Astra one-year
The biggest trouble with this plant is the poor seed germination and a very short shelf life of only one year. Therefore, there are so many failures in the cultivation of asters by amateurs. Seeds should take their own, but that's the bad luck: the most beautiful asters are hybrids, and they do not pass through the seeds of their properties. Do not sow on seedlings early, out of overgrown seedlings little use. At the end of March, cheer seeds. Prepare the soil moisten with a weak solution of "Phytosporin", fill it with a landing box, compact, sow seeds,
as already mentioned, mixing them with dust from tea or coffee. Do not thicken the crops! On top, sprinkle seeds with dry soil and season the crops with a tablespoon. Cover the box with film or glass and put in a warm place. Make sure that the soil does not dry out, but do not over-moisten it. It is better to spray the soil from a hand sprayer than to water it. After a week there will be shoots. Now the film can be removed, and the seedlings can be transferred to the brightest place or illuminated with a fluorescent lamp or a Reflax lamp. In the supernatant, add additional fertilizing, for example 2 teaspoons per 3 liters of water "Uniflor-growth" or any complete mineral fertilizer. It will not prevent a couple of times a month pour the soil "Fitosporin" in order to avoid the appearance of a black leg. When the plants have a couple of true leaves, it should either be broken or weeded, leaving the plants in the 3x3 cm scheme. It's the easiest to thin the plants by tearing excess plants with tweezers. Seedlings aster should be prophylactically every 10 days sprayed with "Zircon"( 2 drops per 1 liter of water).After the spring frosts pass, you can plant the plants in the open ground to a prepared place. It must be sunny, soil - neutral and fertile. Add sand and ash to the soil. In addition, the planting site must be treated beforehand either with "Phytosporin" or with a preparation containing copper. Excellent Bordeaux liquid is suitable. This is done to prevent the disease with a black leg and wilting, which often affects the planted seedlings of asters. In the future, monitor the moisture of the soil. Continue spraying plants with "Zircon".Excellent for asters, as, indeed, for any plants, the drug "Healthy Garden".
The largest and most beautiful flower is formed on the central shoot. Asters are cut flowers, and a beautiful, long central flower stem emphasizes the beauty of the flower. If you do not cut it, but only remove the fading flower, then from the sinuses of the leaves located on the stem, stepchildren will go, on which buds will also appear. But the flowers opened on them will have short stems, unsuitable for cutting. In this case, it remains to admire the lush bloom of the asters on the bushes.
To cut flowers last longer in a vase, or throw a couple of "Healthy Garden" in the water, or add 1 teaspoon of sugar( for plant nutrition) and a grain of citric acid( to suppress harmful microflora).In wet weather, powdery mildew may appear on asters. If you systematically apply Zirkon, then it will not. But if the disease is manifested, then spray the plants with "Zircon" of higher concentration( 4 drops per 1 liter of water).
Asters have heavy flowers, and they usually fall on the ground during rain or with strong dew. Flowers get dirty and lose decorativeness. Therefore, every bush has to be tied up. Sticks for garters of plants should be smooth, smooth, of one height, so that the flower garden does not become dull.
Pests from asters to asters are usually attacked by aphids. With regular spraying "Healthy garden" aphids do not attack asters. But if you did, sprinkle the planting with either a "Healthy Garden"( 4 grains per 1 liter of water) or "Phytoverm"( 1 ml per 3 liters of water), but do not use chemical protection, because most of them do notabsorbed by the leaves, and therefore will have to constantly fight with new generations of aphids from incoming females. Of the absorbed chemicals there is "Fosbetsid".But your health is still more expensive than the health of flowers.
Lazy flower growers can sow the seeds of asters straight into the ground to a permanent place in early May, covering the seeding site just in case lutrasilom, although seedlings asters and carry frosts to -3 degrees. Friendly shoots appear in the open ground after only 5 days. They should be cut using tweezers, and then planted according to the scheme of 20 x 20 cm. The plants bloom usually 2.5-3.5 months after emergence. So you will admire the flowers in late August-September. Small autumn frosts of the plant are easily transferred. Its seeds should be taken from a fading flower, drying it on paper in a room. Dry seeds are best stored in sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator.
There is a wide variety of varieties and hybrids of the annual asters of the most unusual form and coloring of flowers! A few flowers can boast such diversity. If you like asters, then - the flag in your hands!