Gardeners are very fond of aster, so it can be found in almost every suburban area. Such popularity is explained by the simplicity of growing this plant, which even a novice can cope with.
However, not everyone knows that in order to obtain high-quality seed material, it is necessary not only to collect the seeds correctly, but also to carry out proper care of the plant throughout the entire period of cultivation. This is especially true for those who plant flowers in the northern regions, where short summers predominate. Consider how to collect aster seeds and get beautiful flowers.
Features of aster planting
There are several ways to grow this unusual flower. However, experienced gardeners recommend acting according to a few helpful tips. First of all, you need to take into account that the sprouts appear under the influence of temperature contrast, that is, sudden cooling and heating.
At home, seeds are recommended to be preliminarily placed in the refrigerator, and then soaked in warm water. If we are talking about a suburban area, then the seeds must be laid out on the surface of the earth and sprinkled with snow at least 1 cm. After that, you can safely go home. When the snow begins to melt, it will draw seedlings into the soil. In this case, there will be a kind of imitation of the fact that sowing is carried out in the fall before winter.
To learn how to properly collect aster seeds, you must first clarify how to plant them. At home, you can put the seed material on the surface of the earth in pots and put them in the refrigerator overnight. In the daytime, pots with sprouts are placed in a warm place. Such a shift must be made several times until the seeds hatch. After that, you can touch them with earth and water.
Such methods of planting are considered the best, since in this case the flowers will be quite strong. Accordingly, it will be possible to collect high-quality seed material from them.
How to care for seedlings planted in open ground
Before you properly collect aster seeds, care features should be considered first. To do this, you must adhere to several useful rules.
First of all, you need to remember that these flowers do not like an excess of water, so they need to be watered extremely rarely. After irrigation with water, the seedlings are recommended to be aired. In this case, in pots with plants, it is necessary to organize drainage so that the water does not linger.
If high-quality and fertile land prevails in the suburban area, then it is not necessary to prepare the soil before planting. If the soil is poor, then 2 weeks after transplanting seedlings, it is necessary to fertilize the soil. For this, you can use nitrogen top dressing. However, do not get carried away with them, since they provoke a strong growth of the green part of the bushes, and not the flowers themselves.
As a rule, in early May, seedlings are also fed. To do this, mix 1 teaspoon of nitrophosphate and Agricola 7 fertilizer. The resulting mixture is diluted with 2 liters of water.
How to choose seeds
Not all beginner gardeners know how to choose the right seed so that full-grown plants grow out of it. However, this is very important to consider before collecting aster seeds in the fall.
To collect seeds, strong and beautiful flowers are selected. They can be marked with a ribbon and cut off after flowering. The dried petals can not be cut off from the core, but save the whole flower in a cardboard box. But for this, it must be absolutely dry.
The quality of the seed material, of course, depends on whether parasites will damage it during the winter storage period. Therefore, saying how to collect aster seeds, you should definitely consider this nuance.
Growing Features
First of all, you need to decide on the place where the flower will be on the flower bed, and which plants will be located next to it. As a rule, lower-growing varieties are planted in the foreground, and higher ones are selected in the background. In this case, the plants will not overshadow each other and will be able to receive a normal amount of light.
First of all, you should not grow these flowers in the same place every year, since in this case they run the risk of contracting fungal diseases. It is also not recommended to plant a crop in the soil where tomatoes, potatoes, gladioli and cloves grew before.
If manure is used as a fertilizer for plants, then it can be affected by a black leg. In addition, such top dressing can provoke brown rot of the roots. Therefore, periodically it is necessary to carry out preventive measures. Soil disinfection is best suited for this. The diseased plant is recommended to be removed.
How to Collect Annual Aster Seeds
For seed material, it is recommended to leave central and larger flowers. The fact is that it is they who have time to ripen in time. Typically, this occurs approximately 35-40 days after the plant has begun to bloom.
1 g of seed quality contains up to 500 pieces. However, before collecting aster seeds at home or directly on a suburban area, it must be taken into account that they can be stored for no more than 1 year. After that, they will become weaker and are unlikely to hatch. If you plant seeds previously harvested in the 2nd year, then the chance that they will turn into full-fledged plants is only 55%.
Also, fresh seeds are better suited to plant them before winter. In order to collect the seed material, it is necessary to wait until the flowers of the plant completely bloom, and their inflorescences dry out a little. After that, you need to watch the flowers a little. The main sign that they are ready for collection will be that the petals will darken a little and begin to fade. In this case, a small fluff will begin to appear in the center of the plant.
In this case, having figured out how to collect aster seeds, you can begin to work.
It is recommended to choose a clear and dry day, cut the flower and dry it a little. Cutting the head at this stage is not recommended. After drying is done, just shake the plant and collect all the fallen seeds in a paper bag. If the inflorescence has not dried out, then you can try to take it apart and then wait a few more days. Otherwise, the seeds may rot.
Features of storing aster seeds
First of all, it is necessary to collect exclusively dry and healthy seeds. If there is a darkened shell on them or the peel is covered with a light fluff, then it is better not to use such material.
Before putting the seeds in storage, they must be additionally dried by spreading them on a dry cotton cloth or paper. However, it is not recommended to expose seed material in open sunlight. Storage should be carried out in a dark room with relative humidity, which will be no more than 55%.
During the year, it is necessary to periodically check the bags with seed material and make sure that mold or fungus does not appear in them. If this happens, then the seeds are not recommended for planting.
Advice
To get quality seeds, you need to know some of the intricacies of caring for asters. Planting plants is recommended in a fairly sunny place, where the soil is light. During the summer season, you need to feed the plants at least 3 times. As a rule, fertilizer is applied immediately after planting, after the buds appear and when they begin to bloom.
If you treat the bushes with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, then this will help protect them from attacks of aphids and spider mites.
In custody
Knowing how to collect aster seeds and store them correctly, you can create beautiful flowerbeds on a suburban area. However, it should be borne in mind that in order to obtain high-quality seed material, you also need to think about caring for crops.