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Pompom aster is one of the types of garden asters. According to the new classification of plants, they are assigned to the genus Callistefus of the Asteraceae family. The correct name sounds like “Chinese callistefus”. This culture is one-year or two-year-old, the place of growth is the Eurasian countries, the initial appearance is in China. More than two hundred varieties of such asters, bred before the beginning of 2018, differ from each other in the height of the bushes, the structure and shape of the flowers, as well as the iridescent color of the petals. Pompom aster can be identified by a peculiarly shaped flower – it is a hemisphere of densely growing petals, collected in a rosette, in appearance resembling a pompom of a children’s hat.
Description
All plants are made up of the same parts: roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits. The botanical description of flowers allows you to find out what distinctive shapes, sizes and colors each part of the culture is characterized by. Pompom aster also has its own varietal characteristics:
- The roots of the pompon aster are widely branched, fibrous, superficial, the depth of occurrence is not more than 25 cm, they can quickly recover from damage.
- The stems are erect, strong, have longitudinal grooves, covered with thin small hairs, their color is light green or with a pink tinge (depending on the variety). The height of the plant varies from 20 to 90 cm, many shoots are formed on the stem, which makes the bush thick and lush.
- The leaves of the pompon aster are dark green saturated in color, small leaves are located in the upper part of the stem, large ones are closer to the ground.
- Flowers are basket inflorescences, on the outer circle of which petals in the form of tongues are arranged in several tiers, the inner circle is filled with thin petals-tubules that stand straight, tightly pressed against each other. The color of the flowers is determined by the varietal affiliation; in some cases, mixes of the same variety are created, but of a wide variety of colors. Their diameter is from 4 to 8 centimeters.
- The fruit of the pompon aster is a cone-shaped seed box that stores seeds of different sizes, it depends on the variety of asters.
- The culture propagates, like all annual plants, only by seeds.
In autumn, the seed pods open, the seeds fall into the ground, winter well and germinate again in the spring. In this case, the flowering of the pompon aster is early, you only need to thin out the bushes sometimes.
Sorts
If the rose is called the queen of the garden, then the pompom aster is a little princess who loves to dress up in a wide variety of “dresses”. The coloring of her clothes is similar to the rainbow palette, including many shades of primary colors. We offer you a photo and description of some varieties of pompon aster.
“Winter cherry”
Coloring – the extreme petals-tubules of the pompon aster are painted in a light burgundy color, in the center they are snow-white. The petals grow densely, each of them opens in the form of five-lobed bells, from this the cap of the flower seems even more magnificent.
The height of the compact aster bush reaches 60 cm, on straight, slightly leafy stems, many peduncles are formed. During the season, about 25 ovaries are formed, for their continuous formation, already wilted ones must be removed so as not to slow down the process of the appearance of new flowers.
The diameter of one aster flower is up to 8 cm, sometimes more. The flowering period begins in July and can last until autumn frosts. Many plants are already preparing for winter at this time, and the pompon winter cherry aster still decorates and enlivens the dull autumn landscape of the garden with its appearance.
Planting asters in open ground begins in April. Further care consists in performing the usual work: loosening the soil, removing weeds, watering and top dressing. Do not forget also about the timely cutting of old dried inflorescences.
Aster flowers Winter cherry are used for cutting and making autumn bouquets. In the photo you see a typical specimen of this variety of asters.
“Yellow”
The color of the flower is yellow, but not monochrome. The reed petals of the pompon aster are pale yellow at the edges, closer to the center, turning into tube petals, they become rich yellow, almost orange in the center. Reed petals are arranged in several tiers.
The height of the yellow aster bush is 40-55 cm, the size of the flowers is small (up to 4 cm in diameter), the branching of the stems is medium. During the growing season, the shrub forms up to 35 inflorescences. The beginning of flowering is July, the duration is until frost. Landing in the ground is timed to the middle or end of May. Grown from seeds.
The flowers of such an aster are good for cutting for making monochromatic bouquets or arranging compositions in combination with other representatives of the flower world.
“Princess Diana”
Snow-white delicate flowers adorn the aster bushes of this variety. It is believed that it is named after the beloved English princess. They are simple and charming, just like the most famous woman in the world.
The bush of the plant reaches 80 cm in height, branches strongly, the leaves grow densely, creating additional volume. Aster flowers are pompon-shaped, multi-tiered petals are white at the edges, in the center – slightly touched by yellowness.
The diameter of the flowers of such an aster is 11 cm, one bush is able to form up to 27 flower ovaries per flowering season. For seedlings, seeds are sown in March or April. Aster blooms in early June, the flowering period lasts a long time, until the end of October.
Flowers of the aster pompon Princess Diana are used to decorate the middle tier of flower arrangements in the garden landscape. Bouquets of cut white aster flowers can be used to decorate wedding corteges and banquet halls. With their color, they support the main color of the marriage – pure white immaculate.
“Princess mix”
From the photo located at the bottom of this paragraph, it can be determined that several varieties of asters of the Princess variety are collected in a mix. Seed producers often offer such fees, calling the mixtures by different names, but the essence is the same – flower growers receive many flowers of different shades. Some consider it appropriate, because on the site (flower bed) you can grow plants of different colors at the same time and not bother with a separate planting, others love the monochrome flower beds.
This is a matter of taste, and there is no dispute about tastes. Using this variety of pompon aster as an example, we will talk about how to grow seedlings of flowers from seeds and when it is better to sow and plant in the ground. In the video at the end of the page, an experienced amateur grower gives practical advice on this topic. We advise you to watch and listen to what she recommends. Maybe you will learn something new for yourself and take note of it.
Cultivation from seeds
Flower growers who constantly grow asters in their garden use the self-seeding method, when the plant independently sheds seeds in the fall, and in the spring they germinate again and again. For those who first decided to plant pom-pom asters, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the procedure for their propagation by seed.
Seeding on seedlings
Plants of the Asteraceae family have a long growing season before flowering. It is possible to ensure that the asters in the garden bloom earlier, which means they bloom longer, if you plant ready-made seedlings in early spring. Sowing aster seeds in this case begins in January or February (at room temperature). The seedlings will be ready for transplanting into the ground in May-April. You should proceed as follows:
- Preparation of seeds of aster pompon. Aster seeds are medium in size and easy to work with when planting. Soak them in 100 ml of salt water (1 tsp) for 2 hours. Remove the floating low-quality seeds, wash the seeds that have settled to the bottom with clean water and soak again for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate (the concentration is slightly pink). Place the seeds on a damp germination towel. After 2-3 days, when sprouts hatch from the seeds, they can be planted in an earthen substrate.
- Substrate preparation for aster pompon. The easiest way for this process is to buy a ready-made mixture in the store, but if this is not possible, prepare the desired composition yourself: 1 part of coarse sand, 1 part of light loose humus, 2 parts of fertile garden soil. Mix all the components, put a layer of drainage material on the bottom of the container (see photo): pebbles, small pebbles, broken brick, pour the substrate on top, leaving 2 cm to the edge of the container.
- Spread the germinated aster seeds over the entire surface of the earth. Use small tweezers and a ruler for this, so that the distance between the sprouts is the same (5×5 cm). From above, cover the planting with a thin (1 cm) layer of the same substrate. Lightly compact the soil and carefully water with warm water.
- Cover the container with a film or glass, put in a warm place. When sprouts and the first cotyledon leaves of an aster appear, transfer the container to a more lit place, or add light in the same place, the shelter can be removed. The air temperature must be at least +25°С. If you kept the distance when sowing the seeds, then picking is not required. Before planting in open ground, seedlings will have enough free space.
- Pompom aster seedlings are planted as warm spring days come, it depends on the climatic conditions of your region.
When purchasing seed from the manufacturer or in free sale, pay attention to this. The number of germinating seeds decreases in proportion to the increase in storage time.
Sowing in the ground
In the southern regions, it is possible to sow seeds of pompon aster directly into the ground in early spring or before winter. When sown in winter, the seeds must be dry so that they do not germinate ahead of time. In the spring, planted seeds must be shed with water with the addition of chemical growth accelerators.
In the future, both winter and spring plantings of pompon aster need to be thinned out and leveled, leaving no voids in the flower bed. In places where the plant has given dense shoots, carefully remove the extra ones, plant them in the voids formed, where the seeds did not sprout at all.
A star in your garden
Astra means star in Greek. Pompom asters in your flower beds will illuminate the entire garden area with their bright flowering view for a long time. At any point, these small stars will complement and decorate the landscape, create a festive mood even on cloudy autumn days, warm the soul, fill it with a sense of love for the world around you.
These gentle “pompoms” will remind you of the children and grandchildren growing up in your family, take care of them, and they also say that those who love flowers live happily ever after. Be happy, plant flowers for your joy and for the pleasure of others. Taking care of plants, you, first of all, take care of your health.
