When can you plant asters in the ground? How to plant asters with seeds in open ground: competent instructions from the pros

Aster from the Asteraceae family came to Europe from China back in the 17th century. Since that time, flowers have become an integral attribute of the autumn landscape of garden and park compositions. And the simple planting and care of asters in the open ground contributed to the rapidly increasing popularity and universal love.

In the wild, mainly in North and Central America, from 200 to 500 species of the genus Aster grow (according to different sources, the numbers vary significantly).

All varieties are divided into two large groups:

• Annual asters - a group represented by single-stemmed herbaceous plants with large inflorescences, which are often grown for cutting.
• Perennials are bushy plants with highly branching shoots.

Perennial asters

The classification of perennial varieties is based on such a parameter as the flowering period, which unites asters into two subgroups: early flowering and autumn flowering.

Early flowering

A large subgroup, including such prominent representatives as:

• Alpine aster is a perennial aster with a height of 15 to 30 cm, which blooms in late spring. Popular varieties: Wargrave, Glory.
• Italian aster is a chamomile aster with large corymbose inflorescences, which are observed in the first half of summer. Plant height can reach 70 cm. Among the varieties, Rosea and Rudolf Goeth stand out.
• Aster Bessarabian is a branched, medium-sized bush up to 75 cm in height, the shoots of which are crowned with purple-colored inflorescences.

Autumn-flowering

A subgroup characterized by a diversity of species composition:

• The bush aster is the earliest of the subgroup of flowers, the height of the leafy stems does not exceed 60 cm. The most famous varieties: “Niobe”, “Blue Bird”.
• Aster novobelgica is a widespread variety in gardens. It is represented by both tall and dwarf varieties, including special attention deserve dwarf Snowsprite, Jenny, medium-sized Royal Velvet, Winston S. Churchill, tall Dusty Rose, Desert Blue.
• New England aster - another popular variety is represented by tall plants, up to 160 cm high. big amount small inflorescences. Common varieties: Browmann, Constance.

Annual asters

Garden aster, or also known as Callistephus (a Chinese monotypic genus), has more than 4,000 different varieties, which are often mistaken for dahlias, chrysanthemums and even peonies.

There are several classifications based on various parameters:

• by flowering time (early, middle, late);
• by height (dwarf, short, medium-sized, tall, giant);
• according to the purpose of cultivation (cutting, casing, universal);
• by the structure of the inflorescences (tubular, transitional, reed).

Among the huge variety of varieties, the spherical large-flowered aster “American Beauty”, the needle-shaped “Record” with medium inflorescences, the curly variety “Ostrich Feather” and the semi-double “Rosette” stand out.

Growing asters from seeds

Aster is grown from seeds in two ways: seedlings and non-seedlings.

Non-seedling planting of asters

Sowing early varieties carried out in early or mid-March, and later - in the second half of spring, when consistently warm weather above 10°C sets in.

Wherein:

1. Grooves 4 cm deep are prepared.
2. Seeds are placed in the grooves and filled with water.
3. With the arrival of dry weather, the crops are mulched.
4. After the seedlings have formed two pairs of true leaves, the rows are thinned out so that there is an interval of 15 cm between the seedlings.

In addition to spring, asters are planted in the fall before winter:

1. Grooves are made along the frozen soil into which seed is placed, which is practically not damaged by fusarium.
2. After the snow melts in the spring and seedlings appear, thinning is carried out.

Sowing aster for seedlings

The seedling method is more reliable, and the grower will be able to admire asters grown through seedlings much earlier.

Sowing is carried out in the first half of spring as follows:

1. 7 days before sowing, the seed, wrapped in cloth, is soaked in a manganese solution for 10 hours.
2. After the allotted time, the fabric is wrung out and, along with the seeds, placed in cellophane for germination.
3. The seedling boxes are filled with a light substrate, which is watered with a fungicidal solution for disinfection.
4. Seeds are planted to a depth of 5 mm.
5. The container is covered with glass and then moved to a warm place.
6. When shoots appear, the seedlings are taken into a room with a temperature of 16°C.
7. After the seedlings have two pairs of true leaves, they are picked and the roots are shortened.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Before planting, the seedlings are hardened off. The optimal time is considered to be the second half of spring, when the seedlings reach a height of 10 cm and have 4 pairs of true leaves.

Site selection and soil preparation

Asters thrive in sunny areas with well-drained, light, neutral soil.

The soil for flowers is prepared in advance:

1. In the fall, humus is introduced under deep digging at an application rate of 2-4 kg per 1 m2.
2. In the spring, the area is loosened again with the simultaneous application of complex mineral fertilizers at the rate of 50 g of nitroammophosphate per 1 m2.

Landing technology

The disembarkation procedure is carried out as follows:

1. Shallow holes are dug at a distance of 20 cm from each other and a row spacing of 50 cm.
2. Planting holes are filled with water.
3. After drying, the seedlings are lowered into the depressions and sprinkled with soil.

Caring for a garden aster

Asters are unpretentious, so care will not take much effort and time from the gardener.

Watering and loosening

It is necessary to water the plants abundantly, but not too often. In dry summers, the water consumption rate per 1 m2 is 3 buckets. After each moistening, the soil will be loosened to a depth of 4-6 cm.

Weeding and hilling

To speed up the growth of the root mass before the aster stems begin to branch, it is recommended to hill up to a height of up to 8 cm. An important maintenance measure is clearing the soil of weeds.

top dressing

For lush flowering, plants need additional nutrition, which is provided at least three times per season:

• 10 days after planting the seedlings in open ground, fertilizing is carried out using complex mineral fertilizers, which include nitrogen.
• During the budding phase, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to the plants.
• At the beginning of flowering, asters are fed a third time with fertilizers high in potassium and phosphorus.

Asters have faded - what to do?

If annual varieties grew on the site, then all plant residues should be removed and burned, after collecting seeds from the varieties you liked. Seed material can be sown before winter, but in another area that is not infected with specialized harmful organisms. Perennial representatives of the crop are winter-hardy and can grow in one place for up to 5 years. When reaching the age limit after flowering, it is worth digging up the bushes and dividing them. Plant the cuttings in other areas.

Diseases, pests and care during this period

Tender and graceful flower If agricultural cultivation practices are violated, it can be affected by both diseases and pests. Among the diseases, the greatest danger is fusarium, which cannot be treated, as well as rust, powdery mildew and black leg, developing in the seedling phase. Among the pests on asters, the meadow bug, slobbering pennies, arable slug, common earwig, spider mite, bud aphid and cutworm are noted, which should be combated with systemic insecticides.

The choice of art object for the design of which asters will be used depends on the size of the variety. For example, heather aster ground cover is perfect for decoration alpine slide, and medium-sized varieties of Italian aster will harmoniously combine with decorative yarrows in a mixborder. Flowers will fit into any flower arrangement, if you choose the right plant shape.

Thus, the aster represents beautiful flower with high decorative qualities, which, despite all its elegance, remains undemanding in maintenance.

Astra is one of the most common flower crops among Russian gardeners. Planting aster in open ground will not cause much difficulty even for novice gardeners. Unpretentiousness, easy care The plant's long flowering makes this flower a desirable decoration for any garden.

Homeland of the aster - Far East, Korea, China. Another name for the annual aster is Callistephus sinensis. This plant is quite cold-resistant and quite light-loving. Successful cultivation of asters will not be ensured by heat air and optimal soil moisture. Aster prefers light soil with weak acidity.

When preparing the soil for planting asters, humus or compost can be added during autumn digging. Under no circumstances should you fertilize with manure; its application contributes to the infection of plants with fusarium!

Varieties of asters differ in the size of the flower heads and the height of the stems. Tall varieties are good for cutting into bouquets; low-growing and small-flowered varieties will perfectly decorate flower beds and lawns. You can also plant asters on balconies and loggias.

2 ways to plant asters

Growing annual asters from seeds is possible in 2 ways: seedlings and non-seedlings. Germination lasts for 2 years, so when buying seeds you need to pay attention to the expiration date - by the end of the second year, germination drops. Which method of planting asters to choose depends only on the flowering time of a particular variety. After germination, early varieties bloom after about 90 days, mid-late varieties after 100, and late varieties after 120 days.

Seedling method

Growing asters from seedlings around mid-summer allows you to get flowering plants. Asters are sown for seedlings in the last ten days of March - early April, if you plan to plant them in open ground by mid-May.

Growing aster for seedlings consists of several stages.

1. First you need to prepare the soil; it must be nutritious, abundantly fertilized and breathable. You can take soil from the garden or vegetable garden, add sand, compost or humus (or peat). For disinfection, prepare a solution of potassium permanganate - 1 g per 5 liters of water - and water the soil with the hot solution. Boxes and pots for planting are rinsed with the same solution. The drain must be placed at the bottom so that water can drain easily.
2. The seeds are buried 0.5-1 cm, and the water for irrigation needs to be warm. The next watering is done only after seed germination. It is advisable to cover the boxes with seeds with film to maintain temperature and humidity. After seed germination, the film is removed. Caring for seedlings is to provide good lighting and not very high air temperature, approximately 18˚C.
3. When two full leaves appear, the seedlings need to be transplanted, preferably into separate pots. Although the aster is not too afraid of transplantation, the base of the stem of the seedlings is very delicate. It is advisable to water the seedlings abundantly, but rarely, avoiding excessive soil moisture, which contributes to the appearance of fungal diseases.
4. It is better to plant asters in open ground around mid-May, when the seedlings reach a height of 10-12 cm. It is better to plant the plants in the evening; the soil must first be watered and preferably mulched with grass or sawdust. Tall varieties are planted at a distance of about 30-40 cm so that the grown bushes do not interfere with each other. It is better to plant low species at a distance of about 20 cm, then adult plants form a continuous carpet when flowering.
5. The place for planting the aster should be well-lit and dry, so that the water does not stagnate for a long time after watering. Growing aster in the place where tomatoes or potatoes grew is undesirable; pathogens of fungal plant diseases often remain in the soil after these crops. When planting, you should try not to bend the roots and not cover the growing point with soil.

Sowing aster seeds in open ground (seedless method)

When planting without seedlings, asters are sown in 2 periods: early spring or autumn. At spring planting sowing is carried out towards the end of April - beginning of May, when the soil has warmed up sufficiently. In autumn, asters are sown, when the ground is already frozen, in pre-prepared shallow furrows. Asters planted in autumn period, bloom 10-15 days later, but bloom longer and more abundantly.

1. To sow aster in open ground, prepare furrows approximately 2 cm deep; it is advisable to water the prepared beds with a solution of potassium permanganate in the same way as the soil in containers prepared for seedlings.
2. Seeds are sown in prepared furrows, lightly sprinkled with soil, watered fairly warm water and before emergence, cover with film during spring planting. Instead of film, you can mulch the furrows with garden soil or humus - a layer of about 1 cm. Do not water the beds until the seeds germinate.
3. Thin out the plants after the formation of the third or fourth true leaf, leaving the required distance between shoots depending on the variety. It is better not to pull out the excess seedlings, but to carefully remove them from the ground - and you can plant them in other beds.

At autumn sowing It is impossible to plant seeds in the ground, because the soil is already frozen. Therefore, the seeds are mulched with humus with a layer thickness of 3-4 cm or compost. In the spring, when the ground thaws, you need to loosen the rows, leaving the mulch in place until the sprouts appear.

Caring for asters in open ground: watering and fertilizing

If the land for planting flowers has been properly prepared, caring for aster in the open ground is so simple that it allows novice gardeners to grow them. Only timely watering and weeding of the beds will be necessary.

• Plantings should be watered as the soil dries, avoiding waterlogging. Growing aster on damp, heavy, close-lying soils groundwater extremely undesirable, because it leads to rotting of the roots. In addition, asters need to loosen the soil to saturate it with oxygen. Regular weeding and weed removal help prevent diseases.
• If the summer turns out to be dry, you can mulch the ground under the asters with dry grass, sawdust or pine needles. This will help retain moisture in the soil between waterings.
• Care in the form of fertilizing will be useful for the aster. Plants are fed with mineral fertilizers: superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate. You can also use wood ash. But nitrogen fertilizers should not be used for feeding, as this leads to increased formation of leaves and reduces the number of inflorescences.
• Fertilizers can be applied dissolved in water or in dry form. The first feeding of asters is carried out 2 weeks after planting in the ground. Fertilizer is applied a second time during the formation of buds, and a third time at the beginning of flowering.

Diseases and pests affecting asters

Asters are quite often affected by various viral and fungal diseases, even despite fairly careful care. Let's list the most common dangers.

• Fusarium.

Fungi usually contaminate the soil; their proliferation is facilitated by excessive soil moisture and high air temperatures when growing asters. Annuals get sick more often; the disease manifests itself in the form of dark stripes, and only on one side of the plant. Then the leaves begin to turn yellow, the buds wither, and the plant dies.

To combat the disease, you need to reduce the acidity of the soil by adding lime to it, spray the flower garden with copper oxychloride, and make sure there are no aphids.

• Blackleg.

The fungi that cause this disease are present in any soil. They mainly affect young shoots near the base of the stem, which becomes thinner, turns black, and the plant quickly dies. Acidity and high soil moisture contribute to the spread of the disease.

You can fight the disease by disinfecting equipment and soil strong solution potassium permanganate, removing diseased seedlings, maintaining optimal humidity and careful care.

• Septoria (brown spot).

The causative agents of this disease are localized in plant residues. Rusty or light brown spots appear on the affected leaves, which spoil appearance plants. Diseased leaves dry out and fall off. Fungi actively reproduce at temperatures of 23-25 ​​°C and high humidity.

Caring for a diseased flower bed consists of spraying copper oxychloride or Bordeaux mixture once every 2 weeks - this will help stop the spread of the disease. It is imperative to destroy the affected plants.

• Mosaic disease, or jaundice.

The virus is carried by insects: aphids and cicadas. Light veins appear on the leaves, the plant stops growing, and the buds do not bloom. It is impossible to fight this disease; there are only preventive measures: immediately remove diseased specimens and destroy insects.

• Bacterial spotting.

Bacteria live in plant debris and can also infect seeds. Brown spots appear on the leaves, stems and buds; the disease begins during the formation of buds and greatly spoils the appearance of the plant. Gradually all the leaves are affected, dry out and fall off.

If signs of the disease appear, you need to spray the plantings with Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride 2-3 times every 10 days.

To prevent fungal diseases, you can add an infusion of nettle or celandine to the water for irrigation. To prepare the infusion, pour 1 kg of raw herb into a bucket hot water, leave for 2-3 days, strain. When watering, add about a glass of infusion to a bucket of water.

To keep your flower garden happy until late autumn, it is enough to follow simple recommendations and take care of the plantings:

• use proven healthy seeds;
• treat seeds before planting;
• fight pests that carry diseases;
• remove diseased plants immediately;
• avoid waterlogging of the soil;
• regularly loosen the rows.

Aster is a real star of autumn flower beds. Not a single gardener ignores its variety of colors. There are approximately 600 varieties of this flower, with an amazing variety of shapes and colors. Growing special varieties in greenhouses will make it possible to obtain flowering asters in early spring or late autumn. Simple rules for planting and caring for this flower will allow every gardener to grow asters in their own area.

When the colors of summer disappear, the stars of asters light up in multicolor, delighting the eye until the frosts. The aster, everyone’s favorite flower, decorates front gardens, city flower beds, summer cottages. How to plant asters and care for these flowers in open ground will be discussed in detail in the article.

Growing methods

Asters are grown in two ways, both of which are quite successful:

• seedless - seeds are directly sown in the ground;
• seedling - sowing seeds for seedlings in a greenhouse or in the house.

Due to the long growing season for growing asters, they often use the seedling method to obtain flowering plant in the flowerbed in a short time. This is relevant in middle lane Russia, and especially in Siberia, where the summer is short.

Seedling method

Growing from seeds by seedlings in the middle zone and northern regions is considered reliable, but labor-intensive. Prepared planting material is sown in containers installed in a greenhouse or other enclosed spaces to obtain seedlings.

Timing of sowing seeds

The sowing time depends on the variety; this is done in March and April.

Processing of planting material

Seed treatment before planting includes:

• soaking in a product that accelerates germination;
• treatment with solutions of special drugs that protect against diseases.

A week before sowing, the seeds are disinfected and germinated: kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for two hours, washed, and laid out without drying on a damp cloth. Place in a warm place for pecking.

Soil for asters

As soil for seedlings, take ordinary soil from the garden with the addition of sand, humus, and ash; its consistency is loose and light. The soil is disinfected with a hot solution of fungicides or potassium permanganate.

Sowing seeds

Soaked in a means to accelerate germination, the seeds are sown in one container to a depth of 1 cm, after moistening the soil. Cover with glass to create a greenhouse effect and place in a warm room (up to +20°C). When sprouts appear, transfer to a cool, illuminated place. After the formation of two true leaves, they are planted one at a time in pots.

Temperature and lighting

After emergence of seedlings, the temperature is gradually reduced (over 3 days) by 5°C. +15°C is enough. Maintain optimal lighting at all stages of growth to avoid stretching of seedlings. If there is insufficient lighting, artificial supplementary illumination with a lamp is used.

Watering seedlings

Watering is carried out in the morning, carefully moistening the soil so that excess moisture dries out during the day.

Picking plants

Planting and care include picking, which must be done when three or four true leaves appear, pinching off the central root by a third.

1. The composition of the soil for picked plants is identical to the soil for seeds; ash is added to it (1 tablespoon per 1 liter).
2. Watering is moderate.
3. After 7 days, apply the first fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. Subsequent feeding is carried out every week until planting in a permanent place.

Hardening

Before planting, hardening is carried out. The containers are taken out into the open air, increasing the time the seedlings are outside every day. By the time of planting in the ground, up to 8 leaves should appear on the seedlings, the height of the seedling is 10 cm with a strong stem.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Asters begin to be planted in open ground in mid-spring, when the plants reach a month of age. The seedlings grow up to 10-12 cm, and the root system is powerful and well developed. Determined by site selection and soil preparation. A sunny part of the site with fertile, light-drained soil, where calendula previously grew, will be comfortable for the flower. In the fall, the selected area is dug up deeply, and humus or compost is added at the same time. Mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium salt) are added to loosen the soil.

Tall varieties are planted maintaining a distance between plants of up to 40 cm; for short varieties, 20 cm is enough. It is recommended to leave 50 cm between rows.

It is better to plant in the evening; before doing this, you should water and mulch the soil.

The soil is sprinkled with dry soil. Water after 2-4 days. The first fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers is carried out after 2 weeks.

Direct sowing of seeds in open ground

You can get new specimens if you plant asters with seeds directly in open ground. At the same time, the seedlings harden and get sick less, but they begin to bloom much later.

When to sow

In spring, seeds should be sown in open ground after the soil has thawed and warmed up, when the temperature is set at +10°C. When the temperature drops, the crops are covered with film. Sowing of early varieties is carried out in late April, late varieties are sown in mid-May. The method of sowing seeds before winter is not popular, although it has a number of advantages. For seeds to swell and sprout, moisture from melted snow is enough. In a rainy, cold spring, when it is not possible to sow, asters sown before winter will immediately begin to grow when the weather warms up. Sometimes pre-winter sowing is carried out directly in snow furrows (in December-January). After the snow melts in the spring, the plantings are covered with film. It is necessary to strictly observe the timing of winter sowing: seeds sown too early can germinate before the onset of cold weather and die from frost, and late sowing cannot be carried out due to freezing of the soil.

Choosing a location on the site

Asters grow and develop better in well-lit areas without waterlogging, sloping to the south or southeast, protected from the wind.

Soil preparation

Astra prefers fertile soil without manure content with neutral acidity. In autumn, the area chosen for planting the flower is limed. When digging, add superphosphate and potassium sulfate (50-80 g per 1 m²). Suitable predecessors are calendula and tagetes. Before planting, the soil is weeded and loosened to a depth of 6 cm.

Sowing scheme

When planting, holes are made in the area the size of cups of seedlings. The distance between the holes depends on the variety and ranges from 15 to 35 cm.

Outdoor care

With proper soil preparation, planting asters and caring for them in open ground includes basic procedures: watering, weeding and fertilizing, which is accessible even to beginners.

Weeding and weed control serve as disease prevention.

Loosening enriches the soil with oxygen. In dry times, it is recommended to mulch the soil to retain moisture.

Growing asters in open ground requires following a number of rules:

• do not allow the soil to become waterlogged (leads to rotting of the roots);
• regularly loosen;
• promptly remove diseased plants;
• destroy pests that carry diseases.

Watering

An important care measure is watering, however, from an excess of moisture, as well as from its lack, the flower outdoors suffers greatly, which affects the decorative appearance of the inflorescences.

Water the aster flower when the soil dries out, avoiding waterlogging.

In hot weather, it is suggested to water less frequently, but more abundantly (up to 30 liters per 1 m²).

top dressing

The aster flower requires fertilizing up to three times during the season for normal growth and full flowering. Timely application of fertilizers is the key successful cultivation plants. Deadlines for depositing mineral fertilizers, the required quantity is indicated in the table:

From depositing nitrogen fertilizers should be refused, because this causes abundant leaf production and reduces the number of flowers.

Why do you need flower pruning?

To prevent the aster from losing its decorative appearance, it is necessary to promptly remove drooping flowers and dried leaves. It is better to do this in the morning, then during the day the wounds will heal and healing will accelerate. Otherwise, the plant is forced to devote strength and nutrition to the restoration of diseased and faded parts.

Seed collection

For planting material select the seeds of the strong healthy plants free from pests and signs of disease. Ripening occurs on the 40-60th day after the start of flowering. This period, and accordingly the time of seed ripening, shifts depending on the weather. Baskets of drooping flowers are collected in dry, sunny weather.

Bushes with unripe seeds are carefully transplanted into pots and placed in a dry, ventilated room for growing and ripening the seeds. To ensure uniform lighting and ventilation, the pots are rotated. Ripe seeds are cleaned and placed in glass containers with airtight lids. Store at low temperature (+2°C) in a dry place. At proper storage germination lasts three years.

Reproduction

Did you manage to grow beautiful flowers? Do you want to propagate your favorite varieties? There are several ways to do this. Annual varieties are grown from seeds, using seeds from the previous and the year before that for planting. Annual aster the germination of seeds from earlier collection sharply loses. Planting is carried out in the spring. Perennial seeds are collected and sown in the same fall. Perennial varieties successfully reproduce vegetatively - by dividing the bush. The bush must be divided if the part to be separated has four shoots, one bud and several roots. The plant tolerates division painlessly, and the separated bush, replanted in the spring, will bloom in the fall. In summer perennial asters Propagated by cuttings, cutting off apical cuttings up to 6 cm long. For planting, use a mixture of turf soil, sand and peat. Rooting occurs a month after planting.

Diseases and pests

Aster is susceptible to insect attacks, fungal and viral diseases. The table shows the most dangerous diseases, signs and methods of control:

To prevent fungal diseases, watering with water with the addition of infusion of celandine or nettle will serve.

The danger to aster is posed by insect pests and carriers of viral infections. The table shows common pests and control methods:

Preparing the infusion: Place 100 g of onions (warm) in a 3-liter jar of water and close tightly. Leave for 8 hours. Strain, add 7 liters of water and 45 g of liquid soap. In the fight against other pests they use special chemicals presented for sale. To avoid losses from diseases and pests, it is necessary proper care. Its unpretentiousness, variety of shapes and colors have made aster one of the popular flowers. Planting and maintenance of asters in open ground does not require significant costs time, what caused widespread flower. Existing varieties and varieties in terms of flowering time, inflorescence shape, color palette make it possible to choose and grow your favorite flower in the country - the star of autumn flower beds.

Most powerful plants ast r and other annuals and biennials develop when they are sown directly into the ground followed by thinning. They not only bloom more abundantly and develop powerful plants, but also easier to tolerate drought, suffer less from diseases, are less suppressed by autumn temperature drops.Ground crops of asters, like other annuals and biennials, is carried out in three terms.

Early spring sowing in the central regions of the Non-Chernozem Zone, it is carried out when the soil is ripe. On southern slopes and on light soils, sowing begins in the second half of April, and in areas with heavy loamy soils - in the first ten days of May. You should not be late with sowing asters, especially varieties intended for early cutting, and tall ones that grow late blooming groups. Seeds are sown in pre-cut grooves 1.5 - 2 cm deep on the ridge. After sowing, the ridges are watered using finely sprayed sprinkler nozzles or watering cans with a fine strainer. The crops are mulched with humus or fertile garden soil in a layer of 0.5 cm, without filling the furrows. If sowing is carried out late and when dry weather sets in, the mulch layer is increased to 1 - 1.5 cm. With early ground sowing, seedlings appear on the 10th - 12th day; before this, the seed beds are not watered. In windy, dry weather, the seed beds are watered 1-2 times with a small amount of water.

Late autumn sowing in the central regions of the Non-Chernozem zone, they are carried out in the second ten days of November in previously prepared ridges with grooves 2 cm deep. At this time upper layer The soil freezes and seeds cannot germinate even during short periods of warming until the onset of stable frosts. Up to 80 seeds are sown per 1 m of row. At this time, the furrows cannot be filled with soil, as it is frozen. Mulch the crops with humus, weathered peat, and peat compost, stored in a frost-free room. The depth of the mulching layer is increased to 2 - 2.5 cm, the width of the mulching tape should be at least 5.5 - 6 cm. This will allow you to loosen the row spacing of the seed beds in the spring, immediately after the soil has thawed and dried, without waiting for seedlings to emerge.

Winter crops in the central regions of the Non-Black Earth zone, they do it in December - January on previously prepared ridges. Seeds are sown in the snow when its cover reaches 10 - 15 cm. With less snow cover (and at an earlier date), in the event of a thaw, the snow may melt and partially wash away the seeds. Sowing is mulched with pre-prepared humus and peat compost. As a rule, when the snow melts slowly in the spring, no washing away of seeds is observed. Due to the mulching layer, the area is cleared of snow early. When warm weather sets in, ground crops find themselves in the most favorable conditions when the soil is sufficiently supplied with moisture and does not overheat.

When the first true leaf develops, the seedlings are thinned out. Thinning is repeated after 7 - 10 days, leaving a certain number of plants per unit area, provided for by agrotechnical rules. Ground crops are fed at the same phenophases as when growing seedlings, but the doses of fertilizers can be slightly increased. On poor light soils, fertilizing with cow manure infusion can be used more widely. At the first feeding, cow manure is infused for no more than 3 hours. Then the infusion exposure is increased to 2 - 3 days. Before fertilizing in dry weather, the area is watered abundantly. They try to monitor the constant and uniform moisture of the area, taking into account that deep drying of the soil leads to inhibited development of plants, which are more easily affected by fusarium.

After watering and rain, when the soil dries out, loosen it. The depth of loosening between rows should not exceed 5 - 7 cm, and near plants - 2 - 3 cm, since the root system of asters is located in the surface layer of soil. Weeds are removed in a timely manner, preventing their growth and on the sides of the site, and disease and pest control is carried out. In individual plots, when autumn rainy weather sets in, plantings of asters that lose their decorative properties are covered plastic film, stretched on light frames.