Needle aster

Needle aster: growing from seeds, a unique mix variety - we will talk about all this in more detail in this article.

Aster acicular: description and characteristics of colors

Aster needle: photo of flowers

Needle asters are a variety that is ideal for autumn flower beds and for decorating garden plots and flower arrangements. These are annuals that require harvesting as soon as their flowering season is over. For planting, it is best to choose a well-lit place that will be located on a hill.

This flower is very resistant to sharp drops in temperature, it is quite loyal to droughts, but only to short-term ones, nevertheless, watering for asters is very important and plays a significant role. In order for the needle aster to show abundant flowering, in general, it will be sufficient to water the plantings, as well as the introduction of some mineral fertilizers during periods especially significant for the plant.

Needle aster includes several varieties, which mainly differ from each other in shades of inflorescences. These plants are pyramidal in shape, their height is about half a meter, sometimes they can reach 70 centimeters, if you provide the plant with decent and regular care. Inflorescences are usually single and flat, radial. The size of the flower can be up to 15 centimeters, and each bush during the growing season, as a rule, can produce about ten shoots and about thirty inflorescences.

The color scheme of needle asters is also quite diverse. There are many shades in it - white and purple asters, reds and pinks, yellows and coral. Needle asters are distinguished by the fact that they have an early flowering. The first buds can appear as early as three months after the first shoots have appeared. Flowering is long enough, continuously for fifty days. The flowering itself begins in July and stops in the middle or end of September. Asters are light-loving plants, quite resistant to prolonged frosts. Basically, flower growers use asters in order to arrange multi-flowered and single flower beds, mixborders, or simply to decorate borders. Also, due to the fact that the plant is relatively unpretentious, neat and compact, it will perfectly decorate both country and city flower beds.

At home, needle asters are planted in pots, which are best placed either on illuminated balconies, on southern window sills or on loggias, because it is there that a suitable environment for the flowering and development of asters develops. Needle asters are also grown for cut, flowers can stand in a vase with regular water changes for about two weeks. Monochrome and contrasting bouquets are also created from them. There are several ways to plant asters, in the next parts of this article we will dwell on their consideration and analysis in more detail.

Aster needle: seedling method of growing

The most popular way to grow needle asters is seedling. Seeds are usually planted in a pre-prepared soil substrate, which is left to stand at home and at room temperature. Seedlings need a favorable microclimate, because, otherwise, there is a high chance that they simply will not take root, will be weakened, unsuitable for life and further flowering. At a certain appointed moment, the gardener can plant the grown seedlings already in open ground.

In order to grow prepared seedlings, seeds are best planted between March and April.For planting, it is best to use light, fertile soil, which is taken from a summer cottage and abundantly fertilized. The best feeding is organic, so humus is taken for feeding. You can also buy land in stores in packages and read carefully so that it says that this soil is intended for seedlings. The soil is pretreated: it must be disinfected in order to get rid of all pests or fungal carriers. To do this, it is first steamed in a water bath, or vice versa - it is left in the cold for several weeks, at sub-zero temperatures the bacteria also die. Before planting, it is recommended to treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Next, they take boxes or cells, separate cups, into which the moistened soil is poured. If you plant seeds in separate glasses, then you can avoid such a process as picking. The seeds are buried in the ground by about one centimeter, and sprinkled on top with a thin layer of earth. It is best to place not one, but 2-3 seeds in cassettes, then cover the plantings with polyethylene in order to create a greenhouse effect, this is a rather favorable atmosphere and the necessary conditions for seed growth. Germination usually takes about two weeks, it is recommended to turn the film over from time to time so that fresh air enters the cups. The soil is also moistened periodically using warm water or water at room temperature. Those seeds that were harvested a year earlier are most likely to germinate.

After the seedlings have appeared, the film should be removed and several basic conditions must be observed so that the seedlings do not stop in their development, but only progress:

• the temperature should not fall below 15 degrees and not rise above 18
• the gardener provides the seedlings with regular watering
• moisture should not stagnate, it is also not recommended to allow drafts
• lighting should be about 12-14 hours, that is, the seedlings should be under the sun all daylight. If this is not possible, then it is additionally recommended to install a backlight. Phytolamps are perfect for this, which must be located about 30 centimeters from the plant.

As soon as the first leaves appear and form on the seedlings, it can be dived - planted in separate containers. When growing flowers for planting in open ground, it is best to choose the strongest and most developed plant. About 20-21 days before the plant is transferred to the open ground, it should be hardened. For this, containers are periodically rearranged on balconies or loggias for several hours. Plants that have reached two months are transferred to open ground. It is recommended to prepare the site since the fall, it must be well dug up and fertilized with humus.

Aster acicular loves drained light soils, and when grown in heavy clay soil, it is best to first add coarse sand to it. The flower garden also does not settle down in the lowlands, since moisture can accumulate there, and it can not have a positive effect on the plant, its root system and, in general, on its further development. On the garden bed, it is necessary to prepare planting holes, in which the plants are then placed. The distance between them is no more than 30 centimeters, the roots of the aster are sprinkled with earth, then abundant watering is done. The grower must keep an eye on plant tendencies, growth, development and adaptability and adaptability to open ground.

A seedless way to grow needle asters

In regions with a warm climate, needle asters can be planted directly in open ground.True, this method also has its drawbacks: under natural conditions, cultivation takes much longer than if it is done by seedlings. Therefore, accordingly, the timing of the flowering of asters itself is shifted. When planted in the fall, seeds can undergo natural selection, and in the spring, the strongest seedlings that survived the harsh conditions appear in the garden.

In May, when the soil warms up, the seeds are planted in open ground. Before this, it is best to subject the seeds to processing - they are soaked in warm water, which helps to stimulate seed germination. On the bed, grooves are prepared with a depth of about two centimeters, and the harvested seeds are placed in them. At night, planting is best covered with agrofibre, which is purchased in specialized stores. As soon as shoots appear, they need to be thinned out and planted a little so that the root system of the plants does not interfere with each other. In order to accelerate the emergence of sprouts, seeds should be planted in greenhouse conditions, since it is in them that the chance of sprouting increases in a shorter time. As soon as the seedlings germinate, they are transferred to a permanent place where they will develop further and reach the flowering stage.

There is also a so-called winter landing. With her, needle asters can grow incredibly strong and resilient, while adapting to adverse conditions. The seeds remain inside the soil for the entire winter period and undergo natural stratification. the strongest survive and sprout in the spring, and the weak, unfortunately, die off. Speaking of this type of planting, the aster is planted from October to November, when the soil begins to gradually freeze through, but not completely. The seeds of the needle aster are placed about a few centimeters deep, covered with soil and a small amount of humus on top as an organic fertilizer necessary to protect the plant. With this type of planting, the consumption of planting material increases, since, as we noted earlier, only those seeds that turned out to be the most adapted, strong and viable will sprout in the spring.

Aster needle: care

Aster needle: photo of flowers

Like any plant, needle asters also need care, even if, as experts say, in its minimal form. It is enough to water the plant periodically, as well as to feed it, so that it retains its vitality. If necessary, if suddenly the plant has undergone a disease or attacks from pests, they should be additionally treated with special preparations to improve the situation and to stimulate immunity. Inflorescences that have already dried up should be removed, because in this way a natural stimulation of the formation and growth of new flowers will occur.

Needle asters can be watered as the soil dries out. The water should be kept in barrels, and it is best to water it either in the morning or in the evening after sunset. Watering intensity depends on the air temperature. It is generally best to turn it up if drought is felt. If the aster lacks moisture, it begins to gradually lose its decorative qualities, and this primarily affects its appearance. If there is an excess of moisture, then first of all this affects the root system: it begins to rot, the plant slows down its growth, dangerous fungal diseases can develop, therefore it is extremely necessary to treat watering with full responsibility.

It is imperative to eliminate weeds from the soil that surrounds the plant, since they feed on all the nutrients that are originally intended for the plant, and this can significantly weaken the appearance and flowering of needle asters.If the aster is placed in poor and poor soils, then it is best to apply top dressing in the form of mineral components and substances. If the flower garden grows in a more fertile and rich soil, then with this option, you can not use any additional fertilizing at all. During the season, asters can be fed several times according to the universal scheme:

• 2 weeks after the seedlings have been planted in open ground;
• as soon as the very first buds began to form;
• before the flowering of the needle aster.

At the same time, each gardener should keep in mind that asters are extremely negative about the fact that fresh organic matter is introduced into them - mullein or bird droppings. It is best to take mineral fertilizers and make nutritional mixtures from them - urea and potassium sulfate, as well as double superphosphate. The mixture dissolves in water and is applied as a root dressing. Wood ash is also suitable for introduction, which is laid in the soil between the rows of the plant to nourish it. The second and third treatments are also very important, and for this, only potash or phosphorus fertilizers should be taken. Thanks to such dressings, the plant's resistance to stress, its immunity, and buds are formed much faster than if the grower did not make any dressings.

As a rule, if the grower provides the plant with decent care, then the asters do not suffer from any diseases. The factors that provoke diseases are a high level of humidity, poor-quality planting material, growing asters in the same place for several years in a row, as a result of which the soil is completely depleted.

Fusarium, which is a fungal disease that affects the stems and deciduous parts of the plant, is a great danger to the shrubs of needle asters. As a result, the plant turns yellow, loses its decorative properties, withers. It should be immediately removed from the soil and destroyed, and it is important to disinfect the soil and tools that removed the flower.

If spruce plants grow next to needle asters, then there is a high risk that rust may appear on them. Basically, they appear as bulges on the plastic sheet, after which the sheet can dry out, deform and crumble. To avoid this, the plant should be treated with Bordeaux liquid. Also, scoops, meadow bugs, aphids and spider mites can attack the aster. Insects feed on both the roots and the ground part, as a result of which they slow down the development of the plant, and it can gradually simply die. Such professional drugs as Karbofos, Metaldehyde, Phosphamide are used against pests. They are bred and sprayed with plants.

Thus, needle asters are one of the most common plants that can be found quite often in garden plots, as well as in flower beds. They are unpretentious in care, have a fairly high level of immunity. Of course, a lot depends on how the gardener himself will relate to his plantings, because only in this case can the asters respond with gratitude - quickly grow, give abundant flowering with incredible flowers of various colors. These are plants belonging to the group of frost-resistant and unpretentious autumn flowers. Needle asters look equally advantageous on the beds, and in flower beds, and in bouquets. Planting can be done in two ways: at home, or planting seeds directly into the open ground.