Each gardener tries to decorate his plot with a small flower bed. It is especially pleasant when flowering is observed throughout the entire summer season. Perennial Astra will give aesthetic pleasure to both a beginner and a professional gardener.
Description of Asters perennial
Astra is a plant loved by many gardeners. Shoots of grassy perennial erect with dense foliage. The stem height ranges from 30 cm to 2 m. Leaflets are bright green in color. They are small, lanceolate. The inflorescence is a small basket. In appearance, they are very similar to small bright stars. They come in different shades:
- white
- blue;
- purple
- pink;
- raspberry.
Astra perennial
Which family belongs to
Perennial astra came from the family Asteraceae or Astrovidae. In total, more than 200 varieties are known. The closest relatives of perennial asters are considered Chinese and calli-stefus.
Briefly about the history of the appearance
The history of the origin of this flower stretches over several millennia. The first mention of a flower is found in ancient Greek books. It was in Greece that the flower got its name. "Asteros" in Greek means "star". Astra was a symbol of Aphrodite - the goddess of love. In the 16th century, botanists began to grow a flower, and the scientist A. Cassini took aster to a separate genus only in the 19th century.
Description of the types of perennial varieties of Asters
A huge number of garden perennial asters is known.
Bush
This rather compact bush grows by 60 cm. The seed ripening period is October. Bush aster is frost-resistant. However, after several years, when a small bump is formed above the ground from new shoots, perennial bushy asters can freeze in winter.
Undersized
The shrub does not exceed 40 cm. The tops of the undersized perennial aster are decorated with many small stars. In diameter, they are most often up to 3-3.5 cm. The flowering period is September. Against the background of fading greenery, such a bright, low flowerbed looks impressive in summer.
Bush aster
Autumn
The flowering period is September-October. In Russia, autumn asters are often called septembers. However, in some cold years, even the most caring owners may not see the flowers of the plant. Perennial autumn aster can reach a height of 30 cm or 1 m.
Winter
This is the most persistent species of perennial asters. Inflorescences live to the first snow. They are also called Octobrins. There is also a problem with winter asters, as well as with autumn asters - sometimes they do not have time to dissolve the buds.
Spherical
This species earned its name due to the ideal shape of the bush. The average height of the spherical aster is 50 cm. The flowers are small, but there are a lot of them, which creates the illusion of a ball during the flowering period.
Spherical aster
Alpine
This type of flower is frost resistant. After planting, the first flowering can be observed the next year from the end of May to mid-June. This is an undersized variety of aster. The height does not exceed 25 cm, and the blossoming bud grows to 6-8 cm.
Austrian
This species in height reaches from 80 to 1.5 m. The flowering period of the Austrian beauty is September. They are frost resistant. Flowers are like daisies, 6 cm in diameter.
Italian
Bushes of Italian perennial aster spherical shape. They grow by 60 cm. The flowering period of this species is mid-summer, namely July and August. A small bush becomes strewn with flowers similar to daisies. The only difference is the dark purple color. They gather in tight sockets. The diameter of each flower does not exceed 5 cm. Among the Italian asters there are many varieties. In this case, I would like to pay special attention to the Bessarabian. This is the largest representative of this species. Its height reaches 75-80 cm. The color of the petals is bright purple and pale pink. The core is brown.
Important! The seeds of Italian aster ripen by the beginning of September.
English
This species is distinguished by a dense and bright flowering. Inflorescences are blue, Marsal, salmon, white, purple, blue, pink. English asters reach a height of up to 2 meters. Therefore, gardeners love this species for the opportunity to decorate the foot of garden trees with small flowers with a diameter of 3 cm.
Other
The golden aster will delight in the last summer month with its bright flowers in the form of cones. On long and strong shoots, 10 to 20 buds develop.
Bokotsvetnaya deserves special attention. Its shoots develop in the form of a vine. Often they are white with a slight shade of pink. By the end of the flowering period, they become bright purple.
American aster will delight the owner with abundant flowering, which lasts all summer.
The most popular varieties
Aster dumosus starlight
Astra shrubby Starlight (starlight) is a low compact plant. Its inflorescences grow in diameter up to 4 cm of a bright pink color. The adult perennial shrubby aster resembles a ball about 40 cm high. Flowering is plentiful and lasts from September to the first frosts.
Aster dumosus kristina
Aster dumosus kristina pillow-shaped white with a bright yellow core. The adult flower grows by 30-40 cm. It blooms in August-September.
Other
New Belgian: Bitchwood Rywell (magenta), Dick Bayllard (pink), Saturn (sky blue), Amethyst (purple), Oktoberfest (terry blue aster).
English: Lillit Fardel (pink aster), Dr. Eckerner (red-violet), Brown (lilac), Rote Stern (burgundy).
Alpine asters: Dunkle Sean, Alba, Ruper, Gloria. Dwarf varieties harmoniously adorn border zones and small flower beds.
How do perennial Asters breed
These flowers are rarely propagated by seed.
Important! The problem is that they quickly lose their germination properties. For this flower, it is preferable to use vegetative methods
Bush division
For propagation by this method, it is recommended to wait for the period when the flower grows 3-5 cm from the ground. Next, the bush is divided into small parts with 2-3 buds and planted. The very next year, delenki form a full-fledged plant. Division is best done every 3-4 years. This contributes to the rejuvenation of the root system, and also prevents the development of the fungus.
Bush division
Cuttings
For propagation in this way, you can use both the top and the whole stem. For rooting, it is recommended to select areas with loose soil in the shady area. The cuttings are rooted in the ground and covered with a film. There are no strict time limits. The procedure can be carried out throughout the summer.
Cuttings
Features of home care
Astra is a street plant. However, its seedlings can be found in the homes of experienced gardeners. To grow a strong and healthy plant, you must adhere to the main recommendations.
Temperature
For active growth and development of seedlings, it is recommended to maintain a temperature of 15-16 degrees. As the first shoots appear 3-4 leaves, the temperature can be reduced to 12-15 degrees.
Important! To make the flowers as comfortable as possible after transplanting to the street, it is recommended to lower the temperature in the room at night. This will allow seedlings to quickly adapt to new conditions in the open.
Lighting
Astra likes to bask in the warm rays of the sun. Seedlings are recommended to be placed on the windowsill on the sunny side. If this is not possible, it is recommended that you install lamps nearby. Many gardeners put containers with seedlings in the greenhouse for a while. This allows them to spend extra time in the sun, and it is also useful as a hardening of sprouts.
Watering
Watering should be plentiful, but rare. After each moistening of the soil, it is recommended to carefully loosen it. This will prevent waterlogging of the soil. Do not allow overdrying of the soil.
Spraying
Spraying is an essential step for growing healthy flowers. The first week after the first sprouts appear, the soil is moistened with a spray once a day. The second week - 1 time in two days. In the third week, you can start full watering 2-3 times a week, gradually reducing the multiplicity, but increasing the volume of fluid.
Humidity
The recommended air humidity in the room where asters grow should not fall below 65%. The maximum value is 80%.
Priming
Astra - a flower that prefers fresh soil. This is due to the fact that old soil may contain sources of various diseases and pests. Ideal mix for a flower: sand, turf, decomposed peat. The components are mixed in a ratio of 1: 3: 1. It is necessary to exclude all large lumps from the soil.
Important! Ordinary river sand is suitable for seedlings, but if you can’t get one, then you can use coarse-grained sand, having previously calcined it.
Top dressing
To grow strong flowers in closed ground, you need to think about fertilizing. The first feeding is recommended 2 weeks after planting the seeds. It is during this period that the root system is actively developing. For the first time, it is recommended to mix potassium and phosphate fertilizer, while the proportion should be 2 times less than specified in the instructions. It is necessary to apply top dressing directly to the soil. If it gets on tender young leaves, burns may occur.
When and how it blooms
Today, botanists know a huge number of species, varieties and hybrids of this unusually beautiful flower.
Types of flowers
The family of asters includes a huge number of flower species. Choosing a plant that is suitable for a particular installation or flower bed will not be a problem. Today, there are several main and most popular types:
- ostrich feather;
- duchess;
- bouquet;
- Victoria.
Flower shapes
Asters are divided into several groups according to their shape.
To size:
- small ones - up to 3.5-4 cm;
- medium - from 4 to 8 cm;
- large - from 8 cm.
Inflorescence Forms
In the form of inflorescences:
- flat;
- rounded flat;
- hemispherical;
- spherical;
- semi-double;
- terry.
Flowering period
Standard asters are divided into 3 periods of flowering. The first is spring. It blooms from May to June. Next comes the summer. They bloom from June to August. Perhaps this is the longest group of flowers. Autumn delight from the end of August until the first snow.
Changes in flowering care
During the bud nucleation, the aster is fed a second time. To do this, prepare 50 gr. mixtures of phosphate and potassium for every 1 m2 of plot. Before the beginning of flowering, asters are fed a third time. The composition of the nutrition remains the same. When the flowers have blossomed, it is recommended to slightly reduce watering. Asters are very sensitive to excess moisture, but do not overdry the soil much. The frequency of irrigation is recommended to be developed independently, based on the time of complete drying of the soil near the root system.
Important! If the summer is dry, then watering should be plentiful. Otherwise, the flowers will be scarce and small.
Transplant after purchase and during reproduction
Transplanting seedlings in open ground is recommended in early May. It is recommended to loosen the soil after each watering or rain. This helps to aerate the root system and protects against rot.
If the time for planting seedlings is missed, then you can resort to the method of cuttings, which can be carried out throughout the summer.
Possible problems in growing
An attentive gardener immediately sees the external changes in his favorite flower.
Leaf problems
If the leaves began to turn yellow, turn brown, curl and dry out, this signals an improper care or development of the disease.
First of all, you need to make sure that the flower is not too dry. You can try changing the soil moisture regime. If black longitudinal stripes are added to these factors, then this indicates the development of fusarium. This disease appears if the soil is excessively moistened, and stagnation of water is observed in the root system. To save the plant in this case is impossible.
The appearance of tuberous spots also indicates the development of late blight. To overcome the disease, it is necessary to cut off all affected areas and sprinkle with activated charcoal
Pests
Aphids, thrips and cicadas are the main pests for asters. They suck juice from the plant and are carriers of diseases. To prevent the appearance and reproduction of insects, it is necessary to treat the flowers with a solution of Fitoverm or other insecticides.
An earwig is able to gnaw not only the leaves of a flower, but also the stems and buds. To drive away the insect, you need to regularly remove weeds and loosen the soil.
Important! If the first signs of a spider mite are found, the leaves and stems of the plant are recommended to be treated with a soap solution.
Disease
Mosaic disease manifests itself in the form of yellow veins on leaflets. After this, chlorosis develops, and the plant ceases to develop. To overcome this disease, it is recommended to treat the bush with Actelik or Peritrum.
Rust of asters is a fungus whose natural habitat is pine needles. The disease is characterized by the appearance of swelling on the lower part of the leaves. They are filled with rusty spores. For treatment using a 1% solution of Bordeaux fluid. Processing is carried out after 10 days. If the disease is discovered late, then the bush is almost impossible to save.
Signs of improper care
Astra, although an unpretentious plant, still immediately tell its owner about improper care. First of all, the leaves of the plant signal this. They can fade or change their color. If you do not take measures on time, then improper care will affect flowering. Inflorescences will be sparse and pale. In addition, the plant will have few flowers.
Aster
Many different types of asters have been deduced. Before buying a particular variety, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the description of the flower in more detail. General principles and rules may sometimes not be suitable for individual hybrids. If the flower bed is constantly updated, then it is recommended to pay attention to annual varieties.
