Perennial aster - shrubs
Content:
Every gardener tries to decorate his plot with a small flower bed. It is especially pleasant when flowering is observed throughout the entire summer season. Astra perennial will give aesthetic pleasure to both a beginner and a professional gardener.
Description of perennial asters
Aster is a plant loved by many gardeners. Shoots of a herbaceous perennial erect with dense foliage. Stem height ranges from 30 cm to 2 m. Leaves are bright green. 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:
Perennial aster
- white;
- blue;
- purple;
- pink;
- crimson.
What family does it belong to
Aster perennial came from the Asteraceae or Asteraceae family. More than 200 varieties are known in total. The closest relatives of the perennial aster are Chinese and calli-stefus.
Briefly about the history of appearance
The history of the origin of this flower stretches over several millennia. The first mentions of a flower are found in ancient Greek books. It was in Greece that the flower got its name. "Asteros" means a star in Greek. Aster was a symbol of Aphrodite - the goddess of love. In the 16th century, botanists began to grow a flower, and the scientist A. Cassini attributed the 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 are known.
Bush
This rather compact bush grows up to 60 cm. The seed ripens in October. Aster bush frost-resistant. However, a few years later, when a small hummock is formed above the ground from new shoots, perennial bush asters can freeze out in winter.
Bush aster
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 flower bed looks impressively summer-like.
Autumn
The flowering period is September-October. In Russia, autumn asters are often called santbrinks. However, in some cold years, even the most caring owners may not see the flowers of the plant. In height, perennial autumn aster can reach both 30 cm and 1 m.
Winter
This is the most persistent type of perennial asters. Inflorescences survive until the first snow. They are also called Octobrinks. There is also a problem with winter asters, as well as with autumn ones - sometimes they do not have time to open their buds.
Spherical
This species earned its name due to the ideal shape of the bush. The average height of a spherical aster is 50 cm. The flowers are small, but there are many 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 a low-growing variety of asters. The height does not exceed 25 cm, and the blossoming bud grows up to 6-8 cm.
Austrian
This species reaches a height of 80 to 1.5 m. The flowering period of the Austrian beauty is September. They are frost-resistant. The flowers are like daisies, 6 cm in diameter.
Italian
The bushes of the Italian perennial spherical aster. They grow by 60 cm. The flowering period of this species is mid-summer, namely July August. A small bush becomes covered with flowers, similar to daisies. The only difference is the dark purple color. They are collected in tight sockets. The diameter of each flower does not exceed 5 cm. Among the Italian asters, there are many varieties. At the same time, I would like to pay special attention to the Bessarabian one. 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.
English
This species is distinguished by its dense and bright flowering. Inflorescences are blue, marsal, salmon, white, purple, blue, pink. In height, English asters reach up to 2 meters. Therefore, this species is loved by gardeners for the opportunity to decorate the foot of garden trees with small flowers with a diameter of 3 cm.
Others
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. They are often white with a slight shade of pink. By the end of the flowering period, they turn bright purple.
American aster will delight the owner with abundant flowering that lasts all summer.
Most popular varieties
Aster dumosus starlight
Astra shrub starlight is a low compact plant. Its inflorescences grow up to 4 cm in diameter, bright pink in color. An adult perennial shrub aster resembles a ball about 40 cm high. Flowering is abundant and lasts from September until the first frost.
Aster dumosus kristina
Aster dumosus kristina is cushion-shaped, white with a bright yellow core. An adult flower grows 30-40 cm. It blooms in August-September.
Others
New Belgian: Bitchwood Rivell (purple), Dick Bayllard (pink), Saturn (sky blue), Amethyst (purple), Octouberfest (terry blue aster).
English: Lillith Fardel (pink aster), Dr. Eckerner (red-violet), Brownman (lilac), Rote Stern (burgundy).
Alpine asters: Dunkle Sean, Alba, Ruper, Gloria. Dwarf varieties harmoniously decorate border areas and small flower beds.
How perennial asters breed
These flowers are rarely propagated by seed. The problem is that they quickly lose germination properties. For this flower, it is preferable to use vegetative methods.
Dividing the bush
For reproduction in this way, 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. Already the next year, the delenki form a full-fledged plant. The division is best done every 3-4 years. This helps to rejuvenate the root system and also prevents the development of fungus.
Dividing the bush
Cuttings
For reproduction 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 a shady area. The stalk is rooted in the ground and covered with foil. There are no strict time limits. The procedure can be carried out throughout the summer.
Cuttings
Features of home care
Aster is a street plant. However, its seedlings can also be found in the homes of experienced gardeners. To grow a strong and healthy plant, you must adhere to the basic recommendations.
Temperature
For active growth and development of seedlings, it is recommended to maintain a temperature of 15-16 degrees. As 3-4 leaves appear at the first shoots, the temperature can be reduced to 12-15 degrees.
Lighting
Astra loves to bask in the warm rays of the sun. Seedlings are recommended to be placed on a windowsill on the sunny side. If this is not possible, it is recommended to install lamps nearby. Many growers put the seedling containers 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 the sprouts.
Watering
Watering should be abundant, but rare. After each moistening of the soil, it is recommended to loosen it carefully. This will avoid waterlogging of the soil. Do not allow the soil to dry out.
Spraying
Spraying is an essential step in growing healthy flowers. The first week after the appearance of the first shoots, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle once a day. The second week - once every two days. In the third week, you can start full watering 2-3 times a week, gradually reducing the frequency, but increasing the volume of liquid.
Humidity
The recommended air humidity in the room where the asters grow should not fall below 65%. The maximum value is 80%.
Priming
Aster is a flower that prefers fresh soil. This is due to the fact that the old soil can contain sources of various diseases and pests. Ideal mixture for a flower: sand, turf, decomposed peat. The components are mixed in a 1: 3: 1 ratio. All large lumps must be removed from the soil.
Top dressing
To grow strong flowers indoors, you need to consider feeding. 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 potash and phosphate fertilizers, while the proportion should be 2 times less than that indicated 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 Aster family 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 - up to 3.5-4 cm;
- medium - from 4 to 8 cm;
- large - from 8 cm.
Inflorescence shapes
By the shape of the inflorescence:
- flat;
- rounded flat;
- hemispherical;
- spherical;
- semi-double;
- terry.
Flowering period
Typically, asters are divided into 3 flowering periods. The first ones are spring. Blossom from May to June. Next comes the turn of the summer. They bloom from June to August. Perhaps this is the longest group of flowers. Autumn delights from the end of August until the first snow.
Changes in care during flowering
During the budding process, the aster is fed a second time. For this, prepare 50 gr. a mixture of phosphate and potassium for each 1 m2 of land. Just before the beginning of flowering, the aster is fed a third time. The composition of the top dressing remains the same. When the flowers are in full bloom, it is recommended that you reduce the watering a little. Asters are very sensitive to excess moisture, but do not overdry the soil too much.The frequency of watering is recommended to be developed independently, based on the time of complete drying of the soil near the root system.
Transplant after purchase and during reproduction
It is recommended to transplant seedlings into open ground in early May. It is recommended to loosen the soil after each watering or rain. This helps to ventilate the root system and protects against rotting.
If the time for planting seedlings is missed, then you can resort to the cuttings method, which can be carried out throughout the summer.
Possible growing problems
An attentive gardener immediately sees external changes in his favorite flower.
Leaf problems
If the leaves begin to turn yellow, become brown, curl and dry out, then this signals improper care or the development of the disease.
First of all, you need to make sure that the flower is not overdried. You can try to change the mode of soil moisture. If black longitudinal stripes are added to the listed factors, then this indicates the development of fusarium. This disease appears if the soil was excessively moistened, and stagnant water was observed in the root system. In this case, it is impossible to save the plant.
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 carbon
Pests
Aphids, thrips and cicadas are the main pests for asters. They suck the sap from the plant and are disease carriers. In order to prevent the appearance and reproduction of insects, it is necessary to treat the flowers with Fitoverm solution or other insecticides.
The earwig is able to gnaw not only the leaves of the flower, but also the stems and buds. To drive away the insect, you need to regularly remove weeds and loosen the soil.
Diseases
Mosaic disease manifests itself as yellow streaks on the leaves. After that, chlorosis develops, and the plant stops developing. To overcome this disease, it is recommended to treat the bush with Aktelik or Peritrum.
Aster rust is a fungus native to pine needles. The disease is characterized by the appearance of swellings on the lower part of the leaves. They are filled with rusty spores. For treatment, use a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. Processing is carried out after 10 days. If the disease is detected late, then the bush is almost impossible to save.
Signs of improper care
Astra, although an unpretentious plant, will nevertheless immediately tell its owner about improper care. First of all, the leaves of the plant signal this. They can fade or change color. If you do not take action on time, then improper care will affect flowering. The inflorescences will be scanty and pale. In addition, the plant will have few flowers.
Many different types of asters have been bred. Before buying a particular variety, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the description of the flower in more detail. General principles and rules may sometimes not apply to individual hybrids. If the flower bed is constantly being updated, then it is recommended to pay attention to annual varieties.
