Asters Many gardeners grow them on their plots, but few feed them. Meanwhile, to strengthen the seedlings, for lush flowering plants already planted in the ground and growth are needed feeding. About, How can you feed asters?, we read in the book by O. Ganichkina.
Feeding seedlings
It is enough to feed aster seedlings once in early May. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoon of potassium humate (universal) and the same amount of nitrophoska in 2 liters of water. Seedlings can be moved into open ground at the end of May and covered with protective material until June 10.
Open ground. Feeding during the growth phase
IN open ground For the first time, it is recommended to feed asters before budding. To do this, dissolve 1 tablespoon of potassium humate (universal) in a 10-liter bucket of water. Instead, you can use Intermag fertilizer for flowers. Solution consumption: 3-4 liters per 1 square meter.
Method of feeding (first) from another source: Use complex fertilizer “Flower”. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of the product in 10 liters of water. Solution consumption: 4 liters per 1 square meter.
Feeding during and for flowering
Second feeding required during budding and the appearance of the very first flowers. Use “Potassium Humate” or “Intermag” for flowers.
- A solution of potassium humate is prepared in the following proportion: 1 tbsp. spoon for 3 liters of water. Solution consumption: 3-4 liters per 1 square meter.
- Intermag solution: 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. Consumption: 3-5 liters per 1 square meter.
And in another source, during the formation of buds, they recommend feeding:
- Agricol 7 (complex fertilizer). Prepare a solution: for 10 liters of water, 1 tbsp. spoon of fertilizer. Solution consumption: 4 liters per 1 square meter.
From my own experience and about soils
We never feed asters, and they delight us with their blooms despite this. Fertilizing will be advisable on poor, unfertilized soils. Asters prefer light to medium loamy soils. These flowers are planted with seeds in open ground in the fall before winter or in the spring, as well as with preliminary cultivation of seedlings.
- Dig up and flavor the soil with humus and peat (3 kg each), as well as superphosphate and potassium sulfate (1 tablespoon each), you can also add urea (1 tablespoon), wood ash and dolomite flour (200 g each). The proportions are given per 1 square meter.
Asters love wood ash, therefore, both as a fertilizer and for feeding during growth, you can simply scatter it on the surface of the soil around the plants. For 1 square meter you need 300 g. ash.
Many people love and respect the annual aster. This flower has taken up residence in our gardens and gardens, and September bouquets of asters have long become familiar attributes of first-graders. The flowers of asters are so rich in their colors that the eyes run wild, and we are generally silent about the variety of forms.
Asters, like all other flowers, have their own characteristics in cultivation, which we now invite you to get acquainted with so that planting your asters in open ground is as successful as possible.
Growing asters
Asters reproduce only by seeds, so they can be grown in two ways: seedlings or immediately sowing asters in open ground.
Growing aster seedlings
Sowing asters for seedlings should begin in late March - early April. Asters are very unpretentious to the soil in which they will grow, but they give preference to fresh, previously unused soil, not rich in humus, but at the same time well-drained. The best option for growing aster seedlings the following mixture will be used:
- 3 parts of turf land;
- 1 part river sand;
- For 1 bucket of this mixture you need to add 2 tablespoons of wood ash.
Pour the mixed soil into containers, and sprinkle calcined soil on top 1 cm thick. river sand. After we moisten it a little, you can start planting the seeds, which we then cover with a 5 mm layer of the same calcined sand. Approximately 5-7 days after planting, the first shoots will appear; until this point, the room temperature must be maintained at about 18-20°C. After you notice the first green shoots, the temperature will need to be lowered to 13-15°C.
Aster seedlings should be watered rarely, only when the soil dries out. Don't forget that after water procedures Young shoots must be ventilated. At the beginning of May, it will be possible to feed the aster with any fertilizer suitable for it. Asters can be planted in open ground at the end of May. In this case, at first it is necessary to take care of night warmth, which can be achieved with ordinary covering.
Spring sowing of asters in the ground
If you are not going to grow seedlings, then get ready to plant in the fall. So, we sow asters in open ground. To do this, you will need to prepare a bed or flower bed for flowers in advance. In spring, seeds can be sown in late April - early May. But, of course, it is necessary to use a double layer of covering material, which can only be removed on warm, windless days.
Autumn sowing of asters
One of the popular methods of growing asters in open ground remains the method of sowing before winter. To do this in October:
- we make a bed, fertilize it with humus and peat;
- we level the ground and compact it;
- across the entire space we draw a groove no more than 2 cm deep;
- cover with one layer of covering material and leave until November.
When the soil is sufficiently frozen in November, we begin planting the seeds in the prepared place:
- we sow dry aster seeds into the frozen furrows;
- Sprinkle a 2 cm layer of dry soil on top;
- Cover the bed tightly, pressing it on the sides, with polyethylene and leave everything until spring.
At the end of April, when there is no longer a smell of snow, you can remove the film and replace it with a standard covering material that can be
will be removed after the last frost overnight.
The described autumn method allows you to get flowers much earlier, and at the same time they will be stronger and more stable.
Feeding aster in open ground
To obtain beautiful flowers, it is imperative to fertilize asters. The first time this must be done before the first buds appear. Choose a fertilizing product from the assortment presented in your store. A second feeding will be required when the very first flowers appear. The same solution can be used.
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growing annual asters |
Astra is unpretentious.Astra is photophilous.Aster is moisture-loving (especially the first month of life of seedlings).Aster is cold-resistant (tolerates short-term frosts).Aster is responsive to fertile soil.
You cannot plant asters after potatoes, tomatoes, asters, and gladioli. Adult aster plants are unpretentious to growing conditions, easily tolerate short-term drought, and tolerate replanting well until the budding period.
Aster seeds are quite capricious. They quickly lose their germination capacity (2-3 years after collecting the seeds), are very sensitive to drying out of the soil during germination, are quite frost-resistant, self-sow well (under favorable conditions) and germinate in spring (when wintering under snow).
Flowering of asters begins in mid-June (when planted through seedlings) and from the end of July (when sowing seeds in open ground).
Early asters begin to bloom after 90 days (early July), mid-early ones after 110 days (early August), late ones after 120-130 days (end of August - mid-September). Late varieties of asters bloom until severe frosts (-5C).
Asters can be planted in one place for 2-3 years in a row.
Selecting a site for planting asters.
A flowerbed for them must be chosen that is light; asters cannot tolerate shade (the stems stretch out, they often get sick, and they rarely bloom). Aster does not tolerate stagnation of water (if it suffers from fusarium, the leaves become rusty, dry out and die).
It is preferable to plant aster in nutritious medium-dense soils, where manure was applied no earlier than 2-3 years ago.
Selection of aster seeds.
Seeds are selected depending on the location of the asters in the future flower bed, taking into account the height of the bushes, the diameter of the flowers and the desired color scheme.
In the foreground, short and taller people will look good small varieties astr. For the background of flower beds, more tall bushes with large inflorescences.
Preparing the soil for planting asters.
Like any flowers, aster will produce large, healthy, powerful flowers only if there is a sufficient amount of nutrients and moisture.
If the aster is planned to be planted in the spring, then it is better to dig up the area in the fall, adding 1 square meter 200 grams of nitrophoska and 1 bucket of rotted manure (or compost). Fresh manure cannot be applied; it contributes to the infection of asters by fungal diseases.
Methods and time of planting aster.
Annual asters are grown in seedlings (in greenhouses at the dacha and in containers on the windowsill) and without seedlings. An aster planted with seedlings will bloom 3-4 weeks earlier than an aster planted with seeds in open ground.
Using the seedless method, aster seeds are planted in open ground in the fall, at the end of October or in the spring (late April - early May), when the air temperature is above 100C. In the spring, sowing is not delayed in order to avoid the soil drying out during germination (which produces poor, unfriendly shoots).
Asters are best planted in groups or individually; they are also planted between perennials.
Standard planting is planting in rows, with a row spacing of at least 30 cm and a distance of 3-5 cm between the seeds in the row. Before planting the seeds, the prepared holes are spilled with water, then the seeds are laid out and covered with a 2-3 cm layer of soil.
From the moment of germination to budding, the seedlings break through 2-3 times. The first time when the first pair of true leaves appears (every other), subsequent times - every 3-4 weeks. Torn seedlings can be used for replanting in other flower beds.
It is better to plant aster seedlings in cloudy weather, according to the scheme, no thicker than 30–30 cm.
Under favorable conditions (not hot or dry autumn), asters reproduce well by self-sowing.
What to do to make asters grow in lush bushes?
For abundant flowering Asters require pinching of the central bud (the very first one). Although there are varieties that bush on their own.
Watering the asters.
In summer, aster is not watered often, but abundantly. Aster does not tolerate systematic waterlogging and is also sensitive to prolonged drought (buds become smaller). Watering alternates with loosening the soil.
How to prolong the flowering of asters?
During flowering, faded flowers are systematically removed to give the plants a neat appearance and prolong their flowering period (by saving energy and nutrients that would go towards seed ripening).
How to get larger flowers from aster for cutting?
To make the aster's flowers larger, you need to remove all the side shoots from the bush at the time of budding and leave 1-2 central flowering stems. This operation can be effectively carried out with large-flowering asters.
The buds on the aster open gradually, the topmost and central ones bloom first, then the lateral flowers come in turn. Asters with half-opened flowers are harvested for cutting.
How to collect your aster seeds?
To collect seeds from the variety you like, do not pick the flower until its petals wither, the center darkens and it becomes covered with white fluff. Such flowers are cut and dried in a warm, dry place for a month, without cutting the heads. Then shake out the seeds and store at room temperature, in paper bags or cloth bags for no more than 2 years.
From the garden to the apartment.
If desired, in the fall, before the onset of frost, dig beautiful bushes(blooming or in the budding stage), transplanted (together with a lump of earth) into pots or other containers and placed on glass balcony or a veranda (where the temperature will remain between +10-+18°C).
Then they will delight you with their colors and colors for a long time.
Feeding aster
Aster responds well to foliar feeding, especially at the time of budding (June-July) with a solution of complete mineral fertilizer; the solution is evenly sprayed over the leaves in the morning on a cloudy, windless day.
yablochkini.ru
Annual aster from spring to autumn: growing seedlings and further care
The annual aster, Callistephus chinensis, blooms until autumn. This beautiful, unpretentious, cold-resistant plant will decorate the garden of even a novice gardener.
Buying seeds of annual asters
When purchasing annual aster seeds ( Callistephus chinensis) you should not neglect domestic seeds, even if the picture on the bag is not as colorful as on the packaging of imported seeds. Our aster seeds are not only no worse, but are often much more reliable (more resistant to Fusarium wilt). There are so many varieties of annual asters that it is difficult to choose the best. There are short and tall asters (20 - 90 cm), with small and large inflorescences (2 - 16 cm), with a small and huge number of flowers (5 - 100 pcs.), etc. Everyone knows about how different the flowers (or rather, inflorescences) of asters are. These plants are grown not only in the soil of flower beds, but also in flower pots. For example, low-growing "Waldersee", "Pinocchio" and "Edelweiss" (with many small inflorescences). IN Lately Dwarf asters with large inflorescences (“Dwarf Royal”, “Dwarf Radio”) are becoming popular.
Asters are varied. There are low-growing varieties with a height of 20 cm (“Edelweiss”, “Dwarf Royal”), and there are also giants (“California Gigantic”, “American Bush”). The shape of the bush can be spreading (“Ostrich Feather”, “Princess”), columnar (“Peony”), cushion-shaped (“Dwarf Royal”), pyramidal (“Ambria”), etc. Inflorescences are single-double (“Edelweiss”), semi-double and densely double (“Princess”, “Radio”). The color of the inflorescences is one-color or two-color. Flower size ranges from modest (“Edelweiss”) to large (“American bush”).
There is no point in buying many bags of seeds of the same variety at once, since the guaranteed germination period is short, and a lot of seeds fit in a bag. 1 g contains from 300 to 500 light seeds. After two years, seed germination drops sharply, dropping to 40%. If your asters are blooming, then do not miss the opportunity to collect seeds of the most beautiful varieties.
Seedlings of annual asters
Early flowering asters bloom 80 days after sowing, late ones - after 130 days. When sowing asters in spring, you should not delay the sowing time. I heard from many gardeners that tall asters sown in May grew not only not as tall as they should have been, but rather stunted.
Usually, seeds for seedlings begin to be sown from mid-March to mid-April. Before sowing, it is useful to pickle them in potassium permanganate to reduce the likelihood of aster disease such as fusarium. Breeders have developed varieties that are relatively resistant to fusarium (Vologda Lace, Malyshka, Russian Beauty, Gray Lady, Khavskaya White, Khavskaya Lilac-Pink, Jubilee White and some others). This technique has also proven itself quite well. pre-sowing preparation seeds: they are soaked for several hours in a solution of “Ideal” fertilizer (the concentration is indicated in the instructions).
When sowing, the seeds are not sprinkled with soil on top, but only pressed in smooth side spoons or wet finger. With this method, the seeds literally germinate before our eyes. Their strong roots quickly penetrate into the soil. The container with freshly sown seeds is covered on top with glass or film, which is not removed until germination. Tags with the name of the variety are also important, so that in the future it will be easier to create a beautiful composition on the site.
Asters sprout quickly. Already on the 2nd - 3rd day (after sowing), the seeds peck, and on the 4th - 6th day, friendly shoots appear. Old seeds do not guarantee such friendly and rapid germination. Aster seedlings grow quickly, but with a lack of light they grow even faster. In order not to spoil the seedlings, containers with emerging seedlings are placed in a cooler place closer to the light. You need to water the seedlings carefully. At first it is convenient to drink it from a teaspoon.
I pick early, as soon as the first pair of true leaves appear. You can dive asters many times. They love it. It is clearly noticeable that this only makes them prettier. When it gets warmer, it is advisable to transfer the seedlings under a film cover. If there is a veranda, glazed loggia, greenhouse, etc., then from the beginning of April it is better to grow aster seedlings in them.
In spring, aster seeds can be sown for seedlings not only in indoors, but also in open ground (in heated soil). For this purpose, a suitable temporary shelter is constructed. A film greenhouse or its equivalent will do. Sowing is carried out at the end of April. It is safer to sow seeds “in sand”: a layer of sand under the seeds (1 - 2 cm) and dusting the seeds with sand on top. You can start growing seedlings when the outside air temperature is about 12 - 15°C. When sowing seeds in the ground, plants grow hardened, they get sick less often and bloom longer. And it’s easier for us, amateur flower growers. It must be taken into account that such asters often do not have time to produce fully ripened seeds.
You can sow aster seeds in open ground not only in spring, but also before winter (after cold weather sets in, usually in the second ten days of November). There is also a more extreme option: into frozen soil in grooves prepared in advance in the fall (about 5 - 8 cm deep). The seeds are covered with loose garden soil, stored for this occasion. From above, the sowing site is insulated with peat or sawdust (a layer of 3 - 5 cm). As soon as the snow melts, all the peat and part of the earth are moved to the side.
Transplanting aster seedlings into open ground
You can start planting seedlings in a permanent place from mid-May. Hardened seedlings tolerate short-term frosts well. To be on the safe side, it's better to cover it non-woven material. Before planting asters, the planting hole must be well watered. It is convenient to use dry grass or hay to make it easier for seedlings to initially adapt to open ground conditions in such “nests”. They will help retain heat and moisture. And it will become much more difficult for competing weeds to make their way to the light.
There is no need to plant seedlings too closely. The feeding area for low-growing asters is 20 x 20 cm, for medium-sized ones - 25 x 25 cm, for tall ones - 30 x 30 cm. If the aster is grown for cutting, then it requires more space, approximately 20 x 45 cm or 25 x 40 cm. Of course, these are only average sizes, which are given as guidelines.
Agricultural technology asters
Place. Asters are light-loving, but can also withstand light partial shade. The place should be level to avoid stagnation of water. Non-acidic (neutral or slightly alkaline), loose, nutritious and moderately moist soil is suitable for growing them. It should not contain too much organic matter. It is advisable to add sand to the soil to make it lighter and more structured. Asters react to increased soil acidity and the application of fresh manure with such a dangerous disease as fusarium. Experienced amateur gardeners never grow asters in the same place for several years in a row.
Watering. Asters are watered only when the soil dries out. Do not allow the soil to dry out for a long time or become waterlogged.
Feeding. The agricultural technology of asters does not allow the use of fresh manure, as they can get fusarium. Safer mineral fertilizers. Planted aster seedlings begin to be fed two weeks after they take root. I use the following scheme for choosing fertilizers: ammonium nitrate or any complex fertilizers with nitrogen - during the period of bud formation. Complete mineral fertilizer - the stage of bud emergence. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizer or wood ash - at the time of flowering. For asters, use only potash fertilizers that do not contain chlorine, for example, potassium sulfate. It is useful to water asters from time to time with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Occasionally, foliar feeding is used (not on inflorescences), which allows you to get very beautiful flowers.
Bloom. Asters bloom from late July to early August (early varieties). Late varieties bloom only towards the end of August - September. These terms greatly depend on the specific variety. Flowering lasts until real autumn frosts. The annual aster looks great in a bouquet, maintaining a fresh appearance for a long time, up to two weeks.
Transfer. The root system of asters quickly recovers even after frequent transplants if the plant is dug up with a clod of earth. You can replant the annual aster bush at any time. It can be moved from the soil of a flower garden into a flower pot (container) to decorate a balcony or area in front of the house. This feature of asters allows you to replant flowering plants in place of faded ones. And sometimes you just swap the asters.
In the fall, aster bushes of later sowing are transplanted (with a lump of earth) into the vacant spaces in the greenhouse, or low-growing asters are transplanted into flower pots to put them in the house. It is said that in the old days, gardeners replanted asters once every two weeks in order to get very large flowers.
© A. Anashina. Blog “Moscow Region”, www.podmoskovje.com
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Asters are annual. Sowing, growing and care.
Of course, the main reasons for the popularity of the annual aster are beauty and diversity. Unpretentiousness also plays an important role.
One-year-old aster is grown in seedlings and without seedlings.
With the seedling method of growing, the seeds are sown at the end of March - beginning of April in boxes or directly into the soil of the greenhouse - in the grooves, sprinkling the seeds with soil (0.5 cm), watered with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and covered with paper or film. To prevent seedlings from getting sick with blackleg, the seeds are dusted with a fungicide before sowing, and the soil is spilled with its solution. After 3-5 days, when the seedlings appear, remove the paper from the boxes and place them in a bright place so that the seedlings do not stretch out.
When the first true leaf appears, the seedlings dive at a distance of 5-7 cm from one another into pots, boxes or into the greenhouse soil, since aster seedlings tolerate transplantation well even with an open root system. If the subcotyledonous knee of the seedlings is very elongated, then when picking they can be deepened almost to the cotyledon leaves.
A week after picking, they begin to feed the seedlings (once every seven days). It has been planted in open ground since mid-May, since the plant is cold-resistant - it can withstand frosts down to -3-4°C.
The location of these plants should be chosen in a bright, level place so that the water does not stagnate when watering and in rainy weather. It is advisable that for 3-4 years before this, asters and other crops suffering from fusarium (potatoes, tomatoes, gillyflowers) are not grown here.
Humus or compost is added to the soil (but not fresh manure, it contributes to the damage of plants by fusarium), complex or phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (40-60 g of nitrophoska or 60-80 g of superphosphate and 30-40 g of potassium fertilizers) and wood ash (100 -150 g) per square meter of area. But if the soils are well cultivated and rich in nutrients, then you can do without fertilizers. Before planting, seedlings are watered abundantly, especially if they were grown without pots.
It is better to plant plants in the evening at a distance of 20-30 cm (depending on the splendor and height of the variety). 7-10 days after planting, the asters can be fed with complex fertilizer and repeated feeding after 3-4 weeks. In dry weather, plants are watered moderately.
With the seedless method, the seeds are sown in the ground in early spring, as soon as the soil is ready. Seeds are sown in shallow furrows, covered with a layer of soil 0.5-0.8 cm, watered well and, in dry weather, lightly mulched or covered with covering material until seedlings emerge.
Well-developed seedlings in the phase of 2-3 true leaves are thinned out to a distance of 10-15 cm. It is better not to pull out excess seedlings, but to carefully dig them up and transplant them to another place.
Aster seeds are sown not only in spring, but also before winter (on frozen soil, in previously prepared grooves). In this case, plants are almost three times less likely to be damaged by fusarium. In spring, seedlings are thinned out.
Asters begin to bloom, depending on the variety and method of cultivation, from late June to mid-August. Flowering continues until frost.
Many varieties of asters set seeds well in the conditions of central Russia. To preserve the variety you like, you need to wait until the petals on the inflorescence fade, and its center darkens and white fluff begins to appear on it. Such inflorescences are picked and placed in paper bags and dry in a warm, dry place. On the bag you must write the name of the variety or at least the color and shape of the inflorescence and the year the seeds were collected.
The only negative is that the seeds lose their viability quite quickly during storage: after 1-2 years, from 90-95% it drops to 40-50.
MK on sowing aster seeds for seedlings
I first soak the seeds on wet wipes. This way you can better see the germination of seeds.
Soaking aster seeds on a damp cloth after three days most of the seeds hatch and you can plant them in the ground.
I plant the hatched aster seeds in a plastic box with a transparent lid. I pour loose soil, make grooves about 1 cm deep in it, water the grooves and lay out the soaked seeds. Some seeds have already produced green leaves. I carefully take them with tweezers and lower them into the grooves, so that the leaf remains on the surface.
Planting germinated aster seeds. I sprinkle the seeds with dry soil and cover with a lid or bag.
Container with planted asters
Before emergence, you need to keep the container with soil at a temperature of 20-22 degrees. After two and a half to three weeks, asters with two true leaves can be picked. It is advisable to lower the temperature a little, but the most important thing is to maintain a difference between night and day temperatures of 3-4 degrees.
Before planting in open ground, seedlings should be accustomed to fresh wind and sunlight. I usually do this on the balcony and loggia. The loggia faces south, so you can plant seedlings early, but in mid-April the sun is already very hot. And on the northern balcony there is always a strong fresh wind from the Volga.
You can grow seedlings in a closed greenhouse. Seeds are planted in soil prepared in advance in early April. Aster seedlings are thinned out and grown before planting in open ground.
Asters seedlings in a greenhouse
Asters are not afraid of short-term frosts down to -3 degrees; seedlings can be planted in flower beds as early as mid-May.
Transplanting aster seedlings
Planted flowers need to be well mulched. Mulching will prevent weeds from growing in the flowerbed and will help retain moisture in the soil.
Caring for asters
Compared to other flowers in flower beds, caring for asters is not difficult. If the soil has been well fertilized, then during the growing season you will only need to water and weed the beds in a timely manner.
If you can feed the asters at least once or twice, it will be more than enough, and the asters will give you large flowers on powerful stems.
Diseases of asters
Fusarium or Fusarium wilt is the most dangerous disease of aster, which is caused by the Fusarium fungus, which persists in the soil in the form of thick-walled resting spores for a very long time, more than one year. Infection of plants occurs through the soil. The mycelium penetrates through the roots and spreads through the vascular system of the plant, clogging it. Wilting often occurs during the budding and flowering phases.
Young plants are affected by fusarium extremely rarely, only under conditions that are very favorable for the development of diseases. In the first stage of disease development, the leaves turn slightly yellow, then turn brown, curl and wither. Elongated brown spots appear on the stems, and longitudinal dark stripes appear at the root collar and above it. Sometimes the stem tissues in these places tear, forming cracks. Asters take on a depressed appearance, stop growing and quickly fade. Often, in diseased plants, plaques of mycelium or sporulation of the fungus appear in the lower part of the stem in the form of pinkish pads.
A characteristic sign of fusarium is the asymmetrical nature of the lesion: dark stripes on the stem and wilted leaves are observed on one side of the plant. This makes it easy to distinguish fusarium from other diseases. On dying plants at the root collar, and in high humidity and elevated temperature A pink coating forms on the entire plant - sporulation of the fungus. The causative agent of fusarium in asters is characterized by “narrow specialization”: it affects only annual asters, without spreading to other plants. Therefore, in agricultural technology, asters are exclusively great importance has crop rotation. Fusarium spreads greatly in cases of high air and soil humidity at temperatures from 12 to 32 degrees. Optimal temperature for fungal development 20-27 degrees. At temperatures below 12 and above 32 degrees, the development of fusarium stops. External signs diseases may not be noticeable until favorable conditions for its development appear.
Control measures: correct rotation of crops in crop rotation; return of the aster to its original place in 4-5 years; adding lime to the soil to neutralize acidity; dressing seeds before sowing with a solution of foundationazole, topsin; steaming the soil before sowing seeds or dressing with a solution of bazudine, dithane M-45; after planting in the ground, systematic spraying with a solution of copper oxychloride; removing diseased plants from the site and then sprinkling the soil with quicklime.
BLACK LEGS - fungal disease, often affecting asters. First, seedlings and seedlings turn black, then the root collar and base of the stem rot. As a result, the stem becomes thinner, the plants become lodged and subsequently die. The pathogen overwinters in the soil and develops especially strongly in acidic soils.
Control measures: early picking of seedlings; removal of diseased plants; soil disinfection with a 0.5-1% solution of potassium permanganate; Sprinkling the soil around the plants with sand and, if necessary, replacing it before planting or picking; disinfection with bleach solution or copper sulfate boxes, pots, greenhouses. To destroy fungi, you can water the soil with onion infusion (20 g of onion scales are poured into 1 liter of water, left for 24 hours, filtered and sprayed 2-3 times after 6 days).
http://www.supersadovnik.ru/article_plant.aspx?id=1000823
http://yavderevne.ru/2012/04/aster/
http://datchnik.ru/index.php/astry/70-bolezni-i-vrediteli-astry
asters seedlings, proper cultivation
CAT
In the non-chernozem zone, it is customary to grow aster seeds using seedlings. Sowing is carried out in boxes or semi-warm greenhouses at the rate of 5-6 g of seeds per 1 m2, followed by picking seedlings according to a 5x5 cm pattern, which is 400 seeds per 1 m2; with sparse sowing (1-1.5 g per 1 m2), picking is not carried out. Asters seeds are sown in the second half of March.
You can also sow asters directly into open ground. To do this, a plot of land must be prepared in the fall - freed from weeds and fertilized. In spring, the area is covered with a transparent film, which accelerates the melting of snow. After warming the soil to a depth of 2 cm, aster seeds are sown under the film, and again the area with the sown seeds is covered with film: the required temperature is maintained under the film, sufficient for seed germination and seedling development. After the onset of stable heat, the film is removed.
Winter sowing of asters is also possible. If you have enough seeds, then at the end of October, before frost, they are sown in grooves 5-8 cm deep on prepared beds in advance and covered with earthen garden mixture. The top of the crops must be mulched with peat or sawdust to a height of 3-5 cm. In the spring, at the end of March - beginning of April, when the snow melts, the crops are uncovered. Since aster is a cold-resistant crop, the seedlings that appear at the end of April will already be hardened and will not be afraid of frost. But asters winter sowing The seeds almost never ripen.
The soil should be poor in humus, light in mechanical composition, high in sand, and well-permeable to water. Best Blend for sowing asters: turf soil, sand and peat in a ratio of 3:1:1 with the addition of lime until the acidity of the soil is completely neutralized.
The soil in boxes or greenhouses, prepared for sowing, is sprinkled with sand on top with a layer of 1-2 cm. The seeds are also sprinkled with such a layer of sand.
Aster seedlings are grown at a temperature of 12-15°C and are rarely but abundantly watered in the morning and regularly ventilated for a long time. In May, when watering, mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) are sometimes applied in easily soluble forms (0.01-0.05%) in a ratio of 1:2:2. Potassium fertilizers containing chlorine are not recommended for asters. It is better to apply potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate and other chlorine-free fertilizers.
Before planting seedlings in a permanent place, about two weeks in advance, the frames of the greenhouses are removed, and the greenhouses are covered only in case of frost.
Seed plantings of asters are placed in a well-lit and drained area, on light soils or medium loams, quite rich, but not containing. - fresh manure. Asters grow better and suffer less from fusarium on soils with neutral or even slightly alkaline reaction, therefore, as a rule, liming is carried out in the fall.
Asters grow very well in soils that have been amended with manure or compost 2-3 years before planting, and fresh manure causes widespread plant disease with fusarium. For asters, superphosphate and potassium sulfite are applied as the main fertilizer in the fall - only 50-80 g per 1 m2, c. in the form of fertilizing during summer season before the period of mass flowering - another 50 g of complete mineral fertilizer per 1 m2. The ratio of nutrients is the same as when feeding seedlings. When budding begins, nitrogen is not included in fertilizing.
Aster seedlings are planted in plots in the second half of May. In clear, warm weather, they are planted with watering in holes (1 liter of water in each hole). On small areas any planting scheme is used, taking into account that the feeding area of the seeds is 0.04-0.06 m2.
Caring for asters is simple and consists of maintaining the soil in a moderately moist state from the beginning of the growing season until the flowering shoots turn yellow (after which watering can be stopped), loosening the soil between the bushes and removing weeds.
The seeds ripen 35-40 days after the asters begin to bloom. The characteristic fluff on the surface of the inflorescence serves as an indicator of seed ripeness.
Nadezhda Kuznetsova
Tyumen. I always sow asters for seedlings in April in a greenhouse, and then plant them in open ground. I sow them in the greenhouse in one narrow line along the greenhouse. They do not interfere with future planting of tomatoes.
Olga
TO detailed instructions I can add So that the seedlings do not die from the black leg, sow less often, cover the top of the soil with sand or crushed shells and do not flood When I got a greenhouse, I flower seedlings I'm sowing there in April
droplet
Soak the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate for 1 hour, then you can germinate them in a damp napkin or sow them in bowls. I make rows, arrange the sprouted seeds with tweezers and add 0.5 cm, do not cover
Marishka M.
I have already sown aster seedlings, I just love earlier flowering. I will pick it up and treat it with phytosporin, and in April I will take the boxes into the greenhouse and plant some healthy plants. Quite often I dive more than one plant at a time.
Kocheva Polina
I will sow on March 15th. In bowls with a height of at least 7 cm. When it grows into a greenhouse, I pick it up, without picking, the aster grows more slowly, in general it really likes transplanting. Earth: soil from the garden, wood ash (required) and sand... After planting, be sure to shade it from the sun and wind. until it takes root. And then loosening, removing weeds and fertilizing and the spiritual joy of looking at these beauties...
It is quite difficult to name the optimal conditions for planting asters; it all depends on the varietal characteristics. Early varieties sown first. They look great in flower beds and alpine roller coaster. Seeds are sown from the second ten days of March and already in the summer, by the end of July, they delight with their flowers. Seeds late varieties Seedlings are sown from the third ten days of April to the second ten days of May. They are the ones that go into bouquets by September 1st and bloom until frost.
Agricultural technology
In order for asters to delight with an abundance of flowers, you should choose right place for landing. It is good if it is a sunny place, but they also grow well in partial shade. spoils them appearance in very scorching sun, which should be taken into account when choosing a planting location. The soil should not be over-moistened, and the area should be well ventilated.
The soil needs to be light, with a neutral balance; you should take care of fertility in the fall. To do this, manure is added to the soil at the rate of 3 kg per 1 square meter. Sand is also added. In the spring, the soil needs to be fertilized again; it is dug up and superphosphate is added. The norm per square meter is 20-40 g. Immediately before planting, the soil is loosened, weeds are selected and well moistened.
How to feed asters?
Subsequent care for asters consists of timely watering, loosening, removing weeds and fertilizing. How to feed asters? The choice of fertilizer depends on the time of feeding. Organic fertilizers are not recommended.
If these care conditions are met, the plant will delight you with large bright flowers. In the process of care, do not forget about diseases. To prevent most diseases, plants are sprayed with preparations containing copper, potassium, zinc and boric acid. In particular, if it is noticed that the leaf has begun to wrinkle, it should be treated with a pest control product. For these purposes, Iskra or Inta-vir are used.
Important! Asters grown by seedlings bloom earlier than asters sown in the ground.
Why do asters need fertilizer?
How to fertilize asters in open ground and what products should be used for this? The first fertilizing in the open ground is necessary for good establishment of the plant in a new place. At the same time, the young flowers will grow stronger, root system will receive an impetus for development. Also, the first feeding will begin the formation of branching, which will provide a large number of flowers.
Feeding asters for abundant flowering is ordinary ash. It has a positive effect on the formation of flowers. The aster will produce more buds.
For supporting vitality During the flower budding period, fertilizing is also necessary. Fertilizing at this time stimulates the development of the root system, has a positive effect on the size of flowers, and strengthens the immune system.
Note! Final fertilizing activates longer flowering and is responsible for the quality of flowers.
Fertilizers for asters
Usually, during the season after planting in open ground, asters are fertilized 4 times. It is best to use mineral fertilizers, since organic ones can provoke the development of diseases. How to fertilize aster in open ground?
First fertilizing in open ground
After planting in open ground, as soon as the plant takes root, the leaves stop turning yellow, the plants need to be fed. How to feed asters to grow? In this case, mullein is used for feeding. It is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10.
Important! First, asters should be watered first, only then should they be fed. This scheme is necessary in order not to burn the young plant. For successful feeding, the solution is poured in doses under each plant.
At the same time, ash can be used as fertilizer. It can be applied up to two times per season. Consumption rate – 300 g of ash per 1 sq. meter.
First fertilizing in open ground
Second feeding
2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the flowerbed, a second feeding of asters is carried out. If asters were planted by sowing seeds in open ground, then the time for the second feeding was after thinning.
In this case, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are used. The consumption rate for the first is 50 g per square meter. m., the second - 10 g. per sq. m. m.
Before applying fertilizer, the area is watered and loosened, only then granules are scattered on the surface of the earth. You can also prepare a solution from the specified amount of fertilizer and pour it under the root. It is necessary to water carefully so that the concentrated solution does not get on the green part of the flowers.
Superphosphate
Third feeding
During the period of bud formation, it is time for the third feeding. How to fertilize the aster at this moment? At this time, phosphorus fertilizer is applied - 60 g per 1 sq. m. m. This not only stimulates the growth of the root system, but also promotes the emergence of new shoots.
To protect against various diseases and to increase the protective forces of plants, fertilizing based on potassium sulfate is used. Prepare a solution: dissolve 60 grams in 10 liters of water. drug. The resulting solution is used to water the areas with aster.
Third feeding
Fourth feeding
During the period of active flowering, a fourth feeding is carried out. It is performed according to the same scheme as the third. Fertilizers are applied in the same quantity and in a similar composition.
Important! In this case, foliar feeding can be carried out. It’s good if the product contains zinc, boron, and manganese.
You can also use Humate to feed the plant at any stage listed above. This is a universal fertilizer that has a positive effect on plant growth and development.
Experienced gardeners have their own tricks for growing asters. They concern not only feeding, but also all care in general. Here are some folk secrets:
- So that there are flowers large sizes, and the plant itself has grown strong and strong, even before planting, the seeds are soaked for 6 hours in a solution of zinc chloride. To prepare it, 0.6 g is diluted in 1 liter of water. drug.
- To increase the duration of flowering, aster is sown directly into the ground. It is worth considering that in this case it will not be possible to obtain seeds for further propagation.
- Seeds are sown in open ground around the beginning of May, then seedlings appear in late May - early June.
- You can sow seeds in late autumn; even the month of January is suitable for sowing seeds. Required condition is frostbite in the soil, since in this case the seeds will not germinate until spring, which means they will not die.
It is difficult to name a more common houseplant than geranium. It decorates our window sills and balconies and grows beautifully in flower beds and garden plots. We love it for its long flowering, variety of colors and ease of care. Following simple rules, you can achieve flowering with early spring and until winter. Particular attention should be paid to pruning and pinching. These procedures, carried out according to the rules, contribute to correct formation bush and abundant lush flowering. If you feed it correctly - bright colors flowers.
Pinching and pruning geraniums at home
How to properly pinch pelargonium at home
Pinching (pinching) is the removal of the top part of a plant with young shoots. At the same time, apical growth slows down and branching of lower lateral shoots is stimulated. Pinching is done with clean fingers.
You need to pinch the plant from the very beginning of its development. Especially important for geraniums grown from seeds.
Pinching pelargonium
It is done in several stages.
At first you need to pin the apical bud of the main shoot above the stem node.
The lateral buds located below awaken after this procedure and begin to grow and lengthen.
Next stage- pinching the tops of ivy-leaved side shoots until the bush acquires the required form. If you do not do all this at the very beginning of the plant’s growth, then there is a high probability of getting an ugly plant with a long bare stem and a small number of flowers located at the very top.
It is geranium that differs from many flowers in that it produces lateral shoots after the forced awakening of dormant buds into the node, if forced.
Flower buds must be removed during pinching.
How to prune to form lush flowering and fluffy crown?
Pruning is the removal of part of the shoots that have stem nodes.
Autumn pruning is carried out at the end of the growth period. This condition allows the formation of a lush and fluffy crown.
If the flowers were outside in the summer, then they need to be brought into the house before cutting off the indoor pelargonium. Make sanitary pruning, removing damaged, diseased shoots. To ensure good ventilation, shoots directed into the crown should be cut, and the stems should be shortened by a third.
Pruning geraniums After pruning
To ensure that the shoots do not interfere with each other after waking up, you need to prepare them and cut them at an angle above the leaf node, which is located outward. Suitable for these purposes clean, sharp knife or blade .
Sprinkle the cut areas with crushed activated carbon or any disinfectant.
In winter, geraniums have a dormant period. Frequent watering is reduced and fertilizing is stopped completely. The air temperature should be no more than 10-12 degrees. Water and feed according to recommendations.
Spring pruning comes down to the final formation of the bush. You can start it at the end of February or at the beginning of March. At this time, the active growing season begins. If you are late, the flowering period will be delayed.
Feeding with folk remedies
How to feed with fertilizers
After pruning, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is necessary.
When choosing a fertilizer, you must take into account that during certain periods of geranium development different percentages of minerals required as part of fertilizers. So, if at the beginning of spring the proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium may be the same, then after the growth of green mass, the percentage of nitrogen is reduced to a minimum.
Preferred during this period are microelements that affect flowering. Potassium and phosphorus become predominant.
Geranium does not respond well to fresh organic fertilizers.
In spring, fertilizers are applied every two weeks, and in summer and autumn you need to feed once a month.
How to feed with iodine
Promotes good flowering folk remedy- aquatic iodine solution. To prepare it you need to take 1 liter of water and add there 1 drop of iodine and carefully pour the solution along the walls. This operation can be done every week, but the amount of solution should not exceed 50 ml per pot.
Feeding geraniums with iodine Magnesium sulfate
Since geranium does not like foliage to be wet, fertilizer should be applied at the root. The solution is prepared in the proportion of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water.
Choosing an indoor pot
To obtain abundant flowering, you should choose the right growing container. Geranium begins to bloom only after filling the entire volume of the pot with roots or a flowerpot. Optimal size pot - 12-14 cm in diameter with a height of 10-15 cm.
When planting in large containers, the number of plants should be increased. Pots can be made of any materials in which the earth mixture can dry well.
Pot for geraniums
The substrate should consist of 2 parts garden soil, 1 part humus and 1 part sand. Good drainage is a must, as geraniums cannot tolerate stagnant water.
Watering should be done after completely dry earthen coma. Geranium is a fairly drought-resistant plant, but the soil should not be allowed to dry out too much. Reacts poorly to spraying and humid air.
Geranium loves good lighting and blooms in partial shade, but direct sunlight is undesirable for it.
As soon as the weather is good, without frost, geranium It is advisable to take it out of the room to the balcony or garden. The difference in temperature at this time of year between day and night has a beneficial effect on the flower and stimulates the beginning of flowering.
You can enjoy beautifully flowering geranium bushes for many years. From the category of forgotten and old-fashioned, this perennial has long moved into the category of decoratively attractive and popular. It is enough to love it and provide proper care to achieve abundant flowering. All the rules described above will definitely bring results and will delight the owners of this wonderful flower.
Petunia - the secrets of abundant flowering
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The practice of growing petunias has developed the following formula:
large capacity + regular fertilizing, sufficient watering + removal of faded flowers + pest control
Large planting capacity
It turns out that you need to plant 2 petunias in a 10 liter container. In a balcony box 1 m long - no more than 3. If you plant more plants, the stronger ones will begin to suppress the weaker ones.
Regular feeding
Petunia loves to “eat” very much. You need to start feeding 2 weeks after the first picking of seedlings. In childhood, fertilizers containing nitrogen are needed for growth. Later, phosphorus and potassium are required to set buds. It is good to carry out foliar feeding with complex fertilizers with microelements.
Iron for petunias is an important component of nutrition. Plants react to its deficiency by yellowing leaves (chlorosis). Iron chelate, or its liquid form – “Ferovit”, helps to correct this; 3-4 treatments with an interval of several days are enough. Adult plants need to be fed every 5 days, alternating root and foliar feeding. Petunias love potassium monophosphate.
Sufficient watering
It is important not to overwater petunia seedlings; they are very susceptible to blackleg. In general, adult plants like fairly abundant watering. But short-term drying out of the soil is tolerated normally.
Removing faded flowers
It is advisable to regularly remove faded flowers. This provokes new wave flowering. But if it suddenly decreases, you can tear off the seed pods and dead flowers, feed them and it will be...THE SAME again!
If you want to petunia bushed and does not stretch upward with one stem, it is necessary to pinch it above the third leaf.
Petunia pest and disease control
Of course, the abundant flowering of petunias depends on how much you can protect them from pests and diseases. It is they that greatly inhibit the growth and development of flowers, affect the brightness of foliage, etc.
Petunia seedlings are often damaged by this a disease called blackleg. The sprout near the ground rots, the small plant lays down and dies.
The disease is a fungal disease; if measures are not taken in time, you can lose all the seedlings.
Diseased seedlings should be removed with a clod of earth, since pathogens persist not only in plant residues, but also in the soil.
To avoid illness, you need to follow a few basic rules Read more >>
How to feed petunia for abundant flowering?
Petunia (lat. Petunia) is one of the most common plants for planting on balconies; it is also used for landscaping terraces. Belongs to the Solanaceae family and originates from the American continent. The perennial plant begins to bloom in the year of sowing. It is highly resistant to temperature influences, and is also easy to grow and fertilize. The flowers of the plant have different shapes, original color scheme, which will allow you to use it to perform high-quality landscaping of the required object, room, balcony.
Types of feeding
Provided the following options feeding:
A classification is provided depending on the method of application:
Feeding petunias at the seedling stage
At the seedling stage, the main fertilizer is applied, designed to restore soil fertility and create the most favorable conditions for subsequent growth. In this case, long-lasting fertilizers are used; they can simply be prepared, placed in the soil, and then there is no need to add the composition.
Feeding petunias during flowering
At the flowering stage, plants use liquid or dry fertilizers (at times combining formulations). It is important to note that fertilizing during the flowering stage must be used once a week, at a minimum and strictly in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer. The fertilizing plan can be slightly adjusted in relation to the frequency of their use. For example, taking into account the rate at which petunia absorbs the diet, you can feed once a day or once every two days. To do this, the concentration is slightly weakened, for example, the fertilizer is diluted three times weaker than in the weekly case.
Feeding petunia with chicken droppings
Chicken manure is used as fertilizer at the seedling stage, or when planting a plant in the soil for subsequent flowering. It must be applied in small quantities so that it does not cause “burning” of the root. The litter is first diluted with water, thereby reducing the concentration of substances in it that can have a negative effect on the plant. Contains microelements necessary for stable growth.
Foliar feeding of petunia
Foliar feeding involves a procedure for special treatment of plant leaves, as well as fruits and stems without direct access to the root, in the most convenient bioavailable form. Thus, vitamins, regulators required for growth, amino acids, minerals, various elements. This feeding can be alternated with root feeding. Most fertilizers need to be diluted weaker when spraying the leaf rather than the stem.
Feeding petunia with yeast
For a plant, yeast has the following properties as a feeding material:
- Significantly accelerate the formation and development of the root system, thanks to the release of special compounds and compositions.
- They ensure the systematic restoration of damaged elements, taking into account that they contain the entire necessary complex of vitamins and minerals necessary for the full development of the plant itself.
- inability to move easily and comfortably;
- discomfort when going up and down stairs;
- unpleasant crunching, clicking not of your own accord;
- pain during or after exercise;
- inflammation in the joints and swelling;
- causeless and sometimes unbearable aching pain in the joints.
They are diluted with liquid, after which they are applied using a rootless (or root) feeding system.
Feeding petunias with urea
Urea is fertilized in combination with other fertilizers, for example, magnesium, or traditional of this plant potassium humate. All compositions contain the composition of microelements and minerals necessary for the development of Petunia. Diluted with liquid.
Video about planting and caring for petunia
Also, you will be interested in a video about planting and caring for petunia, in which you can also find information on how to feed the plant for abundant flowering.
Feeding petunia - rules for choosing fertilizers for growth and flowering
How to feed petunia?
Summer feeding of petunias should consist of complex fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. Let us recall that nitrogen (N) is responsible for the growth of green mass of the plant, phosphorus (P) - for root growth and flowering, potassium (K) - for flowering and fruiting.
Petunia is fed with nitrogen fertilizers at the stage of seedlings and bush formation. Further, when flowering is required, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used. Therefore, if you need your petunia to grow tops, use fertilizers with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (for example, an NPK ratio of 10-10-10) or with a predominance of nitrogen (10-5-5). Well, for petunia to bloom profusely, you need fertilizers with a large amount of phosphorus and potassium, say, in a ratio of 10–15–20, 10–15–15, etc.
As good example You can cite the Kemira Lux fertilizer with a composition of 16-20.6-27.1 - this is an excellent ratio of microelements aimed at flowering petunias and all nightshades. Let us also remember the well-known fertilizer “Agricola” for flowering plants, which has a composition of 15-21-25. But to grow the bush and greenery of petunia (during the formation of a young plant and in July, after pruning), you can use Agricola for decorative foliage with the composition 24-10-20.
Agricola - fertilizer suitable for petunia
Liquid, dry or long lasting?
At home, when growing petunias, liquid fertilizers are usually used in the form of concentrated solutions, which are dissolved in water before use. Any flower shop is full of such fertilizers: “Ideal”, “Bona Forte”, “Uniflor”, “Garden of Miracles” - choose to suit every taste, the main thing is to remember the required NPK ratio.
Liquid fertilizer is most often used for petunias.
Dry fertilizer is a powder or small granules that are also dissolved in water. Among such fertilizers I would like to mention “Kemira Lux”, “Master”, “Plantofol”.
When dissolving dry fertilizer in water, make sure that all granules are completely dissolved, otherwise you may get burns to the roots.
The last type of fertilizer is long-lasting (Etisso, Agricola capsules, nitroammophoska, superphosphate, etc.). These are granules that are added to the soil before planting, and then, when watered, they gradually dissolve and release nutrients. On the one hand, it’s convenient, since it’s enough to add fertilizer to the soil once and forget about fertilizing for the whole season. On the other hand, it will be very difficult to regulate the degree of “nutrition” of plants. Let's say, based on all the symptoms, it seems to the gardener that the petunia suffers from a lack of phosphorus (the leaves become purple shade, there are few flowers). If such a situation arose with liquid fertilizer, then the solution would come immediately: you need to replace the composition used with another one, with a higher phosphorus content, and see what happens. If the plant recovers, then the cause of the “disease” has been determined correctly, but if not, “we will look” further. With long-term feeding of petunias, this practice can lead to disastrous consequences. A gardener who accidentally made a mistake in the symptoms will add additional phosphorus and the overfed plant will die, because the phosphorus in the long-lasting granules has not gone away. For this reason, many decide not to mess with this type of fertilizer or add it in quantities 2-3 times less than the norm.
Some long-lasting fertilizers have an additional, very beneficial effect - they protect the plant from insects and fungal diseases throughout the season.
Rules for fertilizing
With long-lasting fertilizers - it’s clear. They added it to the soil before planting the seedlings and forgot about it. With liquid and dry fertilizers in bags, you need to act differently. At a minimum, they should be used once a week, according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. The fertilizing plan can be improved. Remembering that petunias very quickly absorb the diet offered to them, many gardeners “feed” them every other day. Yes Yes! However, the fertilizer is diluted not according to the instructions, but 3-4 times weaker. Petunias respond to such nutrition much better than to one-time weekly “breakfasts”.
Foliar feeding
Root fertilizers, that is, fertilizers that are watered, can be alternated with foliar fertilizers that are sprayed. Most liquid fertilizers can be used “loosely”, but they should be diluted less than usual.
How to feed geranium so that it blooms intensively
If a flower begins to hurt, this is a sign of a lack of any nutrients in the soil. But you cannot apply nutrients to a diseased plant. To do this, you need to wait for the flower to recover.
The lack of any nutrients is especially clear in the leaves. As a rule, they look lethargic, turn pale, and grow very poorly. The leaves themselves remain very small, do not grow to normal sizes, their edges dry out, and then crumble.
Geranium must grow at favorable air temperatures and must be properly fed in order for inflorescences to appear. If one of these conditions is not met, then it will never bloom.
Many varieties of pelargonium have been developed. But, as a rule, they require the same nutrients. It must be remembered that indoor flowers can be grown both in an apartment and on a loggia. And also some gardeners plant it in open ground for the summer.
Pelargoniums and their flowering
Watering with manure or iodine
Mullein contains many nutrients, when used different types pelargoniums begin to bloom profusely, and their stems grow strong.
Flowers that grow in the garden or on the loggia are fed with mullein. If you apply it correctly to the plants, they not only begin to actively bloom, but their leaves also acquire a bright green color and become more powerful. The flowers become larger in size than those of pelargoniums growing in the house.
How to improve productivity?
We are constantly receiving letters in which amateur gardeners are worried that due to the cold summer this year bad harvest potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other vegetables. Last year we published TIPS on this matter. But unfortunately, many did not listen, but some still applied. Here is a report from our reader, we would like to recommend biostimulants for plant growth. which will help increase the yield up to 50-70%.
Iodine - use of the substance to fertilize pelargonium
1 liter of well-fermented manure is diluted in a bucket of water (10 liters). You can take 1 liter of fermented chicken manure and dilute it with 2 buckets of water (20 liters). Flowers absolutely cannot tolerate fresh, unfermented manure and droppings. If you use something like this, they may die.
In addition to manure, you can use any universal complex fertilizer, for example, “Veselaya Flower Girl Multiproduct 2 in 1 for Geraniums and Balconies.” It is applied every 3 weeks from the beginning of May to the end of September. But when colder weather sets in, it becomes necessary to bring the plant into the room. At this time, the number of deposits must be reduced by 2 times. Then the flower will be able to adapt to the house and feel great.
Remember that you should never apply nutrients if the plant is in the sun. Move it to the shade and then add nutrients. The soil must be moist, otherwise a burn may appear on the roots.
An excellent way to ensure abundant flowering of an indoor flower, as well as one that grows on an open loggia, is to water it with iodine and water. This stimulates flowering and growth. To make such a solution, you need to take soft, settled water and iodine purchased at the pharmacy. Very good fit rainwater, then pelargonium will more intensively absorb the nutrients it needs. Add 2-3 drops of iodine to 1 liter of rainwater and mix thoroughly.
First, you need to water the plant generously with plain water. Then it is recommended to pour the prepared solution onto the walls of the pot where the flower stands. They do this very carefully so as not to burn the roots.
But it is also necessary to remember that watering geraniums with such a solution is very often not recommended. Since its excess can damage the roots, and as a result the plant begins to hurt. The optimal regime for such watering is once every 3 weeks from early spring to autumn. When using this composition, the plant begins to bloom and buds grow after 2-3 treatments.
Nitrogen or vitamins
From early spring, geraniums are fed with substances containing nitrogen, since after this the leaves and roots begin to actively grow. When 2-2.5 months have passed, it is necessary to fertilize with special compounds for flowering. flowering plants and repeat this every 2 weeks. As a rule, pelargonium then begins to intensively form buds.
But instead, for active flowering, the plant can be watered with vitamins purchased at the pharmacy. The best option is to alternate between three types of B vitamins: B1, B6 and B12. They are sold in pharmacies in the form of ampoules.
One ampoule of your choice this moment The vitamin should be mixed with 2 liters of water, and then thoroughly pour the solution over the pelargonium. When 2.5-3 weeks have passed, you need to change the vitamin and water it. This is alternated throughout spring and summer. This is a fairly ancient method. It costs much less money than when adding other compounds. Vitamin supplements are perfect for flowering pelargoniums; they not only help them bloom magnificently, but also increase their immunity; the flowers are more protected from diseases and insect pests.
Whatever product you use for pelargoniums, the main thing is to observe moderation in everything. Only then will you be able to provide the flower with excellent conditions for growth, without damaging the roots, leaves, or buds.
And a little about the author’s secrets
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On well-cultivated chernozems, asters grow with a minimum amount of fertilizing. But clay and loamy soils require preliminary preparation and application of fertilizers. Asters do not demand attention special attention in terms of care, but if you give them a little more feeding and regular watering, they will bloom until late autumn.
Preparing the soil for flowers
Feeding of asters begins in the fall, that is, when they are not yet on the site, but only when planting is planned. The soil is dug to a depth of 30 cm, humus or compost is added. Fresh manure is also suitable for autumn laying. Over the winter, soil bacteria will process it into an accessible nutrient containing nitrogen and potassium, as well as microelements.
When preparing open ground in autumn for feeding asters, you can use superphosphate and potassium salt in quantity 9 g per square meter one and the other substance. If the soil is highly acidic, it is advisable to carry out liming.
But it is advisable not to overdo it with lime, as alkaline soils Phosphorus is poorly absorbed, which will lead to underdevelopment of the root system, poor growth and flowering. To increase the pH by one unit, it takes add 300 g of lime per square meter.
Clay soils are diluted with sand. To do this, simply scatter it around the area and dig it up. This composition better allows air to pass to the roots of plants.
Before planting, seeds are soaked for 6–7 hours in a solution of zinc chloride. After this procedure, asters bush better and grow lush.
Asters are sown in late April or early May. It is not customary to sprinkle the seeds with soil. After 5 days, shoots appear. At this moment, you need to control the humidity of the open ground so that it does not dry out and the seedlings do not die.
First feeding of asters in open ground
A week after germination, the seedlings are picked and planted in a flower bed. Rooting takes 2 weeks, after which you can begin to gradually feed the plants with complex fertilizers containing nitrogen for the growth of green mass, potassium for the formation of buds and phosphorus for the root system.
It is necessary to include all three components so that the balance of nutrients is not disturbed. How to feed asters comprehensively:
- nitroammofoska – three-component mineral fertilizer;
- superphosphate, potassium sulfate and urea (or potassium nitrate).
One-component fertilizers must be mixed in accordance with the instructions, so that there is no too much of one substance and it does not interfere with the absorption of the rest. Feeding asters for abundant flowering begins before the laying of flower stalks. These are organic or mineral potassium-phosphorus fertilizers - wood ash, compost, humus.
Video: Asters - the secret of early flowering
Important! Before flowering, asters are fed with humus, which contains a lot of potassium but no phosphorus. In order for plants to develop properly, you need to add phosphate rock or superphosphate
The most balanced content of substances in wood ash is phosphorus, potassium and microelements to maintain plant immunity. For irrigation, an ash solution is prepared: 300 g of ash per bucket of water is left for 4 days and then the soil is watered. Liquid fertilizers Asters are absorbed faster and better than dry ones.
To disinfect the soil and prevent nutrient deficiency, ash is scattered over the surface of the soil and watered with water. Ash fertilizer decomposes slowly in the soil, so it can be applied once every 3 years.
Feeding asters during flowering
Asters have a long flowering period. With proper care - loosening the soil, removing weeds, watering, asters bloom until October inclusive.
You can extend the flowering period with organic or mineral mixtures. Feeding asters in August with microelements paired with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers has a positive effect.
If you use specially designed purchased formulations- this will make the work easier. The fact is that only very experienced gardeners who personal experience We selected the optimal ratio of substances and chose working proportions for our site. For beginners, it is better to use ready-made fertilizers and observe the plants how they react to fertilizing.
Just aster season fertilize three times:
- before buds form;
- at the stage of the appearance of the first flowers;
- during flowering.
Nitrogen substances are used only during the first feeding. The other two are carried out by potassium and phosphorus.
Diseases of asters caused by fungus
Despite their disease resistance, ornamental asters are sometimes affected by a fungus whose spores are carried by insects. The most common:
- blackleg;
- fusarium;
- rust;
- jaundice;
- Rhizoctonia.
Treat fungal diseases asters doesn't make sense.
It is urgent to remove the affected plants from the common flowerbed and destroy them, and then disinfect the pruning shears. Sulfur preparations, which are sprayed on plants before budding, will help reduce the risk of fungal disease. In the open ground, while the plant is gaining strength, preventive measures are carried out using copper oxychloride.
