We study the subtleties of reproduction, planting and caring for flowers by saintbrinks
Sentyabrinka or Verginskaya aster is a perennial plant that adorns many gardens with lush and vibrant flowering, which lasts until the first frost. Reproduction, planting and caring for flowers with saintbrinks do not cause any difficulties and do not take much time, which has provided the plant with love among many summer residents and gardeners.
Popular varieties and features of saintbrinks
In floriculture, there are more than 1000 varieties of saintbrinks. They differ in height, color and cultivation characteristics. Among the most common varieties:
- Dwarf or undersized saintbrines - these include the snow-white Snowsprite flowers, Jenny's reds and Audrey's purplish pinks.
- Medium-sized varieties - these include the purple-silver Royal Velvet, the red-pink Ellina, and the snow-white Cassie flowers.
- Tall species - among the most popular are the snow-white White Lady bushes, the silvery pink Dick Ballard, and the purple Amethyst.
The height of low-growing Sentbrinks does not exceed 30-40 cm, medium-sized ones reach 60-70 cm. The highest varieties of Verginsky asters are Konstanz (170-180 cm), September Rubin (145-150 cm).
Reproduction, planting and caring for flowers by saintbrinks
The process of reproduction, planting and caring for flowers with santbrinks does not require a lot of effort. But there are agrotechnical rules and subtleties, the observance of which allows you to get a lush and long flowering of santabrins.
The plant is most often grown from seed and much less often from seedlings. For cultivation, it is best to choose well-lit areas, protected from drafts and flooding by rain and melt water. Flowers do not make any demands on the soil, but they develop somewhat worse on heavy, clayey soils.
Landing dates
The optimal time for planting is the second half of February or early March. Such terms allow you to get healthy and strong seedlings by May. Also, the planting of a saintbrinka can be carried out at the beginning of autumn - the plant is highly frost-resistant and will tolerate the first frosts well.
Seed preparation
For reproduction, planting and caring for flowers with saintbrinks, it is necessary to properly prepare seed material. It is best to buy it in flower shops, rather than harvest it yourself. Due to late flowering, the seeds do not have time to fully mature, so the collected material will have low germination.
Site preparation
Site preparation should begin weeks before planting. The soil must be dug to the depth of the shovel bayonet, and then the holes must be prepared. The distance between adjacent pits for undersized and medium-sized santabrins should be 20-25 cm, for tall varieties - at least 40-50 cm.
Additionally, the soil is introduced:
- to improve the structure - rotted manure, sand, peat;
- to increase fertility - ash, humus, complex mineral fertilizers;
- compaction of light sandy soil - clay;
- decrease in acidity - dolomite flour, lime.
Immediately before planting santabrins, fertilize the soil with a mixture of potassium salt (20 g), superphosphate (30-40 g) and ammonium sulfate (15 g).
Step-by-step algorithm for planting saintbrinks
Sowing saintbrinka in open ground is best done after preliminary cultivation of seedlings - this will ensure rapid rooting and adaptation of plants. Prepare short plastic containers or flower pots and fill them with ready-made flower growing medium.
Make small grooves in the center of the container and plant the seeds in them. Sprinkle lightly with a thin layer of soil and press down a little, but do not tamp. Moisten the substrate and cover with plastic wrap or glass.
Place the seed containers in a dark, dry place. After about 20-25 days, the first shoots of santbrinks appear. When the seedlings grow enough and get stronger, they can be transplanted into open beds or flower beds.
Pour the prepared holes with plenty of water, pouring about a bucket into each hole. When the moisture is completely absorbed, lower the seedling and spread its root system. Sprinkle the hole with soil and lightly tamp, water again.
Sentbrink care
Planting and caring for flowers with saintbrinks consists of standard agrotechnical measures. It consists of regular watering, loosening and weeding of the soil, top dressing and systematic sanitary pruning.
Proper watering
In the first 15 days after planting, young seedlings need to be watered often and abundantly, every other day, using settled water at room temperature. After that, the stage of active growth of the flower begins and it can be watered much less often, only during a prolonged drought, once a week. At normal air temperatures, it is enough to water the plant every 2-3 weeks.
Top dressing
2-3 times during the season, saintbrinks are fed with complex mineral fertilizers intended for perennial ornamental plants. The first feeding is carried out at the end of May, immediately after transplanting flowers into open soil. For this purpose, it is better to use fertilizers, which are dominated by nitrogen.
The second fertilization is best done in early or late July, using potassium-containing dressings. The third top dressing of the saintbrink is final, the time of its carrying out is the stage of budding or the flowering of the plant itself. At this time, phosphorus is the most important.
After applying fertilizers, the soil around the plants must be loosened. At the same time, it is necessary to remove the weeds that slow down the growth of the saintbrink.
Pruning and replanting
When to transplant saintbrinks depends on the timing of their planting. Most often, the transplant is carried out in the spring, after 3-4 years from the moment of planting. Over time, the soil becomes leaner and more dense, the bushes begin to grow, therefore, without transplanting, the plants lose their aesthetic appeal, and their growth and flowering deteriorate.
Throughout the entire growing season, sanitary pruning of the saintbrink bushes should be carried out. It stimulates plant growth and enhances flowering. During the procedure, all dried, lethargic and rotten leaves, damaged stems, as well as shoots that are knocked out of the overall composition are removed.
In October or November, after the end of the flowering period of the septenchins, it is necessary to cut off all the shoots at the root, leaving only small "stumps" no larger than 2-3 cm in size.
Sentyabrinki are common garden plants that attract the attention of gardeners for their unpretentious care and lush, abundant flowering. Bright and colorful bushes will be an excellent decoration for a flower bed or a personal plot, delighting with luxurious inflorescences until the first frost.