When is the best time to transplant a perennial aster. Astra alpine perennial growing from seed planting and care

What flowers to plant is a question that is asked by almost all gardeners and site owners. The desire to receive 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 center;
Vargrav - 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. Loves very much sunlight and tolerates frost well.

American (New England) aster. It blooms late - in the middle of autumn. IN southern regions may bloom in November. Huge bushes reach a height of 2 m. It has large bright flowers shades unusual 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 an abundance of sunlight. This fact must be taken into account when planning a flower planting 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 on 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 the open field. 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 earth is personal 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, 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. water.

In autumn, it is recommended to process alpine aster blue vitriol(dilute 50 g of the drug in a standard 10-liter bucket of water), after which the plants must 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.

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 a beautiful flower bed that 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 popular variety with early term flowering. 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.

If not for the purple petals, Italian would be a copy of chamomile

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 various varieties. flower buds 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.

Check the quality of the soil BEFORE planting, otherwise the flower may hurt and grow poorly

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 to form 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 best 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 foil 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.

Timely rotation of seedlings to the light ensures its proper development.

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, this does not develop root system 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 lead to 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:

Do not fertilize with manure the soil intended for planting Asters.
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,.

Incurability makes fusarium one of the most dangerous enemies of asters

Rust on sheet plates are raised parts that are located on the underside of the 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:

The division of an adult bush.
cuttings.

The division of the bush is The easiest way, which should propagate a perennial plant. 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 big amount roots and twigs on a bush.

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

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

Don't forget to maintain the temperature - create greenhouse conditions with a simple glass jar

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. Since an autumn garden is not conceivable without it. Adhering to simple rules for caring for her, you can observe all her beauty when she blooms against the background of yellowed foliage.

These flowers are photophilous, prefer light and not sour 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 ones in autumn. 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 on sunny area in open ground before winter (frozen ground in November or in 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. At spring sowing this process can be accelerated by first germinating the seeds in moist tissue.

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

With the 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 plastic wrap or plastic cover 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 large varieties will be an excellent backdrop for curtains of small perennials.

What could be more beautiful than flowers in your garden? They give us so many positive emotions, but it's a pity to part with them with the advent of the gray days of autumn. So, this is not necessary, because there are flowers that will delight the eye until frost. Yes, not all plants can surprise with such qualities. Especially in our country with its harsh climate, but perennial asters go against natural cycles and make us happier both in summer and late autumn. And today we will tell you about the best varieties for your garden, which will become its highlight.

Queen of the autumn garden - aster

Just imagine that there are currently more than 600 species of asters. They include a huge variety of varieties that amaze with their beauty even the most fastidious landscape designer. Asters are unusual in that their inflorescences are all different, you can often confuse bushes with chrysanthemums, peonies, but there is another unique feature - shades, among which there is a variety of blue. It is quite rare among flowers of all kinds.

Asters are unpretentious, beautiful, accessible to everyone, can be grown both with and without seedlings in all regions of our large country. What else is needed? Yes, only a little better to understand the varieties, because it is difficult for a beginner not to get confused in such an assortment. In this we will help you, of course, we cannot describe all 600 species, but we will tell you about those varieties that gardeners most often plant - the best and most beautiful. And as you could understand, today we will talk mainly about perennial asters.

Flower variety

Asters flowers are unique, because there are so many of them - tall, short, perennial, annual. In turn, the latter are divided into three main classes, which were formed according to their decorative effect and structure - reed, tubular, transitional. These three classes are divided into 10 more according to the type of flower, its shape. Each group has its own varieties that can surprise the most fastidious gardeners, take a look at the photo - this is a pompom aster. The charm of these balls is amazing, while they can also have different shades, but these are the same age. And today we are talking about perennial species, and we will consider them further.

Pompom inflorescences. The perfect bouquet

Perennial asters and their different flowering periods

With the onset of spring, every gardener is waiting for his favorite flowers to bloom, but not all plants delight the whole season. Some decorate with their appearance only in April and May, others only in the first half of summer, others will please in the fall. But perennial asters are perfect in every way - their varieties are so diverse that your flower beds will be charming from May to October and even more. All because there are early flowers, there are summer and autumn ones. The first bloom in May and delight until June, the second throughout the second and third decade of summer, the third bloom in autumn. Each group has its own species, they, in turn, varieties.

For information! Asters differ not only in terms of flowering and height, but also in the structure of flowers - pink, peony, chrysanthemum. There are also differences in shape - asters are needle-shaped, spherical and radiant.

early alpine aster

The most commonly used and widespread type. These flowers have a small growth - up to 30 cm, which makes them ideal for creating compositions, planting along paths, decorating rock gardens, flower beds. Do you know why the species is so beloved by gardeners? Because asters are beautiful and very unpretentious - any beginner can create the perfect garden.

bushes bloom different shades and they delight us from May to June. And, of course, we will name the most popular varieties of asters of this species. See photos and names below. Inflorescences of this species are most often up to 5-6 cm in diameter, single type. Asters are not afraid of frost, they tolerate even harsh winters in our country, they love higher areas and the sun.

Alpine aster varieties:

"Alba". It blooms with delicate white inflorescences and a yellow center, has a dense green mass. The shape of the leaves is elongated, it can grow up to 30-40 cm. The bushes grow stuffed. If you look at the photo, you can see the similarity of this aster with chamomile;
Variety "Alba"
"Gloria". These flowers are similar to the previous ones in form, but just look at this azure shade of petals, which are diluted with a rich yellow-orange center. Flowers up to 4 cm in diameter. Perfectly combined in a flower bed with the Alba variety. Bushes can be planted alternately or in stripes;
Heavenly Gloria
"Dunkle Schone". Great for color combinations and natural stones, rock garden decorations. The flowers have a pleasant blue- purple hue, they are stuffed. The variety is very unpretentious, does not freeze, is not afraid of return May frosts, undemanding to soils. Flowers in diameter about 3 cm;
"Rosea". This variety blooms in the first summer month, but its beauty is that it will delight with its flowering for three whole months. Tubular petals have a rich pink color, up to 5 cm in diameter. They go well with blue and white asters;
Variety "Rosea"
"Goliath". This variety has an amazing delicate color - lavender. Also often used for decorating rockeries, Alpine slide, paths in the garden. Loves the sun and partial shade, flowers in diameter - 3-5 cm.

Early Anderson aster

Blooms and delights us in spring and early summer. This species is very small, one might say, ground cover, loves well-ventilated soils, moderately moist soil and sunlight. The bushes are notable for having lilac shade petals. Very delicate and beautiful inflorescences that resemble a delicate purple chamomile with a yellow-orange middle. The diameter is only 2 cm, and the height of the entire bush is not more than 5 cm.

Astra "Anderson"

Early himalayan aster

These bushes grow compactly - up to 25-30 cm tall. As you can understand, the native places of these flowers are the highest mountains in the world. It is very often found in Asian countries, both near houses and at an altitude of more than 4 thousand meters. The flowers have a delicate purple hue, they are medium-sized - up to 3 cm. In the wild, it does not grow more than 15 cm, they please with flowering in May.

"Himalayan"

Summer Italian asters

As you understand, now we have moved on to the next flowers that will delight with their flowering from July to August. This species is taller than early raster and can grow up to 60-70 cm. Most often, such tall flowers are planted along fences, they can close unsightly outbuildings. It is also important to plant such bushes next to the supports and where there is no strong winds in bad weather. Can be planted in rows or individually.

Inflorescences on average up to 4-5 cm in diameter, collected in shields. Colors are more often closer to blue-blue shades and lilac, there may be flowers of pink tone. The shape of the bush itself is spherical. This species is divided in early April to propagate, favorite soils are alkaline. They bloom best where there is a lot of sun.

This is interesting! This type of asters was bred in Europe. There are drawings depicting Italian asters that date back to 1596.

Italian aster varieties:

"King George" - one of the varieties of Italian aster

Separately, we would like to tell you that tall varieties are good to combine with short ones. Also you can plant a number of perennials and annuals, the overall picture will be beautiful, and on next year annual asters you can exchange for new varieties or new flowers, in general. So, the flower bed will be new every year. Magnificent varieties of annual asters are the Milady aster, she is in the photo, Scarlet, Crimson, Krestella, Erfurt Dwarf.

Pink "Milady"

The homeland of her country is Asia, where the flower began to be planted in gardens around 1686. The bushes are round in shape, they are quite high - up to 80 cm, again, tall species are best planted near fences in a quiet place. Very thermophilic and cannot bear excess moisture. Flowers are collected in beautiful baskets-umbrellas, have a delicate lavender color closer to heaven. Diameter - 2 cm, blooms by the end of summer. It grows very well in soil rich in humus and letting in a lot of air. On such land, bushes bloom profusely and for a long time.

Stonecrop species

Bessarabian summer aster

This species is not independent, but a variety of Italian. The characteristics are quite similar, but the flowers on the bushes have a larger diameter. Inside, the inflorescence is not yellow or orange, but brown. It can be purple, pink and white. The bushes are quite powerful, as well as their root system. Height can reach up to 75 cm.

Bessarabian aster

blue summer aster

Her homeland is also the Himalayas. Quite tall plants - up to 120 cm, they can definitely hide all the shortcomings of the site. The flowers are sky blue, the bushes are powerful, the roots creep to the sides. The soil loves fertile, it should be sunny on the site, it is not afraid of cold weather. Shares a bush, blooms the first two summer months, rather unpretentious look.

Blue inflorescences of perennial aster

Aster autumn perennial New England

All autumn species are popular, because their charm is that they delight us when other flowers are already fading. They are unpretentious, there are many varieties, it is easy to plant them. Bushes can be of different heights, colors - these are pink asters, and purple, and blue, and white, and purple. All of which are of different shapes.

We start with the New England view. These bushes for those who love tall plants are hard to imagine for a beginner, but asters can be taller than a person - up to 2 meters. Of course, with such bushes, you need to plan in advance what and where will be planted. They should be either separate, or along the walls, or on background flower beds. Flowers are arranged in racemes in large numbers, and the diameter of one inflorescence is up to 4 cm.

These asters will please with their flowering by the first decade of September. You can combine them with others perennial species, it is possible and with one-year-olds. For example, with asters of pompom species, an excellent variety "Princess Mix" - it is in the photo below. These are annuals that always luxuriously decorate the garden. There are also popular varieties of annual flowers - these are "Ostrich Feather", "Princess Bouquet", "Victoria", "Giant", "Duchess", " american beauty". All these asters are worthy of your attention.

"Princess mix" - annual

"American Beauty"

Varieties of the New England aster:

Variety "Browmann"

New Belgian autumn varieties

An interesting view, where there can be bushes both low - up to 40 cm, and high - 150 cm tall. Flowers are in panicles. These asters are very beautiful, because when they bloom, the greenery and stems are not even visible. The latter, by the way, become woody over time. The beauty of these asters is that they bloom in bad weather, in the evening, in fog and on rainy days. They can be burgundy, blue, lilac and white. Due to the abundant flowering, this species can be planted even in the center of the flower bed.

Varieties of the New Belgian aster:

"Amethyst". This variety is often compared with daisies, they have a dark shade of lilac. The branches are located next to each other, abundantly covered with flowers, but the bushes can not be tied up. Height - up to 130 cm. Large flowers - up to 4 cm;
"Amethyst"
Marie Ballard. Like the previous variety, it is very popular. It can also do without support, it is not afraid of frost. It has a magnificent lavender color of the petals, while the inflorescences are huge - up to 8 cm in diameter. They begin to bloom at the end of August, and flowering continues for 60 days. Named after the person who created it. Height - up to a meter;
"Marie Ballard"
"White Lady". The beauty of this perennial aster is that it is the most frost-resistant. Has a beautiful White color, yellow center. Unpretentious and does not require special care. Flowers - 3-5 cm;
"White Lady"
"Sunset". Just look at it, these bushes are really like the pink shades of the sunset strip over the horizon. Their diameter is up to 4 cm; foliage is not visible during flowering. Hue - pink, the variety begins to bloom from September to November.

Astra shrub perennial

This aster completes today's selection of flowers for your garden. Usually the bushes are low - up to half a meter high. They bloom from the first days of autumn until the very cold. Most often, flowers have a light, delicate color - pink, heavenly, white, purple, but can also be burgundy and yellow. Bushes can be formed. To make asters bloom better, they are rejuvenated by dividing the bush every 3-4 years.

Varieties shrub asters:

This is the flower variety we have described to you today. You can plant both perennials and annuals. Only for the first, choose right away suitable places.

Among the huge family of asters, perennial asters stand out. And among them are undersized and curb varieties. A short, or dwarf, aster is especially good for borders, for planting along the edge of flower beds, large boxes, in landscape compositions combined with evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses or with coniferous plants. Low-growing asters are valued by gardeners for their frost resistance. It's so nice to see the bright stars of dwarf asters in a garden that has fallen asleep on the eve of winter.

In total, there are about five hundred varieties of undersized asters. For their unostentatious, unlike hybrid varieties, grown under the cut, decorativeness and endurance, undersized asters are also called true.

This herbaceous plant is good in the cut and in the open field. Perennial asters have stiff, upright, densely leafy stems ranging in height from twenty-five centimeters to one and a half meters. The leaves are small, rich dark green. Flowers, simple or double, with a diameter of one to five centimeters. The color palette of dwarf asters ranges from white and blue to purple and crimson. According to the time of development, they belong to several groups:

early - bloom in May-June;
summer - bloom in July-August;
autumn - bloom in September-November and even under the first snow delight with bright heads of inflorescences.

Pictured are perennial asters

The most common varieties of perennial asters

The most common and popular varieties of perennial dwarf asters are alpine, Italian, New England, shrub.

— undersized plant up to thirty centimeters high and with an inflorescence diameter of about 4 centimeters. The flowering of the alpine aster begins only a year after sowing the seeds. Inflorescences are usually blue, pink, white, purple and crimson red. The flowering of this variety begins in early summer and is distinguished by a particularly abundant color, lasting about a month. After the end of flowering, dark green bushes retain their special decorative effect.

Due to the structural features of the flower, it is sometimes called the chamomile aster. Italian aster blooms in mid-July - August and continues to bloom until mid-autumn. The flowers of the Italian aster are lilac, with a diameter of up to two and a half centimeters. They are very reminiscent of everyone's favorite blue chamomile. This aster stands very well in a bouquet and can please the eye in a bouquet for up to two weeks.

This is one of the most popular types of perennial dwarf aster. The bushes of this perennial plant grow up to two meters in height. The flowers are large, 4-5 centimeters in diameter and are pink, white, dark purple or blue color. Various types of New England aster bloom from early summer to late autumn. This plant retains freshness well in the cut and is very loved by florists for this.

Refers to dwarf late flowering species of perennial asters. The flowers are not very large, up to 2.5 centimeters, white, pink, lilac and light purple.

These varieties of low-growing perennial asters stand out among their relatives for their special frost resistance. Bushes bloom in early autumn and continue to bloom until the end of October, and sometimes even later. The flowers are medium sized, pink, purple or reddish lilac.

The very name of this perennial aster speaks of its features and uses. The bushes of the curb pink aster are low, up to forty centimeters in height, and very branched. Sometimes it turns out that the width of the bush is twice its height, which is especially good when creating beautiful borders, low hedges, "drawings" in flower beds and landscape design. large areas lawns and flower beds. This aster is not afraid of frost and does not require particularly complex care.

This late-flowering aster is classified as a medium-sized variety of perennial asters. This is truly a versatile plant. Its bushes with a height of 60-80 centimeters are used both to create decorative compositions and in spot plantings. This aster is especially good against the background of golden autumn foliage, its bright flowers of warm blue tone until cold weather they will amaze with their beauty, tenderness and intoxicating sweet smell.

Planting and caring for perennial undersized asters

Since the perennial undersized aster is winter-hardy garden perennials, then in cultivation it does not deliver special trouble. Moreover, these asters are practically not damaged by plant pests and do not get sick. In one place, bushes can grow up to five years without losing the decorative effect of flowering. But still, when caring for these varieties of asters, it is necessary to observe several general rules, allowing to achieve a beautiful long flowering:

avoid excessive accuracy of landings;
regularly weed flower beds from weeds and loosen the ground between the bushes;
do not fertilize asters with fresh organic matter; use compost or well-aged humus for this purpose;
generously water asters in dry weather;
before watering, add a small amount of a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate to the water;
remove wilted flowers in a timely manner, carry out decorative pruning shrubs;
tie up tall bushes of perennial asters.

Work on transplanting and propagating perennial asters is planned for spring - early summer. Asters are propagated by green cuttings, which germinate quickly and grow well. In addition, traditional methods are used such as dividing bushes or growing seeds for seedlings, followed by transplanting into open ground. When planting seedlings, it is imperative to feed the plants by applying complex mineral fertilizers to the soil.

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