Contents
Asters are cold-resistant plants, they tolerate spring frosts down to -3 ° С without loss (1), so they can be sown in flower beds as soon as the earth dries out. And even better in late autumn, before winter.
– Sowing in open ground is the easiest option, it does not require extra financial and time costs, – says agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mihailova. – Moreover, asters can be sown densely, and when the shoots have 2 – 3 true leaves, plant them at the right distance and in suitable places. But with this method of growing asters will not bloom until the end of August. If we want to achieve earlier flowering, then they need to be grown through seedlings.
Aster transplants are tolerated very well, they are not afraid of damage to the roots – they quickly recover (2).
How to determine landing dates in your area
Sowing seeds in open ground. When spring sowing in open ground, you can focus on mid-April, but adjusted for the weather:
- if the spring is early, warm, it makes sense to shift the sowing dates to the beginning of April;
- in late, cold spring – at the end of April.
For autumn sowing in flower beds, the optimal time is the end of October – the beginning of November.
Sowing seeds for seedlings. Asters are sown for seedlings from mid-March to early April (3). It is possible in early March, but then the plants will need additional lighting.
How to prepare seeds for sowing
– Asters are very often affected by fungal diseases, so before sowing seeds for seedlings, it is useful to soak them in a solution of any fungicide (antifungal drug), – advises agronomist Svetlana Mikhailova. – No additional soaking or sprouting is required.
And try to buy fresh asters seeds – last year or the year before last. Older seeds have low germination.
The soil for growing seedlings of asters is suitable for a store – any universal soil for seedlings. But before sowing seeds, it must be steamed for an hour in a water bath and calcined in the oven – heat treatment will destroy pathogen spores. Or at least spill it with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Asters seeds are sown in containers or boxes on the soil surface, and then sprinkled with calcined sand with a layer of 0,5 cm. The sand dries out very quickly after watering, and the root neck, where pathogens often settle, will always be in a dry layer. And the roots will be in the soil, where there is always moisture.
After sowing, the container must be covered with a transparent lid or film so that there is constant humidity inside, and put in a warm place. Shoots usually appear in 5 – 7 days. As soon as the sprouts rise above the soil surface, the container must be opened.
Asters seedling care tips
Pick. Asters for seedlings can be sown densely. And when they have 2 – 3 true leaves, plant them in 200 ml cups. The soil can be used the same – universal soil for seedlings, but it is desirable to add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of complex mineral fertilizer. For example, ammophos.
Light and temperature. Astra is a photophilous plant, so it is better to grow seedlings on a southern window. And it is very important that the temperature in the room is above 20 ° C. And even better around 18 ° C. In hot conditions, with a lack of light, seedlings are strongly drawn out.
Watering. It is necessary to shed the seedlings very carefully, remembering that it is affected by fungal diseases.
“The ideal option is bottom watering, when the cups are put into a container and water is poured into it – it rises into the cup through the drainage holes through the soil capillaries,” says agronomist Svetlana Mikhailova. – As soon as it reaches the middle of the volume (this is clearly visible in transparent containers), the cups must be pulled out of the water so that it does not reach the surface of the earth, and the topmost layer of soil remains dry – this is again disease prevention.
Feeding. If during picking you added complex fertilizer to the soil, additional fertilizing of aster seedlings is not required.
Otherwise, it can be fed a couple of times with complex liquid fertilizers with an interval of 2 weeks.
Hardening. When the seedlings reach the age of 4 – 5 leaves, it must be gradually hardened off – taken out into the street (balcony) first for an hour or two, then for half a day, and after a week you can leave it overnight.
Planting seedlings in open ground. Asters seedlings can be planted in flower beds from the second half of April to the end of May.
Favorable days for planting seedlings at home or in a greenhouse
Sowing seeds for seedlings: March 4 – 5, 8 – 10, 13 – 17, 20.
Sowing seeds in open ground: 5 – 15 April, 15 – 17, 21 – 24, 26, 29 – 30 October, 7, 12 – 13 November.
Favorable days for planting seedlings in open ground
Transplanting: April 25 – 26, May 1 – 15, 31.
Popular questions and answers
We talked about growing asters with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.
How long does the germination of aster seeds last?
Why don’t aster seeds germinate?
And it should be remembered that the field germination of aster seeds is low – about 40%, moreover, even for fresh purchased ones.
How to use asters in landscape design?
And asters go well with shrubs – spireas and hydrangeas.
Sources of
- Tavlinova G.K. Flowers in the room and on the balcony (2nd ed., revised and additional) // L .: Agropromizdat, Leningrad branch, 1985 – 272 p.
- Kudryavets D.B., Petrenko N.A. How to grow flowers. A book for students // M .: Education, 1993 – 176 p.
- Kiselev G.E. Floriculture // M.: OGIZ – SELKHOZGIZ, 1949 – 716 p.