Asters - planting and caring for unpretentious flowers in the open field

Please tell us about asters, planting and outdoor care for these flowers. You can sow them directly on the flowerbed, otherwise I have no place to grow seedlings. And where is it better to plant flowers, in the sun or in partial shade?

Their colorful baskets can be found in every front garden thanks to their colorful bloom. Unique asters, planting and caring for which in the open field are absolutely not difficult, are considered a symbol of autumn. It is at this time that most annual varieties bloom. Perennial asters delight at all with abundant flowering until the very frost. If you don't have autumn beauties yet, be sure to buy a bag of seeds. And now we will tell you how to get a luxurious flower bed out of it.

Asters - planting and care in the open field

Representatives of the Compositae family, asters have almost half a thousand species. Among them there are as annuals, which give seeds by the end of the season and then die off. They need to be planted every year. But there are also many perennial asters, the most unpretentious. They live in the garden for many years, renewing the aboveground part on their own in the spring.

How to plant

Annual asters are propagated exclusively with seeds. They sprout well, and planting material is always in abundance, even if you have only one bush.

Seeds can be planted in two ways:

1. Directly into open ground in spring: early varieties in March, later varieties in April. Also, aster can be sown before winter, after the ground freezes a little.
2. For seedlings in early March, planting in a flower bed in May.

Perennial asters can be propagated both by seed and vegetative method (cuttings and division).

Where to plant

Asters love well-lit areas where they can fully reveal the beauty of their bloom. Best of all, they will be in a flower bed where calendula grew last year. As for the soil, it is desirable that it be fertile and with neutral acidity.

The soil, poor in nutrients, needs preliminary preparation. In the fall, humus is introduced for digging, and in the spring - potassium salt and superphosphate.

How to care for asters

The longest time is to wait until a bush grows from a small seed and gives the first buds. But on the other hand, both during this period and in the future, asters are unpretentious.

It is enough for them:

• timely removal of weeds and soil loosening;
• regular watering, taking into account weather conditions;
• only 3 dressings per season: at the age of 2 weeks, in the bud formation phase and when they bloom.

Care perennials is no different from growing annual asters. Perennial species are highly resistant and winter well without shelter. Up to 5 years they can not be disturbed, and then it is better to thin the bushes by planting them so that the buds are not crushed.

We grow asters: from seed to bouquet