For many people, asters are associated with early autumn, when the days are still warm and sunny, and in the evenings there is an autumn coolness. Surely, many of our readers sent their children to school on September 1 with a bouquet of these bright and beautiful flowers.
The name of the flower in Greek means "star". Perhaps his shape resembled an asterisk with outgoing rays, or maybe he got that name because of his exquisite beauty. One of the many legends tells that asters grew from stardust falling from the sky. At night, they talk with their heavenly sisters.
This amazing flower was a talisman among the ancient Greeks, which brought good luck. To receive the favor of the heavenly bodies, people began to plant it in front of temples and houses. Pion-shaped aster is undoubtedly one of the most decorative types of asters. This variety is late flowering, and therefore even in autumn it pleases with magnificent flowering and bright colors.
This flower impresses with a variety of shapes and colors: white and pink, burgundy and violet, yellow and delicate lilac terry flowers delight. It is rare to find a garden in which a variety of asters are not grown. Today in the world there are about 600 species and more than 800 varieties of this plant. However, in this article we will talk about the pion-shaped aster. What attracts florists to it? What does it look like? What is necessary for beautiful flowering?
Pion-shaped astra: description
Astra is very beautiful, has a long flowering period and a variety of bright colors. These flowers have a perfectly developed root system. Their petals are vaulted, with large teeth and a wide oval shape. The stems of the plant are sessile, straight. Inflorescences are rather large baskets in the form of a panicle or scutes.
In the middle of the flower you can usually see the yellow core, and on the edges of the reed petals are painted in a variety of colors. The diameter of the basket can reach 15 cm. It received its name pion-shaped aster (photo you can see below) due to the outward resemblance to peony. The unusual shape of the flower is formed by elongated outer petals, which are noticeably longer than the central ones.
All the petals are directed to the middle, and thanks to this, the inflorescence takes on the shape of a ball and is very similar to a peony. The bush of the plant is medium-tall: from 40 to 70 cm in height. It perfectly retains its shape due to the weak branching of the stems. Pion-shaped aster blooms from early July to early October.
Species and varieties
Pion-shaped astra, the cultivation of which will not cause you any problems, today is represented by numerous varieties. However, the most popular are three of them:
The colors of these varieties can be very different. The pion-shaped aster is grown from seeds, as it is an annual plant. In this case, three methods can be used:
- seedling;
- stratification;
- sowing in open ground.
Pion-shaped aster: cultivation. Seat selection
For planting, it is advisable to choose an open sunny place, reliably protected from the wind. This plant does not tolerate water stagnation at all, so it can not be planted in areas with closely occurring groundwater. The soil for seed germination must be well-drained and nutritious.
Outdoor landing
In warm regions, you can immediately plant pion-shaped aster in open ground. Seedlings in this case are optional. Seeds are planted in the ground usually at the end of April, when the ground has warmed up well enough and does not form lumps, or closer to winter. They should be covered with a film.
When the seedlings and the first true leaves appear, the plants are planted, leaving between them a distance of about fifteen centimeters. If a pion-shaped aster is planted in soil in April, it will bloom later than plants grown from seedlings by about two weeks. And the seeds planted in November will bloom in May. Pion-shaped aster, the seeds of which are sown directly in open ground, usually bloom more actively. In addition, the plant grows more resistant to disease and hardened.
On warm sunny days, the film is opened for ventilation, and it is completely removed closer to summer. After that, the cultivation is reduced to regular loosening of the soil around the plant, watering it and feeding it before budding and, of course, during flowering.
Growing seedlings
In the more northern regions, it is more appropriate to use seedlings obtained at home for growing from seeds of a pion-shaped aster. In this case, the plants are sufficiently strengthened and acquire the necessary immunity to diseases. I must say that in the middle zone of our country, many gardeners are interested in pion-shaped aster (growing from seeds). When to plant plants?
Seeds are sown in boxes in March: by the time they are planted in open ground, strong and healthy seedlings grow. For seedlings, the seeds are planted in the soil into which the nutrient mixture is previously added. They are scattered on the surface and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. Then they are watered and covered with plastic wrap. For shoots to appear, the room temperature should be around + 20 ° C. After they appear, the temperature can be slightly reduced.
Two weeks before planting a pion-shaped aster in the open ground, hardening and top dressing of seedlings are carried out.
Stratification method
This method is used by experienced and professional flower growers when growing a pion-shaped aster. Planting and care in this case mimic the autumn cultivation of flowers. This method is based on the use of contrasting temperatures to accelerate the hatching of sprouts. Seeds are laid out on the soil surface, then sprinkled with a layer of snow (1 cm). They take root under melting snow. For several hours, the container with crops is placed in a cold place, and then rearranged into heat.
This alternation of temperatures is carried out until the seeds hatch. After the appearance of the first seedlings, the plants are planted in peat pots or tablets. Grow seedlings in accordance with certain standards. They feed it twice: the first - in May, using the Agricola solution and nitrophosphate, and the second - two weeks later.
Asters do not need too moist soil, so seedlings are watered infrequently. The main thing is to ensure that the soil does not dry out. After each watering, the seedlings are aired.
Landing
Before this serious procedure in life, plants harden seedlings: every day they take it out to fresh air, gradually increasing the time of “walks”. You can start with thirty minutes. After that, your seedlings will not be afraid of even frosts down to -4 ° C. From the moment you have planted the seeds, and before transplanting into the ground, at least two months must pass.
If the seeds are sown in mid-March, then the seedlings can be replanted in mid-May. Then the flowers are grown in mild and light soil. In damp areas, they will be affected by rot. Most of all, plants prefer sandy loam soil or non-acidic chernozem. In the depleted soil, experts recommend adding humus in the fall. After spring digging, it is necessary to add superphosphate, potassium salt, ammonium sulfate.
Before transplanting into open ground, seedlings should be well watered and wait a while until the roots are moistened. Then they will easily come out of the soil. They are carefully pulled out of the tank along with a lump of soil and rooted in the soil. On it, it is necessary to make grooves or holes in advance and water them. After planting seedlings on top, the soil is sprinkled with dry soil and slightly compacted so that the plants are resistant. Seedlings are watered at the root.
Plant care
Asters are not too demanding to care for. But some rules must be observed:
- timely watering;
- loosening (after each watering and rain);
- top dressing.
In addition, it is necessary to monitor soil moisture. In dry and hot summers, aster is watered abundantly, but infrequently. In order for the root system to develop normally, flowers need to be earthed out. A regular thorough weeding will help reduce the risk of disease.
Top dressing
Astra peony top dressing needed. Fertilizers are applied twice during the season: before bud formation and at the beginning of flowering. These plants are fed “Agricola”.
Disease
The cultivation of most plants is often associated with problems associated with various diseases. In this sense, pion-shaped asters are no exception. For example, improper crop rotation can cause fusarium wilt of the plant. This disease appears during flowering and is manifested by lethargy of the plant and falling petals. It is recommended to burn flowers affected by this ailment.
Powdery mildew is an equally dangerous disease. It is caused by the following reasons:
- irrigation regime violations;
- lack of nutrients in the soil;
- too thick planting.
A sign of the disease is a gray-white coating on the leaves and stems. “Sulfamide” and “Topaz” preparations will help in the fight against it.
Often the aster is affected by a fungus, which manifests itself as dark spots in the form of rings on the leaves. The affected leaves are removed and burned, and the plant should be treated with Polynomial or Fundazole.
Astra can be prone to another disease - jaundice. With it, the flower is covered with large yellow spots. Unfortunately, no treatment has yet been developed from it and the plant will have to be simply removed to protect neighboring flowers from infection.
For the prevention of gray rot, copper sulfate, bordeaux liquid, copper chloride are used. The plant is treated before flowering. This disease is quite easy to recognize by the gray-white coating on the leaves. It develops due to excess moisture and excessive nitrogen content in the soil. Affected areas of the plant are removed.
Pests
Of the pests, the most dangerous for the pion-shaped aster are gall or leaf nematodes. Brown spots appear between the veins of the leaves. In the advanced stage, when the entire plant is affected, it is removed.
If you notice that the leaves of your aster are united, and besides, foamy formations are visible on them, it means that the plant was attacked by slobbery pennies. The flower will need a cleaning shower from the hose and further processing with garlic infusion.
In dry and hot weather, the aster can be chosen by a spider mite. The plant is treated with a soapy solution and sprayed with infusion based on garlic, dandelion and onion husks.
The beauty of asters is admired by many people. These flowers are a true decoration of a garden or summer cottage, for a long time we have been pleased with magnificent bouquets in a vase. In order for their flowering to be active and last as long as possible, it is enough to take care of them regularly and competently.