it is better to select early-maturing varieties, since late ones often do not have time to blossom.
One of the most popular plants for the garden and for cutting is the aster novobelgijskaja, or virgin (Aster novibelgii) in height up to 1,5 m. Cylindrical stems often acquire a reddish shade. Its varieties are distinguished by a variety of colors, large baskets.
According to the number of cultivars, it is in the lead among the late flowering asters. The first varieties were obtained in England by Ballard and Perry, but their disadvantage was the inflorescence of powdery mildew.
German breeders Arende and Foster were able to bring resistant to the disease variety with large inflorescences. Among them, Mary Ballard (1 m high, semi-double blue), Patricia Ballard (large terry carmine-pink inflorescences), Bonningdale White (large double terry white inflorescences).
Astra Novobelgian is a valuable honey plant. During flowering, many bees swarm around it. It needs nutritious moist soils. Summer drought leads to the fact that the plants bloom poorly and are affected by powdery mildew.
But it is resistant to small frosts. If, after frosts, warm weather is restored, the Astra Novolibiyskaya color the vacant autumn garden even in November.
The beautiful landscapes of the aster variety are bushy, or pillow-like (Aster dumosus). They are appreciated by low (15-30 cm), compact, as if cut by beautiful bushes.
Due to the shape of the bush it is used as a curb plant, bordering flower compositions or paths. Flowering is very abundant, the bush is entirely covered with violet, lilac, lilac-pink, pink, white flowers.
In some years the shrubbery does not blossom. But in such cases the plants look beautiful due to their shape. Especially valuable property of this asters is drought resistance.
Very interesting is the aster ericoides, which, unfortunately, attracts little attention of florists, although it has beautiful compact shrubs 50-100 cm high. Flower baskets are small, with narrow white reed or white and pink flowers. Tubular flowers - from yellow to brown flowers. In abundant blossoms in September-October. In the flower gardens good neighbors for her will be the Liatris, the goldenrod, the sidalian.
There are varieties - Erlenig (height about 1 m, flowers light violet, Ringdev (height of the bush about 90 cm, inflorescences are softly lilac).
Other species are also used: the Astra frikartii, aster divaricatus, which can bloom rapidly in the flowerbed, aster smooth (Aster laevis) - tall shrubs with drooping shoots and pale violet inflorescences.
All asters are unpretentious winter hardy plants that are planted on sunny or slightly shaded areas with any cultivated soils.
For aster alpine and asthma camomile (European), it is preferable to soil containing calcium and good moisture permeability. Large plants such as the New England aster grow more luxuriantly on nutritious and moistened soils. Aster smooth prefers loose soil. Care of plants is in weeding and watering as necessary.
To travel and transplant asters follows the old rule of florists: everything that blossoms in summer and autumn - plant in the spring that blooms in the spring - planted in the fall.
The spring landing of asters is carried out in April-early May, autumn - in the first half of September. Shrubs, except for the alpine asters, are divided into small pieces during transplantation, since they grow rapidly. The distance between planting between large species is 40 cm, for smaller ones - 20 cm.
You can immediately plant the pieces close to each other, and a year later dig out the plants through the bush, vigorous bushes recommend replanting after 3 years, hack as they weaken flowering.
Reproduction of aster
Propagation of asters is usually a division of bushes, which are easily divided into parts. Astra bushy can be divided without digging a bush, and cutting off a shovel part from it. Astra alpine can be propagated by cuttings and seeds. Cuttings are separated from the mother plant in spring and planted on rooting in a shaded area in sand or light soil.
You can root cuttings in a greenhouse for vegetable plants. They take root about three weeks later. Astre bushy sprout with individual shoots with a piece of rhizome. By autumn, such a shoot forms a lush, abundantly flowering bush.
Seeds of asters do not need special treatments for germination. They are sown under winter or spring in open ground or in boxes in the room. Seedlings bloom for the second year.
Quite often asters can be affected by powdery mildew, manifested in white-gray spots on the leaves. A good means of combating it - the treatment of plants during the growth of infusion Mullein. He is insisted in water for about 3-7 days, then diluted with water (1: 3) and sprayed with plants. Such treatments should be carried out several times.
Applying Asters in the Garden
They use aster for group planting, low-grown varieties are planted on rocky slides and as curbs. They are also good in bouquets. Tall, fast-growing asters with a powerful root system are used, also for securing slopes and shores.
Perennial asters are a starfall in the flower garden, a bright smear in the palette of the autumn garden. Be sure to plant these plant-stars on your site.
Flowers contain many secrets and mysteries. Asters are no exception. What we call a one-year-old astra, all the well-known flowers that appear in the middle of summer and pleasing us to frost, are not asters at all.
They are sometimes called Chinese Astra - and this is not entirely true. With multicolored bouquets of these flowers, schoolchildren go to school on the first of September. Therefore, they are considered a sign of the beginning of a new school year and autumn. In fact, these flowers are called kallistefuses. To understand what plants are real asters, let's turn to history.
In the middle of the XVIII century, the Jesuit priest, Incarville, brought from China to the Paris Botanical Garden the seeds of some plants unknown in Europe. It was there that the one-year-old aster first blossomed in Europe and was very much liked by the botanist Antoine Jussier, who called the plant callisteifus, which, in Latin (Caliistephus), means "a beautiful wreath."
Later (in 1753), the famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus gave the plant the name "Astra Chinese", and identified it in the genus asters. But in 1826, these plants isolated from the genus aster in a separate genus Callistefus, returning to the name that he named the plants Jussier. So one-year-old aster - in fact, callistefus.
To the real asters (from the genus of the aster) there are not many nor few 600 species! They are widespread in nature, grow in mountains and steppes, forests. These are perennials or biennial herbaceous plants, less often - shrubs.
Height, depending on the species, varies from 20 (alpine) to 200 cm (New England, New Belgian).
Tall aster species grow rapidly, forming real thickets. The well-known Czech writer Karel Capek wrote about it with humor: "... plant an astra in spring, and by October it will give you a two-meter-high virgin forest, in which you are afraid to enter, because you are not sure if you will find the way back."
The stems of the asters are erect, strong, with simple elongated or lanceolate, slightly serrated leaves. The rhizome of plants is horizontal, thin, strongly branching.
Flowers of an aster are inflorescences-baskets consisting of many small flowers. The marginal ligulate flowers, which are commonly called petals, are painted in purple, lilac, blue, pink, red, yellow and white. They surround a yellow "eye" formed by tubular flowers.
It is in tubular flowers that seeds are formed. Unlike chamomile and rudbeckiy, reed, flowers in asters are small. Their width is usually 2-5 mm. The diameter of the inflorescence varies from 1.5 to 8 cm.
Seeds of asters are elongated, flat, dark. As a rule, they have an appendage - a parachute, like a dandelion, helping them to fly away from the mother plant.
Blossom asters from the end of spring (alpine) to late autumn, remaining even after frosts (New England). Apparently, therefore, the autumn-blossoming species in the people are called "frosty", "winter", "Indian summer". There is an aster and a more poetic name of the flower-star, since the name of the genus in Latin sounds like "asters", which means "star".
Depending on the timing of flowering, all the asters used in ornamental horticulture are divided into two groups: vesennetsvetuschie, letnetsvetvetuschie and osenennetsvetuschie (late-flowering).
Spring-bearing species of asters have, as a rule, unbranched stems with a single flower basket on top. These plants are small or medium-sized.
Late flowering asters are powerful, often tall plants with branching stems and numerous flower baskets collected in large paniculate or umbellate inflorescences, which are often used in the compilation of bouquets.
The following types of asters are of greatest interest for flower beds and landscaping plantings.
Spring-bearing species of asters;
The first, at the end of May, the alpine aster (Aster alpinus) blooms - a low plant (up to 25 cm) with slightly hairy stems and leaves. The leaves are collected in basal rosettes, forming half-spherical bushes.
Flower baskets 3-5 cm in diameter are located one at the top of the stem. Ligulate flowers are lilac, tubular - yellow. Blossoms for 20 days are abundant, so that the bush is covered with flowers.
Astra Alpine is suitable for rocky slides and rock gardens. They plant it also in groups and in mixborders, in curbs. After 3-4 years, plants need to be planted, since the lower part of the stems is lignified and bare, the bush becomes poorly decorative, the flowering weakens. Astra is undemanding to growing conditions and grows well on any light soils.
Of particular interest are the varieties of the Alpine aster, differing in the coloration of the inflorescences:
- Albus - height 30 cm, flowers white;
- Dunkle Sheen - height about 30 cm, flowers are dark purple;
- Happy End - height up to 25 cm, flowers pink;
- Abenshine - height 25 cm, flowers are terry, light pink.
The hybrid between the astral alpine and the astro of the European is Triumph, about 20 cm high with beautiful bluish-violet flowers and bright orange eyes. Blooms later than other varieties - in June-July.
Astra Mongolian (Aster mon-golicum) - tall, up to 1 m, a plant native to Mongolia. Attractive large brush-like inflorescences of white flower baskets with a diameter of 2 cm. The relatively small size of the baskets is compensated by their abundance. Blossoms aster Mongolian in late July or early August.
Quite often in the flower beds you can see aster chamomile, or European, or Italian (Aster amellus). Its bushes in height 40-70 cm are formed by strong straight stems. Beautiful lilac-blue flower baskets 3-5 cm in diameter are collected in large umbellate inflorescences, which are often cut off for bouquets. Blossoms in August-September.
Derived varieties are distinguished by higher height and large inflorescences of different colors. The most decorative varieties are Blükendekke with silver-violet-blue flowers and low shrubs, up to 50 cm; Bre-slough (height 50 cm, violet-blue color petals); Lady Hindlip (pink, height of the bushes - 60 cm); Sternkugel (light-violet, late flowering, bush height-55cm).
Greater attention of flower growers, especially landscapers, deserves aster clear-leaved (Aster sedifolius). It is distinguished by dense hemispherical shrubs with a height of 60-80 cm. The leaves are bluish-green, linear-lanceolate, with rounded ends. Branched stems carry lilac umbellate inflorescences. Blossoms in August-September. Effective next to the grasses and later blooming on dry patches of cotton.
As among all living organisms, among the asters there are "white crows" in which even the botanist hardly recognizes an astra. Inflorescences of some species consist only of tubular flowers.
These include astringent, or ordinary mammal (Aster linosyris), despite the fact that some botanists distinguish this species in another genus. Its bushes about 50 cm high are covered with very narrow leaves, the width of which is 1-2 mm.
Flower baskets consist only of gold-yellow tubular flowers and are devoid of "petals". They are collected in dense corymbose inflorescences. This unusual aster blooms in August-September. It grows well on sandy soil in the neighborhood of fescue, feather grass, and thorns.
The Golden Dust variety (or Golden Dust) is distinguished by a more compact bush with dark yellow flowers and brightly colored leaves. Late flowering asters have been grown in the front gardens since ancient times. This, first of all, tall - New England and New Belgian. They can be found in almost every village courtyard and in the suburban area. The native land of plants is North America.
In nature, the New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) grows in open, moist places. Its powerful shrubs reach a height of 2 m. The stems and leaves are covered with soft hair.
This is one of the signs that the Astra New England and its varieties can be distinguished from the Virgins asters. The root system is dense, and the root "often lignifies. Blossoms aster in September-November.
Flower baskets with a diameter of 2.5-4 cm with purple, red, pink, violet-red reed and yellow tubular flowers. This species has one drawback - on cloudy days and at night the flower baskets are closed and lowered.
It seems that the plant has faded. This is why New England aster is rarely used for cutting. Taking into account this peculiarity, selection was carried out along the path of breeding varieties that do not have this disadvantage. It should be noted an important positive quality of this species - resistance to powdery mildew, which asters are affected quite often.
There are varieties, differing in the height of the bush from 40 to 200 cm, the size and color of the inflorescences. Andenken en Paul Gerbry height about 1 m, with dark pink inflorescences; Bars Pink - height about 1.4 m, baskets of semi-double flowers light pink; Rubinshaht (a sort of the famous German breeder Foster) is 1.2 m high, the inflorescence is dark purple-red.
For the middle band, it is better to select early-maturing varieties, since late ones often do not have time to blossom.
One of the most popular plants for the garden and for cutting is the aster novobelgijskaja, or virgin (Aster novibelgii) in height up to 1,5 m. Cylindrical stems often acquire a reddish shade. Its varieties are distinguished by a variety of colors, large baskets.
According to the number of cultivars, it is in the lead among the late flowering asters. The first varieties were obtained in England by Ballard and Perry, but their disadvantage was the inflorescence of powdery mildew.
German breeders Arende and Foster were able to bring resistant to the disease variety with large inflorescences. Among them, Mary Ballard (1 m high, semi-double blue), Patricia Ballard (large terry carmine-pink inflorescences), Bonningdale White (large double terry white inflorescences).
Astra Novobelgian is a valuable honey plant. During flowering, many bees swarm around it. It needs nutritious moist soils. Summer drought leads to the fact that the plants bloom poorly and are affected by powdery mildew.
But it is resistant to small frosts. If, after frosts, warm weather is restored, the Astra Novolibiyskaya color the vacant autumn garden even in November.
The beautiful landscapes of the aster variety are bushy, or pillow-like (Aster dumosus). They are appreciated by low (15-30 cm), compact, as if cut by beautiful bushes.
Due to the shape of the bush it is used as a curb plant, bordering flower compositions or paths. Flowering is very abundant, the bush is entirely covered with violet, lilac, lilac-pink, pink, white flowers.
In some years the shrubbery does not blossom. But in such cases the plants look beautiful due to their shape. Especially valuable property of this asters is drought resistance.
Very interesting is the aster ericoides, which, unfortunately, attracts little attention of florists, although it has beautiful compact shrubs 50-100 cm high. Flower baskets are small, with narrow white reed or white and pink flowers. Tubular flowers - from yellow to brown flowers. In abundant blossoms in September-October. In the flower gardens good neighbors for her will be the Liatris, the goldenrod, the sidalian.
There are varieties - Erlenig (height about 1 m, flowers light violet, Ringdev (height of the bush about 90 cm, inflorescences are softly lilac).
Other species are also used: the Astra frikartii, aster divaricatus, which can bloom rapidly in the flowerbed, aster smooth (Aster laevis) - tall shrubs with drooping shoots and pale violet inflorescences.
All asters are unpretentious winter hardy plants that are planted on sunny or slightly shaded areas with any cultivated soils.
For aster alpine and asthma camomile (European), it is preferable to soil containing calcium and good moisture permeability. Large plants such as the New England aster grow more luxuriantly on nutritious and moistened soils. Aster smooth prefers loose soil. Care of plants is in weeding and watering as necessary.
To travel and transplant asters follows the old rule of florists: everything that blossoms in summer and autumn - plant in the spring that blooms in the spring - planted in the fall.
The spring landing of asters is carried out in April-early May, autumn - in the first half of September. Shrubs, except for the alpine asters, are divided into small pieces during transplantation, since they grow rapidly. The distance between planting between large species is 40 cm, for smaller ones - 20 cm.
You can immediately plant the pieces close to each other, and a year later dig out the plants through the bush, vigorous bushes recommend replanting after 3 years, hack as they weaken flowering.
Reproduction of aster
Propagation of asters is usually a division of bushes, which are easily divided into parts. Astra bushy can be divided without digging a bush, and cutting off a shovel part from it. Astra alpine can be propagated by cuttings and seeds. Cuttings are separated from the mother plant in spring and planted on rooting in a shaded area in sand or light soil.
You can root cuttings in a greenhouse for vegetable plants. They take root about three weeks later. Astre bushy sprout with individual shoots with a piece of rhizome. By autumn, such a shoot forms a lush, abundantly flowering bush.
Seeds of asters do not need special treatments for germination. They are sown under winter or spring in open ground or in boxes in the room. Seedlings bloom for the second year.
Quite often asters can be affected by powdery mildew, manifested in white-gray spots on the leaves. A good means of combating it - the treatment of plants during the growth of infusion Mullein. He is insisted in water for about 3-7 days, then diluted with water (1: 3) and sprayed with plants. Such treatments should be carried out several times.
Applying Asters in the Garden
They use aster for group planting, low-grown varieties are planted on rocky slides and as curbs. They are also good in bouquets. Tall, fast-growing asters with a powerful root system are used, also for securing slopes and shores.
Perennial asters are a starfall in the flower garden, a bright smear in the palette of the autumn garden. Be sure to plant these plant-stars on your site.
Not everyone knows how to grow seedlings asters, take care of her at home and outdoors. The article tells not only about this, but also a variety of varieties, any of which will decorate your garden.
What kind of asters does not exist today? For rock gardens, curbs are derived dwarf varieties. There are real giants, growing to a height of 80 cm. The shape of the flower is for every taste. There are needle, hemispherical, chrysanthemum, crown inflorescences. The colors strike the imagination: red, pink, lilac, maroon colors. They can stain the entire flower or make a good combination. For example, the core can be white, and the fringe is pink, lilac. Such a miracle of nature and world breeding can not be grown very easily, the main thing is to sow the seeds on seedlings in time, grow them correctly, plant them in a permanent place and take care of the plant properly.
First you need to tell about some varieties of this wonderful plant. Will help understand how the aster looks, photo.
Majestic tall asters are not only of different colors, but also of different types of inflorescences. Needle - classic. Such flowers were grown in private households 30 and 40 years ago. Here are the modern representatives of this group:
- Assol can rush up to 60 cm. The diameter of its crimson-red inflorescence is 10-12 cm.
- Blue frost can grow up to 70 cm. Its buds bloomed in pale blue.
- Anniversary white, as the name implies, has inflorescences of pure white color. Its height is slightly lower, 45 - 50 cm and the diameter of the flower is slightly less - 8 - 10 cm. But this in no way reflects on its aesthetic properties.
- Blue-eyed has lilac-blue blossoms with a diameter of 11 cm.
- Naina pleases flowers with a diameter of pink and cream color. Bloom this variety of asters very early.
- Zephyr grows to a maximum of 70 cm. The plant is sprawling, it has flowers of a creamy-pink hue, with a diameter of up to 11 cm.
- Variety aster - bride snow white. On the high plant buds are formed, which in the blossom can reach a diameter of 11 cm.
- Spectacular will please with large inflorescences of lilac-pink color.
- White ball - the inflorescences of this middle-aged variety are white, with a diameter of up to 8 cm.
- Raspberry shine (Katyusha) - a tall variety with rather large crimson flowers.
- Nat can reach a height of 70 cm. Her blossoming buds are pink.
- Suliko. On the high stalk and side branches, lilac flowers blossom.
- Hava silvery has medium-sized silvery-crimson flowers. The height of the plant is 60-70 cm, the shape is columnar. On the plant up to 12 silver-raspberry-pink inflorescences 6-8 cm in diameter.
- The blue of Khava. Plants are broad, strong, strongly branched, height 50-90 cm. Peduncles strong, elastic, 45-50 cm long. Inflorescences of flat-rounded shape, coronal, diameter 9- 12 cm, up to 15 pieces on plant, blue. Middle late maturity.
There are perennial asters, the so-called "Septubrins". They blossom before the fall, so they got that name. These unique asters bloom even in the cold to -7 ° C! This species is bred mainly by dividing the bush, but it is also possible to grow seed from seed.
Plant a seed of aster for seedlings
The one-year-old asters have a fairly long growing season. Therefore, first you need to grow seedlings at home. True, you can sow the seeds of asters immediately in the garden, but more on this later.
The seedlings of asters are planted from the middle of February to the beginning of April. If you have a lightening lamp, you can start planting the house in the early stages. If it is not, it is better to delay the sowing of asters a little. In early April, you can use a heated greenhouse or made of polycarbonate.
After you have decided on the dates, fill in a seedling box, a light nutritious primer, pour it with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds themselves also need to be treated for disease prevention. They can be placed in a gauze pouch and put in 1% solution of the same manganese, then dried to flowability and sow.
You can, without soaking, to spread evenly dry seeds on the surface of the soil, sprinkle with powder fungicide, which also protects plants from fungal diseases. Sprinkle seeds with a small layer of soil, covering them with 5 mm. Gently compact the earth with the palm, cover the drawer with a sheet of paper or a transparent film.
Astra is a cold-resistant plant, therefore for germination the seeds need not a very high temperature. At + 20 ° C they will germinate on 7-14 days. After that, remove the paper, the film and put the seedling box in a cool bright place, where the temperature is +15 - + 17 ° C. In such conditions the seedlings will not stretch. After the seedlings have a second or third real leaflet, it is dived in separate small containers or in another box less often. Day after 4, when the seedlings are well established, reduce the temperature of air to +12 - + 15 ° C.
At the end of March - in April, on a warm day, you can take out seedlings on a glassed balcony, where the temperature is not lower than + 10 ° С, and overnight, if the temperature is below + 8 ° С, again bring in the apartment.
You can cultivate seedlings of asters directly in the garden. To do this, plant the seeds in the previously spilled warm water of the earth, in a heated greenhouse and a polycarbonate greenhouse in early April.
You can sow as soon as the snow melts. To do this, the area allocated for astra, spilled with boiling water, allow it to cool, then make grooves at a distance of 10 cm and sow the seeds. They are sprinkled with light humus by 5 mm. At the top of the landing cover with non-woven material or put arcs and put a film on them.
Planting seedlings: growing aster
The seedlings grown in this way are hardened, they can withstand spring frosts up to -3 ° C. Therefore, it is planted in a permanent place rather early - in the middle of May. The site must be sunny, there may be a small penumbra. The place should be chosen, not blown by the winds, not overwetted.
Make wells every 20-30 cm. Put in each 0.5 tsp. nitrofoski or dry granular fertilizer for flowers. Top fill 2 handfuls of humus. Pour the wells with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide, carefully plant the plants without destroying the root of the earth.
To seedlings asters well established, land on a cloudy day or in the evening. If the sun shines brightly the next day, prytenite seedlings.
Care for asters is simple. The flower is rather drought-resistant, but in hot weather, in the evenings, the plant should be watered once in 2 - 3 days. Moisture is especially needed for the plant at the time of bud formation, then it will be large and will please with its juicy paints.
If you have well refilled the well with the permeated organics and minerals, you can not fertilize the flowers. If not, then first feed them with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer in half a month after planting the seedlings in the open ground. The second time - during the formation of buds, pour under the root fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus (without nitrogen).
For the prevention of diseases, especially fusariosis, periodically spray the asters with the solution of the following trace elements:
- zinc;
- copper;
- cobalt;
- potassium permanganate;
- boric acid;
- magnesium.
Video on "Why do asters die?".
There are plants on Earth that have a lot of advantages and practically do not have shortcomings. One of them is They bribe not only with their unusual beauty, but also unpretentiousness, simplicity in care, therefore, even the most inexperienced horticulturist will be able to grow these plants.
External Description
Astra is a herbaceous plant with an erect sturdy stem that can reach a height of 20 to 80 centimeters. There are plants and up to two meters. Such a large range allows you to divide all types of asters in height into 3 groups: low, medium and high. Green leaves with jagged edges have a somewhat elongated shape. Horizontally located roots strongly branched and rather thin. The aster flowers consist of a large number of petals of very different colors, from white to dark purple. In the middle of the flower there is an eyelet of yellow tubular flowers forming later seeds. The flowering period for asters is quite long: from the end of spring and to the latest autumn frosts, they are able to maintain their beauty.
History of origin
As garden flowers, asters gained fame in Europe in the middle of the XVIII century. Seeds came to France from China thanks to a monk named Nicolas Incarville, who, having arrived on business in the Celestial Empire, secretly managed to transport them to his homeland. Of these seeds grew large, bright color asters. French gardeners appreciated this flower and gave it the name kallistefus, meaning "a beautiful wreath." Later botanist Karl Linnaeus was given the name of the aster (in Greek - "star").
Today in the world collection there are more than 600 species and varieties of these flowers. Seldom you meet a garden site where would not grow asters. Photos of flowers, found in popular horticultural magazines, amaze with its beauty, variety of forms and colors.
Advantages of growing aster
These unpretentious plants easily tolerate adverse conditions, are not afraid of frost, are resistant to drought. Seeds have very high germination. Planting of the plant is carried out by seedlings, and also by sowing seeds directly on the beds. Reproduction can be made not only by seeds, but also vegetatively. Aster - a flower, the cultivation of which does not cause any particular trouble. 
Undemanding to care, it will grow on any soil, without problems will transfer the transplant, quickly restoring the damaged root system. A huge number of varieties of these flowers allows you to create the most amazing beauty beds.
Features of care
The process of growing asters is so simple that any novice florist can cope with it. It is enough to plant the plant and timely carry out weeding and watering. Nevertheless, it is necessary to take into account some peculiarities, so that the flowers of the aster grow especially large and beautiful.
Although this plant also has drought resistance, but in hot and dry weather it requires abundant watering. Mineral fertilizing promotes rapid growth, prolonging the period of flowering to the very frosts. They are introduced approximately 14 days after the seedlings are planted on the flower bed. Top dressing without nitrogen fertilizers enrich the soil during the tying of buds to achieve a more lush flowering. 
Ways of planting
Aster - a flower, planting of which can be done in seedling and seedlings.
In the first case, the seeds are sown in March-April in special boxes or cups with prepared soil and sprinkled with humus from above. After this, it is recommended that the soil be slightly diluted solution of potassium permanganate and cover with film. Before the appearance of the first shoots, it is necessary to keep seedlings in a room with a temperature of about 18 ° C. In a week, when the shoots appear, it is brought to light. After the appearance of the first real leaves, the plants are clotted, followed by watering and top dressing with complex fertilizers. In the first half of May, the asters are planted on a flower bed. Expect blossoming with this method of planting possible in July.
A seedless method of cultivation presupposes the sowing of seeds directly on the flower bed. This is done only when the earth is warm enough. Until the first shoots appear, the soil is covered from above with a film. Then you can remove it. In the future, the film is used and the onset of frost. Picking with this method of landing can not be carried out. It is enough simply to thin the seedlings, leaving a distance of 10-12 cm between them.
Seed sowing
For sowing seeds of asters, fresh soil should be used to exclude the possibility of infection of seedlings with the causative agent of the black leg. The soil mixture is prepared from turfy ground, sand and weathered peat (in a ratio of 3: 1: 1, respectively). In fresh peat, you can add a little lime. Then a shallow row is made at a distance of about 2 cm from each other, into which seeds are carefully laid after moistening the soil. After sowing, a thin (no more than 2 cm) layer of river sand or humus is poured on top. Watering is carried out from a watering can with a small sieve. The optimal time for planting is from the middle of March to 10-12 April. 
Mass emergence occurs in 6-7 days. For a more rapid appearance, the seeds can be pre-soaked in advance, spread out on a damp cloth, and after planting in the first days keep the room temperature 20-25 ° C.
Astra is a flower, the cultivation of which is possible and seedless method. In this case, when preparing the soil, do not use manure. This can cause plant disease with fusarium. Seeds in the open ground are sown not only in spring, but also in late autumn. Podzimnie crops grow much earlier and are more resistant to diseases.
Care of seedlings
As soon as the first shoots appear, the air temperature is reduced to 15 ° C. Watering the seedlings should be abundant, but infrequent, in order not to allow waterlogging of the soil, which is very bad for the aster. A flower, the photo of which, as a rule, depicts a beautiful and healthy plant, in fact is prone to many diseases. At their first signs during watering, potassium permanganate can be added to the water. In hot weather, it is necessary to properly ventilate the room where the seedlings are.
Top dressing is best done in the morning. 25 grams of fertilizer is dissolved in 10 liters of water. Before and after the application of fertilizing, water is irrigated with ordinary water.
Selecting a landing site
Callistefus is an annual plant. But there are many varieties demonstrating that the aster - a flower for many years (they are also called sebyabrinkami). Therefore, when planting them on a garden plot, you need to correctly identify the place, given that the flowers will occupy it for several years. Asters prefer places sunny, open, but not bad tolerate and partial shade. A place for them is better to choose well protected from wind and dampness. It is not recommended to plant asters after potatoes, tomatoes, tulips and gladioli. 
It is advisable to cook the flower in autumn. The earth is thoroughly digested, adding sand, humus and peat to it. In spring, ammonium sulphate, superphosphate and potassium salt are introduced into the soil. A sufficient number of nutrients promotes the formation of healthy and large buds during flowering and serves as a protection against diseases.
Prevention of diseases
Despite the fact that the aster is a plant that does not require special care, it is necessary to take care of the prevention of certain diseases that these flowers can be exposed to. The main threat is fusariosis. Mass damage to this disease is often caused by the introduction of fresh organic fertilizers or excessive soil moisture.
To protect against diseases, you need to change the planting site more often, returning to the old one no earlier than 5 years later. Periodically it is required to inspect flowers. Asters, on which signs of the disease appear, should be immediately removed.
Variety of varieties
For more than 200 years, breeders have been working on breeding all new varieties of asters. Today, a huge number of these flowers has a variety of purposes - from the design of landscape design to the compilation of bouquet compositions. 
What is not offered today to gardeners of varieties of asters! Photos of flowers can be considered for a long time, choosing suitable plants for coloring, size and duration of flowering.
A variety of them can amaze any imagination. You can pick flowers that have the most diverse shape of the bush (oval, pyramidal or sprawling), a height that can reach 1.5 meters, the diameter and color of the flower, etc. In order for this variety to be easier to navigate, botanists have developed a classification that separates asters in appearance to 10 types: coronal, acicular, globose, tubular, hemispherical, simple, curly, ray, tan and semimammary.
The basis of this classification is the form of the structure of the inflorescence, which differs aster. Flowers of each type are divided into several sortotypes with their names: Astra Fantasia, Queen of the Market, Margarita, Edelweiss, Victoria, etc.
These flowers are perfectly preserved in a cut shape, allowing you to create lush bouquets that will decorate the house for two weeks. Low-growing varieties grow well in vases, window boxes, on balconies. 
The real queen of the autumn garden is considered to be the aster - a flower whose photo, placed in magazines on landscape design, will help to make the most of its beauty as an ornamental plant for group plantings.