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Astra - autumn beauty, which conquers all. It is not surprising that with the arrival of spring, many gardeners are wondering how to sow the seeds of the asters on seedlings, when to plant and at what time to transplant them into the ground.
A scientifically-plant growing on all household plots and gardens is called kalistemma. According to legend in the beginning of the XVI century the French monk brought to Europe the seeds of this beautiful plant from China. There are many varieties of asters, both annuals and perennials, most of which can be grown in different climatic zones.
How to choose seeds for seedlings
Due to the fact that there are a lot of varieties of asters, seeds should be picked up before starting to grow seedlings of asters.
This takes into account such parameters as the appearance and height of the bush, the structure and shape of the inflorescences (conventional or terry), the branching of what type is present in the plant, the color, the shape of the petals (acicular or ordinary), and so Further. As a rule, manufacturers all characteristics point to the packaging.
In addition, attention should be paid to the date of collection of seeds. The longer the period, the worse the germination. So it is preferable to buy last year's "harvest".
Seed sowing
Most often planting aster for seedlings in boxes, but you can immediately into the soil.
Sowing in open ground
The planting is carried out as soon as the soil warms up (as a rule, this is the beginning of May) to a depth of cm, having prepared the seeds in advance (they must be soaked in the germination accelerator). The shoots appear after 2 weeks.
When 2-3 leaves form on the stem, the seedlings are thinning, keeping the distance between the plants 10-15 cm. Seeds can be planted and late autumn in the frozen earth (it is pre-prepared), then sprinkled with dry soil. It is also possible to plant seeds in December and January, placing them in grooves and pouring a mixture of peat with dry soil, and on top - with snow. Of course, they do this under the condition that there are no severe frosts.
As you grow, you should take care of the young, conducting:
- Loosening the soil 4-6 cm deep after rain or watering.
- The hill is 5-7 cm above the ground until branching begins.
- Moderate watering (in the heat it should be abundant, about 3 buckets per 1 m2).
- Control of stagnation of water.
- Food, as a rule, three times: 10-15 days after thinning, appearance of buds and at the beginning of flowering.
Sowing for seedlings
The instructions always indicate the time when the seeds are planted in the soil. But gardeners do not recommend resorting to this method because of the onset of late flowering and are advised to sow asters for seedlings (usually March-April), and later to plant the young in the soil.
Just like in the case of landing in the open ground, the seeds should be soaked in the accelerator. In containers with a substrate, they sow asters on seedlings when the end of March - the beginning of April comes to a depth, cm, covered with earth and covered with film.
The substrate can be used as purchased or made independently by mixing humus, garden soil and sand. Do not forget to disinfect phytosporin or manganese. To adjust the acidity to the normal value, you can use ash. The ideal temperature for germination is 18-25 ° C. Seedlings appear after a week, and after 10 days leaflets form. During this period, picks an aster in individual cups.
At the time of the growth of the seedlings, good lighting should be provided (preferably south and southwest windows), regular watering (in the morning) and a temperature of 16-25 ° C in the daytime and 12-15 ° C in the night.
After 1-2 weeks after diving, it is possible to fertilize with special fertilizers for seedling. You can use a mixture of superphosphate and saltpeter in a ratio of 1: 0 g for every 10 liters of water. By the time of planting, 2-3 additional dressings should be carried out, alternating spraying with fertilizers with root irrigation.
When 4-5 leaves appear, the seedlings are periodically taken out to the glassed balcony to be tempered, and then to fresh air and sun, starting at 15 minutes with a gradual increase in time.
Planting seedlings in the ground
In the soil, the previously sown asters for the seedlings are planted when 50 days pass. In this case, the height of the young should be 6 cm and on each stem should be at least 5 leaves. Disembarkation is carried out according to the weather. As a rule, gardeners are guided by the folk sign, according to which the end of the flowering of bird cherry trees indicates the absence of frosts in the future.
Select location
Identify the location of the flowerbeds should be in the fall. For long flowering, it is best to place it on the sunny side. If there is no suitable place, you can split the flower garden in the penumbra.
There are no special requirements for the soil of the aster, except that it should be a normal pH, easy and good to let in air.
The only requirement is not to plant the seedlings of the asters grown at home, as well as the seeds in the soil, where before the growth of gillyflowers, tomatoes, gladioli, cloves, potatoes.
In the autumn, 2 kg of sand, ½ of a pound of humus per 1 m2 are preliminary introduced into the soil and digested. In spring, ammonium sulfate is dispersed, superphosphate, potassium salt 1 tbsp. l. each per 1 m2.
How to plant seedlings
First of all, the plants are well watered and left for 30 minutes, so that they are well taken out of the cups. The transplant is done with a "native" clod of earth in pre-prepared soil or dug holes (not forgetting well watered) to a depth of no more than 20 cm, because the root system of asters is close to the surface of the earth.
When planting, the distance between the plants should be observed. It must be at least 20 cm. This ensures a good development of asters.
It is best to plant seedlings of asters planted in the ground when the weather is cloudy on the street. Thus, plants will recover more quickly. In clear weather, the procedure should be done in the evening. After planting, the plants are well watered, trying not to get on the foliage. Further care is carried out similarly to the method of planting seeds in the open ground.
