Useful information

Aster is one-year-old. Starfall in the garden

Astra one-year Gala

Annual aster - this is how we used to call the plant, which the great Carl Linnaeus called Chinese aster. However, this aster is very different from many other species of the genus aster. And later the botanist Cassini singled it out into a separate genus - callistephus, which in Latin means - a beautiful crown. Later, another botanist, Nis, agreed with him, and the plant began to be called Chinese callistephus. However, flower growers around the world continue to call it Chinese aster or, more often, annual aster.

Aster annual Rime

The plant is really annual. When sown in early spring, it blooms in late summer - early autumn and dies off in late autumn. You can sow aster not only in early spring, but also before winter immediately to a permanent place in a flower bed or in a garden bed. Plants are cold-resistant and not afraid of frost. And you can first grow seedlings and only then plant them in a flower garden or garden bed. Aster seeds sprout quickly, already on the 4-6th day after sowing. At this time, it is very important not to overdry, but not to overmoisten the soil, so as not to destroy the seedlings. Hardened seedlings can withstand short temperature drops down to -3 ° C, so they can be planted at the end of May. Astra loves a place that is sunny, light and well-ventilated. And he loves feeding with full mineral fertilizer very much.

Astra Market Queen

The annual aster appeared in the gardens of Europe relatively recently, at the beginning of the 18th century. Its seeds were brought from China by the missionary Incarville in 1728. She immediately fell in love with the gardeners of England, and they created several colors. Then in France they got the first varieties with double inflorescences. And already in Germany, where aster became especially popular, almost all of its variety was created. There are about 1000 varieties of asters in the world assortment. Many old varieties still exist. Some are kept in collections, and some are willingly grown by amateurs.

Astra one-year-old Nina

The modern assortment consists mainly of tall varieties with various colors of large double and densely double inflorescences. However, varieties with small numerous inflorescences, the so-called bouquet varieties, are not devoid of attractiveness. At one time, asters with light inflorescences with needle-shaped flowers were very popular and fashionable.

Asters with large non-double inflorescences are gradually becoming fashionable, they look like a gerbera.

Astra one-year-old Gray Lady

The annual aster has many advantages: a wide variety of varieties with different shapes of inflorescences and colors; she has tall varieties, they are grown for bouquets, and there are also undersized varieties, which are very good in autumn flower beds.

Asters are unpretentious and easy enough to grow. They bloom profusely and for a long time in late summer and autumn, when there are already very few flowering plants in the gardens.

But the aster also has disadvantages, there are two of them. First: young plants are often damaged by bud aphids, and then the leaves become bumpy. It is easy to fight aphids with any drug recommended against this pest. The main thing is not to miss the processing time. It should be done when 3-4 true leaves are formed in plants.

Aster annual Waldersee

The second drawback is much more serious: most varieties of asters are affected to some extent by Fusarium. This is a fungal disease; effective control measures and drugs have not yet been found. Therefore, preventive measures are recommended, and the main thing is not to plant asters in one place for more than two years in a row (if there were no diseased plants).

You should not add fresh manure to the soil when preparing a planting site. Well-fed healthy plants resist the disease better, therefore complex fertilizers with the addition of trace elements - manganese, cobalt, copper and zinc - should be used in top dressing. Aster does not have completely resistant varieties, however, varieties of the Turm (Tower) group, Gala group and some others are less affected.

"Garden affairs" No. 4 (29) - 2009

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