What type of leaf does an aster have? Garden aster: types, varieties with photos, names and descriptions of flowers

22.10.2023

Aster is one of the most popular flower plants. In the second half of summer, its bright inflorescences can be seen in almost every area.

But few fans of these flowers know that there are more than 40 groups of aster, differing in the shape and color of the inflorescence, the splendor and height of the bush, and the flowering period.

Thanks to this diversity, aster can be grown not only in a flower garden, but also used to decorate a balcony, loggia or terrace.
When growing asters, it is important to know when to plant asters for seedlings.

History and origin of aster

Plants - asters are annual and perennial. Let's start our story with the annual asters that are more familiar to our readers.

We love them for the duration of flowering, unpretentiousness, resistance to frost and, of course, for the beauty of white, pink, red, burgundy, yellow, blue and purple lush inflorescences.

Astra means "star" in Greek. According to an old legend, this flower grew from a speck of dust that fell from a star.

According to popular belief, if you hide among the asters at night and listen, you can hear a subtle whisper. These are asters talking to their sister stars.

Another name for the annual aster - callistephus sinensis - reflects both the beauty of the flower (callistephus translates as “beautiful wreath”) and its homeland.

photo. Voronezh asters: lilac, pink and blue

True, asters also grew in the northern regions of Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and in our Far East, but for the first time they were brought to Europe from China. This happened in the first third of the 18th century. Since then, about 1,500 varieties have been developed. Unfortunately, not all of them have survived to this day; currently there are about 600 varieties in the world.

Aster selection began in France, then the baton was picked up by Germany, and later by the USA, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In our country, many ornamental varieties were also obtained.

Scientists S. V. Zhegalov, O. D. Soskina, A. I. Kuznetsova, G. E. Christer developed excellent varieties: Yubileiny, Voronezh, Mtsenskaya pink, Mtsensky ruby, etc.

Since the mid-60s of the last century, G.V. Ostryakov, the author of magnificent and also fusarium-resistant asters: Raspberry Ball, Galina, Lilac Evening, as well as the pink variety Bride and the peony variety Yaroslavna, has been working with great success at the Voronezh breeding station.

For the beautiful asters Lada, Snow White, Irina, Suliko, Nata, flower growers are grateful to L. B. Ustinskova (VNIIS named after I.V. Michurin). Also, many wonderful varieties were obtained in Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus and other republics of the former USSR.

Unfortunately, at present, due to various restructurings and liquidation of seed farms, the assortment of domestic asters has been greatly reduced. Only, perhaps, at the Voronezh breeding station it was possible to preserve the collection of our beautiful asters.

Asters, biological portrait of asters, shape, structure

The shape of an aster bush can be: columnar, pyramidal, oval, widely spreading, wide dense. The stem is usually strong, covered with stiff hairs. According to their height, asters are divided into high (50-80 cm), medium (30-50 cm) and low (15-30 cm).

Thanks to their fibrous root system, asters tolerate replanting well even during flowering. The bulk of the roots are located in the top layer of soil, that is, at a depth of 15-20 cm.

The leaves are spatulate, toothed, arranged alternately. The largest ones are located on the lower part of the stem. When 4-5 leaves appear, buds begin to form.

What we call aster flowers are the inflorescences-baskets, and the real flowers are the petals. According to the size of the inflorescence, asters are divided into small (diameter up to 4 cm), medium (up to 6 cm), large (up to 10 cm) and very large (up to 19 cm).

Outside, the inflorescence is protected by a wrapper of numerous oblong leaves. The outer leaves are green, the inner ones are filmy and colorless. Inflorescences are arranged singly on the main stem and lateral shoots of the first and second order. In shape and structure they are flat, flat-round, hemispherical and spherical.

Flowers in the inflorescence-basket are mainly of two types: tubular and reed. The tubular ones are located in the center. They are a tube of fused petals with a length of 0.2 to 1.5 cm.

The short tubular flowers located in the middle of the basket are yellow, while the longer ones, located further from the center, can be painted in different colors. The stamens and pistil are in a tube. These flowers are bisexual and form seeds.

The second type of flowers in the basket are reed flowers. They have 3 teeth at the top, corresponding to three fused petals, and a pistil.

It is these flowers that give asters their unique charm. They are long, flat, ribbon-shaped, spatula-shaped, curl-shaped, twisted, fused into a narrow tube.

Reed flowers can be located along the edge of the basket in one row, and the entire center is filled with yellow small tubular flowers (single-double inflorescence) in several rows (semi-double) or almost completely filling it (densely double). In the latter case, there are very few tubular flowers, which means that few seeds are formed.

Aster inflorescences are most attractive at the beginning of flowering, then as the central disk appears, the decorativeness of the inflorescence decreases.

The seeds are elongated wedge-shaped, from light yellow to dark burgundy (depending on the variety), 1 g contains from 300 to 500 pieces. To get 100 asters, it is enough to sow 0.5 g of seeds. They retain germination for 3 years at a storage temperature of no higher than 15°C.

If the temperature is higher, then germination rate decreases and in the 4th year is no more than 4%. For sowing, it is better to use seeds from the previous year; they have the highest germination energy.

The color of asters includes almost all the colors of the rainbow, with the exception of green and black. The inflorescences are white, pink, salmon, red, yellow, blue, purple.

There are also two-color colors, for example, the edges of the reed flowers are blue or red, and the middle is white.

According to the length of the growing season and flowering time, asters are classified as early, middle and late.

The period from germination to flowering is 95-106 days for the early ones (they bloom in July), 107-120 for the middle ones (they bloom in the first half of August) and 121-126 for the late ones (they bloom in late August - early September).

The inflorescences bloom first on the central shoot, then on the shoots of the first order in the direction from top to bottom. Flowering begins at the edges of the basket, covering 2-3 subsequent circles of flowers daily, and lasts 20-50 days.

Simple inflorescences fade faster, double ones bloom longer. It is interesting that the doubleness of the inflorescences varies within the same plant - the least double ones are located on the main axis.

All asters are divided into 3 large groups.

Cut flowers, intended for bouquets, decorate large inflorescences on long, strong peduncles.

Universal asters form a bush of medium height with long strong peduncles and beautiful inflorescences; they are good for both a bouquet and a flower garden.

Planting plants are low, compact plants with a large number of simultaneously and long-blooming inflorescences; they are planted in flower beds and borders, in mixborders, curbs, balcony boxes and containers.

Aster seeds should be collected when the disc of tubular flowers turns brown or brown and begins to “fluff”. Inflorescence baskets should be cut only in dry weather, since high humidity can cause the seeds in them to rot.

Nina Ippolitova, candidate of agricultural sciences sciences

Aster family: general characteristics

Two sperm and one vegetative nucleus pass into the pollen tube. If the formation of sperm cells in pollen has not yet occurred, then a generative cell passes into the pollen tube, and here, through its division, sperm cells are formed. The vegetative nucleus is often located in front, at the growing end of the tube, and sperm are successively located behind it. In the pollen tube, the cytoplasm is in constant motion.

Flower structure

- the sterile part of the stamen, bearing an anther at its apex. The filament can be straight, curved, twisted, tortuous, or broken. Shape: hair-like, cone-shaped, cylindrical, flattened, club-shaped. The nature of the surface is bare, pubescent, hairy, with glands. In some plants it is short or does not develop at all.

The parts of the flower located around the stamens and pistil are called the perianth.
Garden aster (Callistephus chinensis L.) was exported from China; thanks to its cultivation, the number of its varieties exceeds 4000.
The shape of the asters’ bushes is also different: pyramidal, columnar, oval, spreading.
According to the time of flowering, asters can be divided into 3 groups:
The most popular and useful medicinal plants are: chamomile, yarrow arnica, string, milk thistle, wormwood, tansy, calendula and many others. Their healing effects on the body have been tested and proven; decoctions or infusions of these herbs are the most valuable homeopathic remedies.

Many species are subshrubs or shrubs of quite impressive size (up to 5-8 meters in height). For example, Melampodium swamp, which is native to the wet, swampy forests of Louisiana in the USA.

(0, fused)

We will talk about one of the most numerous families among dicotyledonous plants - Asteraceae (Asteraceae). Without noticing it, we encounter its representatives almost every day - in everyday life, in cooking, and just on the street. Flowers of the aster family are perhaps the most common in our flower beds and gardens, and not a single kitchen can do without sunflower oil. Aster is translated from Greek as “star”. And in fact, with its sharp ray-petals, the aster resembles a star descending into the garden. Pollen is rich in nutrients. These substances, especially carbohydrates (sugar, starch, pentosans) are intensively consumed during pollen germination. In addition to carbohydrates, the chemical composition of pollen includes proteins, fats, ash and a large group of enzymes. Pollen contains a high phosphorus content. Substances in pollen are in a mobile state. Pollen easily tolerates low temperatures down to – 20Cº and even lower for a long time. High temperatures quickly reduce germination. Anther The inner leaves are the petals that make up the corolla. The outer leaves - sepals - form a calyx. The perianth, consisting of a calyx and corolla, is called double. A perianth that is not divided into a corolla and a calyx, and all the leaflets of the flower are more or less the same - simple. A flower is a noticeable, often beautiful, important part of flowering plants. Flowers can be large and small, brightly colored and green, fragrant and odorless, single or collected together from many small flowers into one common inflorescence. According to the length of the growing season and flowering time, aster varieties are divided into early, middle and late - with From July to October, asters decorate the garden. According to economic use, varieties of asters are distinguished: early - May - June;

The Aster family, whose representatives are known, perhaps, to everyone, has given the world an incredible amount of valuable economic, ornamental, and medicinal plants.

Structure of leaves and roots

The Asteraceae family also has representatives among trees, although they are all inhabitants of the southern regions. For example, scalesia in the Galapagos Islands, which can reach 20 meters in height, but it is endemic and is not found anywhere else on the planet. Or plants of the genus Brahilena from South Africa. Giant trees that have fairly strong wood that is resistant to rotting, for which they are highly valued.

What fruits do plants of the Asteraceae family have?

The family includes a very large number of genera; it is quite difficult to give an exact figure; it ranges from 1100 to 1300, and there are more than 20,000 varieties. Most plants are pollinated by insects. The distribution area is quite wide; representatives of this family are found in all climatic zones: from hot and humid tropics to cold tundra, high in the mountains and on the sea coast. They grow on fertile black soils and desert sands. A large number of species have provided asters with widespread economic use in human life.

Life form of Asteraceae

The ancient Greeks came up with a wonderful myth about the origin of the aster: one day at the end of August, the goddess of spring Persephone, who was destined to return to the dull underground kingdom of Hades with the onset of autumn, looked from heaven to earth. She saw a couple in love exchanging love vows in the darkness of the night. Persephone felt bitter because she was not given love, but was destined to spend half her life in the dark kingdom, and she began to cry. Her tears fell like stardust to the ground and turned into asters. Since then, the aster has been a symbol that in Greek mythology is associated with Persephone and her mother Demeter, the goddess of fertility.

The pistil is the part of the flower that forms the fruit. It arises from the carpel (a leaf-like structure bearing ovules) subsequently fusion of the edges of the latter. It can be simple if it is made up of one carpel, and complex if it is made up of several simple pistils fused together with side walls. In some plants, the pistils are underdeveloped and are represented only by rudiments. The pistil is divided into an ovary, a style and a stigma.

located at the top of the filament and attached to it by a connective tissue. It consists of two halves connected to each other by a connector. Each half of the anther has two cavities (pollen sacs, chambers, or nests) in which pollen develops.

Corolla

A flower is a modified shortened shoot used for seed propagation. The main or side shoot usually ends in a flower. Like any shoot, a flower develops from a bud.

- cut flowers (beautiful inflorescences on long strong peduncles);

Subfamily Asteraceae (tubeflowers)

summer - July - August;

Subfamily Chicoryaceae (or lettuces)

Aster is the name of two genera of plants - Aster and Callistephus - of the Asteraceae family. The only species of the genus Callistephus is the so-called Chinese, or annual, aster. (C. chinensis) - annual plant with large single baskets of flowers. Grows wildly in China and Japan. The ancestor of decorative annual double and non-double asters. About 4 thousand varieties are known in culture, which differ in the shape of the inflorescence, the color of the reed and tubular flowers, and the height and branching of the bushes. According to the shape of inflorescences and flowers, annual asters are divided into groups (more than 40). Of these, the most common are pompom, rose-shaped, peony-shaped, comet, ostrich feather, triumph, American beauty, and Californian. According to the height of the bush, there are low-growing (15-25 cm), used for borders, medium (30-50 cm) and high (60-80 cm), suitable for planting on lawns, as well as for cutting. Cut plants stand in water for 10-20 days. In the central zone of the USSR, annual asters are grown by seedlings or by sowing seeds in open ground.

Aster family: nutritional value

In the alpine meadows of New Zealand, Haatsia fluffy forms entire thickets. This is a tree-like form that covers fairly large areas with a thick carpet up to half a meter high (one plant can grow up to two meters in diameter).

A distinctive feature of all the plants that the Asteraceae family includes is a complex inflorescence - a basket, which consists of many small and inconspicuous flowers, but together they make up a very impressive picture.

Decorative and medicinal value

Garden asters first appeared in Ancient Greece. They occupied an important place among other flowers. According to legends, asters planted at the entrance warded off troubles and protected the house from harm. Asters were used to decorate altars in churches; asters were woven into garlands and used to decorate clothes and hairstyles. And young Greek women found out the name of their future husband: at night they went out into the garden, to the aster bushes, and listened. It was believed that asters could ask the stars and tell the girl what her betrothed’s name would be.

Ovary

As a rule, the anther is four-locular, but sometimes the partition between the nests in each half is destroyed, and the anther becomes two-locular. In some plants the anther is even single-lobed. Very rarely found with three nests. Based on the type of attachment to the filament, fixed, movable and oscillating anthers are distinguished.

- the inner part of the perianth, differs from the calyx in its bright color and larger size. The color of the petals is due to the presence of chromoplasts. There are separate and fused corollas. The first consists of individual petals. In fused-petal corollas, a tube is distinguished and a limb located perpendicular to it, which has a certain number of teeth or corolla blades.

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Description of the aster

Nadezhda Solnechnaya

A flower is the reproductive organ of angiosperms, consisting of a shortened stem (flower axis), on which the flower cover (perianth), stamens and pistils, consisting of one or more carpels, are located.
- casing (low compact bushes with a large number of simultaneous and long-flowering inflorescences);

autumn - September - November.

Genus Aster - perennial herbs with alternate leaves. Flowers are in baskets, mostly collected in racemes or corymbs, less often solitary. About 200 species are known, distributed mainly in North America, as well as in South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. In Russia there are about 30 species growing from the tundra to the steppe zone in meadows, steppes and light deciduous forests, as well as in the mountains in alpine meadows. Many authors distinguish a number of independent genera from the genus Aster. Alpine aster (A. alpinus) is used in cultivation in Altai and the Caucasus, European aster (A. amellus) is used in the middle and southern zones of the European part of Russia, the Caucasus and Western Siberia. Most garden forms of perennial asters have branched, erect bushes with a height of 20 to 150 cm (depending on the type and variety). The flower baskets of most varieties are not double; their reed flowers are purple, white, pink, red or bluish; tubular flowers are usually yellow, less often colored in the same way as the marginal ones (in the so-called double varieties). According to the time of flowering, varieties are distinguished: early (late May - early June), medium (July - August), late (late August - late October). Perennial asters are cold-resistant (tolerate frosts of 4-7°C). Used in pure and mixed plantings. Low-growing varieties are used in borders, tall ones - for planting near ornamental shrubs and for cutting. Propagated by dividing bushes, suckers, cuttings and seeds.

Among the Asteraceae, vines (mikania, mutisia), succulents and even such a rare life form as tumbleweeds (spreading cornflower, dwarf asteriscus) are found.
A

The name of the inflorescence speaks for itself: a basket, that is, a certain container in which something is folded. The container is a peduncle widened at the end; it can be flat, convex or concave. Numerous small flowers are located on it. And all this is surrounded by one or several rows of bracts. All flowers of the family are divided into five types:

Guzel Ibragimova

From Greece the aster came to Crimea. During excavations in Simferopol, an image of asters was found among sacred symbols on the walls of the royal tomb. The Scythians held the sun and its symbols in high esteem: Kolovrat and solar disks. The aster, with its yellow core and radiant petals, reminded them not of a star, but of the sun. Therefore, among the Scythians it was considered a flower close to the gods. Then the aster was brought to Italy, from where it reached China and remained a popular flower there when it was forgotten in Europe.

Grey-eye

- the lower part of the pistil, which contains the seed germs.

The anthers contain pollen or pollen grains.

Flowers can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. There are flowers that do not have a perianth; they are called naked.

The axis of the flower is called
- universal (medium-height bushes for planting in flower beds, with peduncles suitable for cutting).
Of the early ones, the alpine aster stands out especially, which blooms earlier than all the others, with flowers similar to simple daisies. This is a rosette plant 30 cm high. The basal leaves are spatulate, oblong, the stem leaves are small, linear. Baskets are single, up to 6 cm in diameter. Reed flowers are purple, lilac, blue, white, tubular flowers are yellow. In terms of flowering time, one of the earliest asters. It blooms in early June. Flowering is abundant and very colorful, lasting up to 30 days. The seeds ripen in August. The most common varieties of alpine aster are purple aster, white aster, bluish aster, etc.
“ASTRA” - in practical floriculture there are two genera under this name: aster (Aster L.) and callistephus (Callistephus Cass.) with one species (C. chinensis (L.) Nees), or callistephus chinensis, or annual aster, widely widespread in culture. The Cape aster (Aster capensis) is allocated to the independent genus Felicia, the biennial aster (Aster biennis) is included in the genus Heteropappus, and the angustifolia aster (Aster angustissima) and the point aster (Aster punctatus) are included in the genus Galatella.

Traditionally, the entire aster family is divided into two subfamilies: tubifales and reeds.

Tubular, most often hermaphroditic and much less often unisexual. They have a tube shape that expands at the end or has a bend.

Veta

China loves flowers. There is a whole culture of how to grow them, give them, how to make bouquets, how to admire them, and what meaning each flower has. The lovely aster represents beauty, elegance and modesty among the Chinese. In the eastern esoteric teachings of Feng Shui, the aster signifies love and romance. A bouquet of “stars” is placed in the house in the love zone (in the south-eastern part of the house), and aster bushes are planted in the garden in the same zone.

Having entered the ovary, the pollen tube grows further and enters the ovule in most cases through the pollen duct (micropyle). Invading the embryo sac, the end of the pollen tube bursts and the contents spill onto one of the synergids, which darkens and quickly collapses. The vegetative nucleus is usually destroyed before the pollen tube penetrates the embryo sac.

The dust particles formed in the anthers of the stamens are small grains; they are called pollen grains. The largest ones reach 0.5 mm in diameter, but usually they are much smaller. Under a microscope you can see that dust particles from different plants are not at all the same. They differ in size and shape.

Symmetrical (actinomorphic)

receptacle

The complex classification of asters makes your head spin! And in front of a store window with aster seeds of various varieties - one better than the other - flower growers completely lose their heads. Aster is the universally recognized queen of the autumn flower garden, bringing a riot of colors to it.
Of the summer species, the Italian aster deserves attention. Perennial up to 60 cm high. Leaves are linear-lanceolate, alternate, sessile. Baskets up to 4 cm in diameter, collected in loose shields. Reed flowers are lilac-blue. It blooms in the second half of summer, from late July to September - mid-October. The seeds ripen in September. In the summer group, the Bessarabian aster also stands out - the tallest of the summer asters with a bush up to 75 cm tall with numerous medium-sized purple inflorescences. A distinctive feature of this type of aster is the dark brownish center of the flower.
Name: "Aster" - Latin transcription of the Greek "asteros" - star, the name is given for the shape of the inflorescences.
The vast majority of flowers are tubular. This group of plants contains more than a thousand genera and more than twenty tribes (taxonomic rank in botany, which is lower in importance than family, but higher than genus). For example, the most famous are aster, calendula, sunflower, navel, marigold and others.

Natasha

False-reed flowers - they are formed as a result of the fusion of three petals and have the same number of teeth located on the upper edge.
Once upon a time in the East it was believed that to protect against evil spirits one should burn aster petals indoors. She is also credited with the ability to return lost feelings. When problems occur in the family, the husband loses interest in his other half, the Chinese woman prepares a special salad, which, in addition to traditional ingredients, includes aster petals. It is believed that such a dish can bring back passion. There is a rational grain in this: often indifference to intimacy is a sign of illness, and aster is used in folk medicine for many diseases.
The tepals (single and double) can be arranged so that several planes of symmetry can be drawn through it. Such flowers are called regular. Flowers through which one plane of symmetry can be drawn are called irregular.
The surface of the dust particle is covered with various protrusions and tubercles. Once on the stigma of the pistil, pollen grains are held with the help of outgrowths and sticky liquid released on the stigma.

- if many axes of symmetry can be drawn through the rim.
. The receptacle, growing, takes on various shapes: flat, concave, convex, hemispherical, cone-shaped, elongated, columnar. The receptacle below turns into a peduncle, connecting the flower with the stem or peduncle.
A "stra (Aster L.) is a genus of herbaceous plants of the Aster family, or Compositae (lat. Asteraceae), including more than 200 species. Widely distributed in culture as ornamental plants with beautiful flowers (in fact, these are not individual flowers, but inflorescences ) The plant Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees is known in floriculture under the name garden aster.

Flower

The most numerous is the autumn group of perennial asters, which includes amazingly beautiful species that can bloom until the coldest weather and disappear under the snow with flowers. New England aster (American) forms bushes up to 2 m high. The stems are standard and highly branched. The leaves are rough. Inflorescences with a diameter of 3-4 cm, 25-30 pieces each, are collected in a thick brush. Blooms in September. New Belgian aster (Virginian) reaches a height of 40-150 cm. The stems are vigorous, woody, highly branched, bare or pubescent. Inflorescences are baskets up to 2 cm in diameter, collected in panicles. Numerous reed flowers are arranged in 5-6 rows, mostly lilac and pink in color. Blooms in September. On each of the shoots, up to 200 flower baskets bloom, and so brightly and densely that sometimes the leaves are not visible at all between them.

Aster tongolensis

Flower structure

Their second name is reeds, unlike the previous family they contain only seven tribes, and the number of genera is about two hundred - this is a small part of the total number of plants included in the aster family. Representatives of chicory grow on almost all continents; in our country, the most famous species is common chicory, notable for its bright blue flowers and widespread as a weed. But nevertheless, the plant is a good honey plant, and the root is used in cooking to make coffee.

(2).Reed - the corolla has the shape of a shortened tube, from which petals extend, fused together. As a rule, they have five stamens and one pistil. The aster returned to Europe in the 18th century; its seeds were brought from China. At this time, the custom of expressing thoughts and feelings with the help of flowers was widespread. The bouquet could tell about ardent passion, tenderness, admiration and even hatred. Aster has taken pride of place among symbolic plants. In the gallant language of flowers of the royal court of France, it meant “diversity of love.” If a gentleman gave a lady a bouquet of asters, he wanted to say that his love is multifaceted and includes all shades - from admiration and timidity to passionate desire.

Most plants have flowers that contain both stamens and pistils. These are bisexual flowers. But in some plants, some flowers have only pistils - pistillate flowers, while others have only stamens - staminate flowers. Such flowers are called dioecious.

The nests of young anthers contain special diploid cells. As a result of meiotic division, four haploid spores are formed from each cell, which are called microspores due to their very small size. Here, in the cavity of the pollen sac, microspores turn into pollen grains. Asymmetrical (zygomorphic) Flowers that do not have a peduncle are called sessile. On the peduncle of many plants there are two or one small leaves - bracts.

The genus contains, according to various estimates, from 200 to 500 species, more than half of which grow wild in Central and North America The bush aster reaches a height of 50 cm. The stem is highly branched with soft pubescence. The leaves are dark green. Inflorescences with a diameter of 3 cm are collected in loose shields over the entire surface of a dense bush. Reed flowers are white or light purple. Blooms from mid-September until frost. It has a large number of varieties with different bush heights and colors of reed flowers and different flowering times. Particularly decorative are the low (30-35 cm) bushes, which are very dense, almost spherical in shape, with delicate purple flowers covering the entire bush. Perennial asters are widely used in ornamental gardening and are especially valued for their late flowering, when there are few flowering plants left in the garden.

Photo by Elena Severyakova

The use of plants of this family in cooking has long been popular; the most famous example is the oilseed sunflower. Its homeland is North America. It has successfully acclimatized in our area, and now sunflower is grown on an industrial scale. The most important product from it is, of course, sunflower oil. But in addition to this, seeds, lard (solid fat used to make margarine and soap) are obtained, and production waste is used as animal feed.

It is characteristic of the entire Aster family. The flower formula is deciphered as follows: the flowers are bisexual, have several planes of symmetry, a calyx, a corolla of five petals, 5 stamens, two pistils, and an ovary above them. Funnel-shaped - flowers of asymmetrical shape, asexual, corolla in the form of a long tube greatly expanded at the end (funnel).

In Eastern Europe, the aster is often perceived as a symbol of sadness and longing for the passing summer. For its discreet beauty, the Czechs call it an autumn rose. However, the aster never personifies grief, but only quiet, bright sadness. The Tatars see the aster as a symbol of eternal life and prosperity and even placed it on the coat of arms of their republic.

Plants that bear both pistillate and staminate flowers are called monoecious. Dioecious plants have staminate flowers on one plant and pistillate flowers on the other.This happens as follows: the microspore nucleus is divided mitotically into two nuclei - vegetative and generative. Areas of cytoplasm are concentrated around the nuclei and two cells are formed - vegetative and generative. On the surface of the cytoplasmic membrane of the microspore, a very strong shell is formed from the contents of the pollen sac, insoluble in acids and alkalis. Thus, each pollen grain consists of vegetative and generative cells and is covered with two membranes. Many pollen grains make up the pollen of a plant. Pollen matures in the anthers by the time the flower opens.

– if only one axis of symmetry can be drawn.Flower cover -

Asters are annual and perennial rhizomatous herbs with simple leaves. inflorescences - baskets collected in complex complexes in the form of a shield or panicle; the marginal flowers are reed-shaped, their flower color is very diverse; central - small, tubular, usually yellow

"Aster" translated from Greek means "star". Legends attribute to the aster a relationship with the stars: growing from star dust that has fallen from the sky, asters whisper at night with their heavenly sisters. The annual aster, or Callistephus chinensis, belongs to the Asteraceae family. Wild asters with blue, carmine and purple reed flowers from Northeast China and Korea, brought to Europe, served as the starting material for breeding work.The resulting varieties and forms of asters of various colors, including those with double inflorescences, began to be used as ornamental plants in gardens in Europe since the 18th century. However, real popularity came to asters in the 19th century, when magnificent Peony-shaped asters appeared in France, and active breeding work to create new varieties began in Germany and the USA.Description: The genus Astra belongs to the family Asteraceae or Compositae, including about 600 species growing in Europe, Asia, North Africa, Central and North America. There are 26 species of this plant growing on the territory of the former USSR. Perennial asters appeared in culture from the end of the 16th century,

Another bright and edible, but, unfortunately, we do not have a growing representative of the family - the artichoke (pictured). Traditionally it is considered a vegetable, but in fact it is an unopened bud. As an independent dish or side dish, it is widespread in Mediterranean countries and America.The structure of leaves can only be said in general terms, since this is a fairly large group of plants, represented by various life forms. Sunflower, burdock, thistle, asters and zinnias, Jerusalem artichokes, tree forms, yarrow, gerberas and many other species are all in the aster family. A general characteristic is that the arrangement of leaves is usually alternate, but can also be opposite. The sizes, and even more so the shape, vary over a very wide range from a few millimeters to 2-3 meters. The venation of representatives of the family is most often pinnate. The leaves may be pubescent, the degree of expression varies, many plants have spines.

Double-lipped flowers - the corolla tube is quite long, and two tongues (lips) bend from it. Can be bisexual or unisexual.Astrologers advise sowing aster seeds on the waxing Moon in Cancer, and planting seedlings on the waxing Moon in Virgo.

There are species in which bisexual and unisexual flowers can be found on the same plant. These are the so-called polygamous (polygamous) plants.

The beginning of pollen germination is associated with mitotic division, as a result of which a small reproductive cell is formed (sperm cells develop from it) and a large vegetative cell (the pollen tube develops from it).

Pollen grain structure

Double flowers have an abnormally increased number of petals. In most cases, they arise as a result of splitting of the petals.

perianth

Cultivated asters became known in Europe in the 17th century: their seeds were secretly brought from China by the French monk Nicolas Incarville.

Currently, there are about 800 different varieties of asters in the world: dwarf and tall, simple and double, of all kinds of shapes and colors. The garden classification of asters is based on the shape of the inflorescences, color, shape and height of the bush, and economic characteristics.

Pollen germination

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Jerusalem artichoke is famous for its taste, cultivated not only as a food plant, but also as a technical and fodder plant.

The root is quite well developed and in most plants it has a tap structure (a well-developed main root and many adventitious roots). For example, it is enough to recall a typical representative of the family - the officinalis dandelion; many are familiar with it and its root system. There may also be modifications with thickenings resembling a tuber, for example in burdock.

If we take the same sunflower as an example, then we are all accustomed to perceiving it as a separate lush and beautiful flower. And this is absolutely wrong from a botanical point of view. Since in reality this is an inflorescence that contains more than 1000 individual small flowers (tubular), and the wide and bright orange or yellow petals are reed flowers. An amazingly complex and subtle organization, thought out by nature to the smallest detail.

If you don’t have a garden plot, you can buy an indoor aster (plant or seeds) or ask your friends to bring a bush of ordinary perennial asters from their dacha - they take root well in flower pots.

Flowers are formed on the shoots. Very rarely they are located alone. Much more often, flowers are collected in noticeable groups called inflorescences. The study of inflorescences began with Linnaeus. But for him, the inflorescence was not a type of branching, but a way of flowering.

Pestle

After the pollen reaches the stigma in one way or another, its germination begins. The sticky and uneven surface of the stigma helps to retain pollen. In addition, the stigma secretes a special substance (enzyme) that acts on pollen, stimulating its germination.

stamen- can be divided into a calyx and corolla.

Some varieties have double flowers, reminiscent of chrysanthemums, pure white or red and blue with a variety of shades.

Flowers regular and irregular

According to the decorative effect of the inflorescences, the modern assortment of asters is divided into 3 classes: Tubular (only tubular flowers in inflorescences), Transitional (tubular and reed flowers), Reed (only reed flowers). The classes are divided based on the structure of the inflorescences into 10 types (Simple, Coronal, Semi-double, Curly, Ray, Globular, Imbricated, Tubular, Needle-shaped, Hemispherical), which include 45 varieties bearing poetic names (Margarita, Edelweiss, Fantasy, Princess, Pompon, Queen of the Market, Artistic, Radio, Victoria, etc.) .

Flowers bisexual and dioecious

Description. Perennial asters belong to the Aster family, that is, they are the closest relatives of the well-known annual Chinese aster, or calli stephus. Perennial asters are also called real or true. This rhizomatous herbaceous plant makes a good cut, especially in the fall, when there are no other flowers in the open ground.

Monoecious and dioecious plants

The aster family (photo) has long been famous for its decorative and beautifully flowering species.

Asteraceae (Asteraceae) have an achene fruit. It is dry and contains one seed. The pericarp is leathery and does not rupture when ripe. The formation of various hairs, protrusions, and peculiar hooks on the achene is widespread, which in turn contribute to the spread of seeds in the wind (in dandelion, wormwood), with animals or on people’s clothing (sedum, burdock).

Inflorescences

Representatives of the family have the following flower formula:

Plant an aster in the south-eastern part of the garden (or place a bouquet or pot of indoor aster in this part of the apartment). This is the Feng Shui love zone. By activating it with asters, you attract love and family happiness into your life. If you are already in a happy marriage, an aster in this zone will maintain harmony in the family and contribute to the longevity and strength of the relationship. Here it is best to choose terracotta or classic lilac and purple flowers.

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Aster - a flower that came down from heaven

The inflorescences are distinguished between main and lateral axes (sessile or on peduncles); such inflorescences are called simple. If the flowers are on the lateral axes, then these are complex inflorescences.

The pollen swells, and the restraining influence of the exine (the outer layer of the pollen grain shell) causes the contents of the pollen cell to rupture one of the pores, through which the intina (the inner, poreless shell of the pollen grain) protrudes outward in the form of a narrow pollen tube. The contents of the pollen cell pass into the pollen tube.

- part of a flower, which is a kind of specialized structure that forms microspores and pollen. It consists of a filament, through which it is attached to the receptacle, and an anther containing pollen. The number of stamens in a flower is a systematic feature. Stamens are distinguished by the method of attachment to the receptacle, by shape, size, structure of the stamen filaments, connective tissue and anther. The collection of stamens in a flower is called the androecium.

Tears of the Goddess

Calyx

Child of the Sun

Aster is propagated by seeds: in March - April they are sown in bowls or a cold greenhouse; The seedlings dive, and then in May they are planted in the ground - in loose, nutritious, well-lit soil. Blooms from late July to late autumn.

There are non-double, semi-double, double and densely double varieties of asters. According to the size of the inflorescences, aster varieties are divided into small (up to 4 cm in diameter), medium (up to 6 cm), large (up to 10 cm) and very large (over 10 cm). The amazing variety of aster inflorescences is accompanied by a rich palette of colors and shades of varieties: white, cream, yellow, apricot, orange, pink, red, crimson, blue, indigo, violet...

Astra - Star of the East

Aster is a herbaceous plant with erect, densely leafy shoots, height from 25 to 160 cm. The leaves are small, lanceolate, dark green. Inflorescences are baskets with a diameter of 1-5 cm. The flowers are white, blue, purple, pink and crimson. There are simple, semi-double and terry forms. About 500 species of perennial asters are known, but only a few of them are especially widely grown.

Breeders have developed an innumerable number of varieties of garden flowers. Everyone is familiar with chrysanthemums and gerberas, popular in flower shops. At least once, everyone who has flower beds has grown asters or daisies, zinnias and marigolds, dahlias and ageratums.

Aster symbol

Life forms are represented almost in full, and this is primarily due to the huge distribution area, but still asteraceae (Asteraceae) are mainly herbaceous plants (annual or perennial). Sizes vary widely - from very tiny representatives to giants several meters high.

You can, following the example of the ancient Greeks, plant asters in a flowerbed near the front door so that they bring good luck. Under no circumstances should you plant flowers in the shade - aster is esoterically connected with the sun, and will not “work” without it.

Under the epidermis of the stigma there is loose tissue into which the pollen tube penetrates. It continues to grow, passing either through a special conducting channel between mucus cells, or tortuously along the intercellular spaces of the conductive tissue of the column. In this case, usually a significant number of pollen tubes simultaneously advance in the style, and the “success” of one or another tube depends on the individual growth rate.

Filament

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forms the outer circle of the perianth; its leaves are usually relatively small in size and green in color. There are separate and fused calyx. Usually it serves the function of protecting the internal parts of the flower until the bud opens. In some cases, the calyx falls off when the flower opens; most often it remains during flowering.

Asters are one of the most famous and sought-after flowers in the garden. They have many varieties with different shapes, sizes, and colors, which is why they attract the attention of landscape designers and ordinary gardeners. Their decorative qualities, as well as their unpretentiousness to growing conditions, allow you to create any compositions in flower beds, decorate hedges, decorate balconies and collect amazing bouquets. In ancient times, the flower was considered a talisman; it was often planted near houses and temples, and the ancient Greeks dedicated it to Aphrodite, who personified beauty and unfading youth.

Main types

Today, a huge number of varieties of this plant are known - about 4 thousand, which are conventionally divided into 40 variety groups. But the aster population is not limited to this, and every year the number of newly bred species increases. The classification of crops is quite complex, it includes the distribution of varieties depending on various characteristics: color, size, shape of petals, flowering time, nature of use, etc. Among all the diversity, there are the most common varieties, represented by perennial and annual species.

Perennial asters

This group unites representatives of various sizes and colors. Tall ones are used for decorating flower beds, and small ones are used in landscape design for arranging rockeries and alpine slides. Here you can highlight such popular varieties as:

"Marie Ballard"- voluminous bushes, full of blue buds. You can admire the flowering for about two months. The culture is perfect for cutting.

"Violet"- small compact bushes that often decorate the facades of flower beds. It has beautiful purple and blue flowers that form a continuous cover.

"White Lady"- a one and a half meter beauty, covered with many small white or light pink flowers, looks great on the site, even growing alone.

"Constgans"– stands out for its special branching and ability to bloom before frost. It has rich dark purple buds with a yellow core, forming a real “carpet” during flowering.

"Bars Pink"– a luxurious shrub that grows up to 1.5 m. Small buds (about 4 cm in diameter) are pink in color and are suitable for cutting.

"Dwarf"- a low-growing, spherical bush, not exceeding two tens of centimeters in height. Flowering, represented by a wide range of colors, continues from July until late autumn. Thanks to its compact size, this variety mixture can decorate not only garden plots, but also home flowerpots and balcony boxes.

"Rose"– a great option for bouquets. It has flowers with double petals - flat pink and tubular brown.

"Freakart"– the flowers of these asters look similar to daisies, but have a beautiful lavender-blue color. The bushes have delicate inflorescences that bloom alternately, creating a long, continuous flowering.

Annual asters

This group includes about 600 species, among which there are representatives of different heights and color spectrum, with different bud sizes and other characteristics. The same group includes simple and terry baskets. Let's consider several fairly popular beautiful varieties, namely:

"Galaxy"– has double inflorescences about 8–9 cm in diameter, presented in a variety of colors. Widely used in bouquet arrangements.

"Dwarf"– has charming peony-shaped white flowers. The bushes are compact, grow up to 30 cm, making them suitable for growing in flowerpots and boxes.

"Symphony"- a tall crop, reaching a meter mark. The peculiarity of double flowers lies in their original coloring - the purple-red petals are framed by an elegant white border. Flowering is abundant and long lasting.

"Lady Coral"– has large buds about 16 cm in diameter with a variety of colors. It often decorates flower beds, but also looks great alone.

Proper care of asters

Caring for asters does not bring much trouble. An important condition for its comfortable existence is loosening and weeding of the soil, which is carried out simultaneously with watering or after heavy rain.

Lighting

Astra feels equally comfortable both in well-lit areas and in partial shade. For more luxuriant flowering, it is still better to choose open sunny areas or balconies facing south. Good lighting is necessary for the plant when it is at the young seedling stage.

Temperature

The optimal range for the growth and flowering of the crop is a temperature of +18...+25C. A special temperature regime must be observed when growing seedlings. Before emergence, the container with seeds is stored at a temperature of +20...+22C, with the appearance of the first shoots it drops to +15, and when transplanted into large containers it rises to +23. An adult plant is quite resistant to temperature changes and, in most cases, is able to bloom until frost.

Humidity

Waterlogging of the soil can lead to incurable diseases of the plant, so even during planting it is necessary to ensure high-quality drainage at the bottom of the planting hole. Light, permeable soil with deep groundwater is ideal for planting. Spraying is not used - regular watering is sufficient.

Watering

Astra can be equally harmed by drying out the soil or by waterlogging it. Watering should be regular but moderate. In the hot season, you can reduce their number, but with each watering, increase the volume of water - by 1 sq.m. It should take about 2-3 buckets. In this case, it is necessary to carry out loosening to provide the root system with air supply.

Fertilizers and fertilizing

The aster is fed mostly with mineral fertilizers. Among organic fertilizers, you can choose chicken manure, which is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20, but it should only be used on poor soils. The first time fertilizing with minerals is introduced a couple of weeks after planting in the ground, the next two - during the periods of bud formation and flowering.

Pests and diseases

The main diseases that can befall the aster include fusarium, blackleg, rust and jaundice. Most often you can encounter fusarium, which causes wilting. It is impossible to save the crop - it must be removed and burned. An aster infected with blackleg causes the rhizome to rot, the bush turns black and withers. The plant is removed from the soil, which is then treated with potassium permanganate. “Rust” is characterized by swelling and drying of leaves. “Jaundice” is much less common and is mainly carried by pests such as cicadas and aphids. It is manifested by burning out of leaf blades, stopping growth and budding. In this case, spraying with insecticides will help.

Among the pests, the most dangerous are spider mites, meadow bugs, earwigs, aphids and slugs. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to dig up the soil every autumn to remove the remains of annuals. Chemicals such as foundationazole, metaldehyde, karbofos, etc. will help cope with pests.

The site for the intended planting of the aster must be selected and prepared in the fall. A sunny area with light fertile soil is better suited, which needs to be dug up, adding humus or compost 2 kg per 1 sq.m. In the spring, the digging is repeated again, but with the addition of superphosphate (20 g / 1 sq.m). It is advisable to moisten the soil before planting. The bushes are planted in holes at a distance of at least 25 cm from each other, but it can be greater, depending on the expected size of an adult bush of a particular variety. The planting must be sprinkled with soil, but not watered. The first watering should be done after 3 days, and after a couple of weeks, nitrogen fertilizers should be added to the soil.

Reproduction of aster at home

The most common method of growing asters, applicable to all species, is to obtain seedlings from seeds. Perennials are also often propagated by cuttings or dividing the tuber.

Propagation by seeds

Seeds can be planted in open ground in the spring, when the temperature reaches +20C. Most often, seedlings are grown at home, creating a greenhouse. The container must be filled with a universal soil composition, the seeds must be planted to a depth of half a centimeter and watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Next, you should cover the planting with glass or polyethylene and place it in a warm place with a temperature of about +22. The greenhouse is ventilated daily, and the bed is carefully watered with warm water at room temperature. After a week, the first sprouts will appear - then the protection must be removed and the container moved to a well-lit place, but with a lower temperature, to avoid the sprouts being pulled out. Diving is carried out with the appearance of the first full-fledged leaves.

Reproduction by cuttings

Cuttings can be carried out throughout the summer. To do this, cut off the top of the plant up to 7 cm long and plant it in a small container (cup) or on a prepared bed containing sand and peat in the soil. At home, cuttings should be placed in a dark place. During the rooting of sprouts located in open ground, it is necessary to create greenhouse conditions, so they are covered with plastic transparent bottles. After a month, the plant is considered fully functional.

Reproduction by division

The procedure for dividing a perennial bush is carried out in the spring - then the first flowering can be seen in the fall of the same year. It is necessary to separate the segment from the mother bush so that it has from 3 to 5 shoots and at least one bud with roots. The plant is planted in a prepared hole and covered with a three-centimeter layer of soil, and systematic watering is carried out for rapid rooting.

Asters(family Asteraceae). There are annual and perennial species. We consider only annual species.

Varieties are classified according to the habit of the bush, the structure of the inflorescences and flowers.

According to the nature of their growth, the bushes range from columnar to wide-spreading, with a height of 15 to 80 cm. Plants are divided into three groups according to their height: high - 50 - 80 cm, medium - 30 - 50 cm, low - up to 30 cm.

Based on their shape and structure, the inflorescences are peony-shaped, chrysanthemum-shaped, spherical and others.

The main stem of asters is straight, fairly short and strong, covered with densely arranged short hairs. From the axils of the leaves of the main stem, 5–10 stems of the first and subsequent orders develop. Their number and angle of inclination relative to the main stem are one of the leading signs in determining whether asters belong to garden groups. The leaf arrangement is regular. The lower leaves (basal) are spatulate, toothed, larger in size, the higher stem leaves are oblong, almost entire and smaller in size. In the phenophase of the 4th - 5th true leaf, inflorescences are formed.

The inflorescence is a basket wrapped on the outside with numerous oblong leaves. The inner leaves are filmy, colorless, the outer leaves are green. In the inflorescence of asters, there are two types of flowers. Along the edge of the inflorescence there are false reed flowers, from 3 to 8 cm in length. The decorative effect of most varieties of asters depends on the number of rows of reed flowers in the inflorescence. The more there are, the higher the doubleness and decorativeness of the inflorescence. Tubular flowers have a five-type corolla with fused petals, usually yellow in color. There are five stamens with anthers fused into a tube through which the style passes, the filaments are free. False-ligulate flowers of the female type have three teeth and a pistil at the apex.

Depending on the ratio of tubular and false-reed flowers in the inflorescence, all varieties of asters are divided into three classes: tubular, transitional, reed. The inflorescences of asters belonging to the tubular class consist only of tubular flowers. The transitional class is characterized by the fact that the decorative effect of the inflorescences is created by tubular and reed flowers. The reed class is represented by those types of asters, the decorative effect of the inflorescences is created by reed flowers, differing in length, width, shape, configuration and structure. Inflorescences bloom in acropetal order: first on the central stem, then on the stems of the first and subsequent orders. The outer rows of petals bloom first on the basket. Depending on whether it belongs to a particular garden group, the duration of flowering of the inflorescence ranges from 15 to 50 days. The seeds ripen 35 - 40 days after the start of flowering.

The main varietal characteristics of asters are the shape and size of the inflorescence and flowers, height, and the shape of the bush, depending on the angle of the shoots from the main stem.

Autumn over the shady park... Lies down
Gold maples on the waters of the pond.
The leaves are spinning... The birds have fallen silent...
Looking into the cold sky
Aster, radiant aster - star

Astra (lat. Aster) is a genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants of the Asteraceae, or Asteraceae, family, numbering, according to various opinions, from 200 to 500 species, most of which grow in North and Central America. The aster flower was secretly brought to Europe in the 17th century from China by a French monk. Translated from Latin, “aster” means “star”. There is a Chinese legend about how two monks, trying to reach the stars, climbed the highest mountain of Altai for many days, but when they reached the top, the stars above them were still far away and just as inaccessible. Then they, disappointed, without food and water, having spent many hard days on the road, returned to the foot of the mountain and saw a wonderful meadow with beautiful flowers. “Look,” said one monk, “we were looking for stars in the sky, but they live on earth!” The monks dug up several flowers, brought them to their monastery, began to grow them and gave them the star name “asters”. Since then, asters have become a symbol of beauty, elegance, modesty and charm in China. Aster is a flower for those born under the sign of Virgo, a symbol of dreams of the unknown, a gift from God to man, his amulet, his guiding star...

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Planting and caring for asters (in brief)

Landing: sowing seeds in early spring (in March) or before winter in open ground or in the second half of March for seedlings. Planting of seedlings - in April or May.
Bloom: summer autumn.
Lighting: bright sunlight, partial shade.
The soil: fertile loams cultivated to a depth of 20 cm.
Watering: moderate. In hot weather - less often, but more abundantly.
Feeding: 3 per season: a week after emergence, during budding and at the beginning of flowering.
Reproduction: annuals - by seeds, perennial species usually vegetatively (by dividing the bush and cuttings).
Pests: slobbering pennies, spider mites, leaf and root-knot nematodes.
Diseases: powdery mildew, ring spot, gray rot of flowers, verticillium wilt and viral jaundice.

Aster flower - description

Asters are rhizomatous plants with simple leaves, the inflorescences are baskets collected in panicles or corymbs, their marginal flowers are ligulate in various shades, and the central ones are tubular, small, almost always yellow. Asters have been cultivated in Europe since the 17th century, and flower scientists have succeeded in selection, growing varieties of amazing beauty, among which there are specimens of all kinds of colors and shapes. Aster reproduces by seeds. Depending on the quality of the inflorescences and the height of the stem, asters are used for borders, group plantings, borders, rockeries or as decoration for balconies and terraces. Bouquets of asters are very beautiful and last a long time when cut.

Growing aster from seeds

Growing aster seeds is carried out using seedlings and non-seedling methods. Early varieties of asters are sown in the soil in early or mid-March, and then in July you can already admire their flowering. Later varieties - in late April-early May, when the air temperature is not lower than 10 ºC. But know that asters grown from seeds without seedlings bloom later than those that you started growing in a greenhouse.

Asters are sown in shallow furrows (up to 4 cm deep), watered abundantly, covered with soil, and with the onset of dry weather, either mulch or cover the planting site with covering material until shoots appear. Then the covering material is used only in case of frost. In the development phase of seedlings with two or three true leaves, they are thinned out so that the distance between seedlings is 10-15 cm. Transplant excess seedlings to another place.

In the photo: Aster seeds

When to sow asters

Early varieties of asters bloom 90 days after planting, mid-early varieties after 110 days (early August), late varieties after 120-130 days (late August to mid-September). That is, before sowing an aster, you need to make simple calculations. Late varieties of asters can bloom until frost.

Asters are sown not only in spring, but also in late autumn, before winter, directly into furrows on frozen soil - in this case, the plants are almost not damaged by fusarium.

When seedlings appear in the spring, thin them out. By the way, do not forget that the shelf life of seeds is short: after two years of storage, germination is halved.

In the photo: Aster seedlings

Sowing aster for seedlings

Growing aster in seedlings much more reliable than seedless, although it requires a little more time and labor. Seedlings are sown in early April or May, depending on the variety. A week before sowing, wrap the aster seeds in a cloth and soak in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After 10-12 hours, wring out excess moisture from the fabric, place it in a plastic bag and place it in a warm place for germination. You can use boxes or pots as a container for growing aster seedlings.

Pests of asters

As for insect pests, the threat is posed by such as the meadow bug, slobbering pennies, field slug, common earwig, spider mite, bud aphid and cutworm.

As preventive measures we offer you:

thorough autumn digging of soil in the garden;
removal and mandatory burning of annual plants and shoots of perennial plants that die off by autumn;
the right approach to choosing plant varieties for the garden;
soil improvement by liming and adding humus and compost;
maintaining the required distance between plants so that they do not grow weak and elongated due to forced crowding.

If pests do appear, then you will have to fight them either with pesticides or folk remedies. Tilled slugs are destroyed either mechanically (collected and destroyed), or the drug Metaldehyde is used; common earwig - by spraying plants with Fundazol, the slobbering pennitsa, cutworm, spider mite and meadow bug are destroyed with a solution of Karbofos, Phosfamide or Pyrethrum.

Asters have bloomed - what to do

Garden asters after flowering

After flowering, it is advisable to dig up garden (annual) asters and burn them so that viruses, fungi and pests that could settle in them will die. If you have collected seeds of varieties that you want to grow next year, you can sow the seeds in the soil after the first frost, but in a different area of the garden. Sow the seeds in the furrows, sprinkle them with peat or humus.

Pre-winter sowing can be carried out directly in the snow in December-January.

To do this, grooves are made directly in the snow, which is pre-pressed, and the seeds are sprinkled with the same peat on top. Sowing in snow is even more reliable, since then the seeds are not afraid of sudden thaws. In the spring, after the snow has melted, cover the area with film to speed up seed germination.

In the photo: How asters bloom in a flowerbed

Aster seeds are collected like this: wait until the inflorescence of the variety you like has faded, and its center has darkened and a white fluff appears in it, pick the inflorescence, place it in a paper bag in which it will continue to dry. Label the package so as not to confuse the varieties. And remember: it is best to sow last year’s seeds on seedlings or in the ground, since after two years they sharply lose their germination capacity.

How to preserve asters in winter

Perennial asters can grow in one area for up to five years, so autumn is the time to dig up and plant perennial asters that have reached the age of five, especially since they grow well They reproduce by dividing the bush. Be careful with the root system, try not to damage it.

In the photo: Opened and closed aster flowers

Perennial asters are frost-resistant, so wintering them in open ground does not cause much concern for gardeners. But there are some varieties whose young plants should be covered with peat, dry leaves or spruce branches for the winter. If the stems of asters are dry, it is better to cut them off before covering. In the spring, remove the cover so that your asters grow as quickly as possible and decorate your garden with their extraordinary flowers.

Dusk is approaching. Thin and sharp
The light sways in the sky of the constellations.
An aster in a flowerbed, fragrant and colorful,
Watches how distant sisters shine,
And sends greetings to them from the earth.
(Sunday Christmas)

Types and varieties of aster

Aster with its straight petals
Since ancient times it has been called a "star".
That's what you would call it yourself.
The petals in it scattered like rays
From the core it's completely golden.

What aster

There is one difficulty: when we talk about asters, we need to understand what we mean. There is a genus of asters, which includes both annual and perennial species and varieties, which we discussed above, and there is the so-called garden aster, mistaken by amateurs for an annual aster, which is actually a slightly different plant. Annual aster, or what to call it correctly Callistephus (lat. Callistephus) is a Chinese monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, or Asteraceae, close to the genus Aster.

Callistephus is a one- or two-year-old plant, in floriculture called “Chinese aster”, or “garden aster”, whose homeland, as the name implies, is China. In 1825, this single representative of the genus was described by Carl Linnaeus under the name Aster chinensis, and Alexander Cassini separated it into a separate genus, calling it Callistephus chinensis, or Callistemma chinensis.

The stems of the plant are green, sometimes dark red, branched or simple. The root system is fibrous, powerful, and well branched. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, the inflorescences are a basket, the fruit is an achene. There are about 40 groups in culture, including about 4000 varieties. We usually deal with this relative of the aster when we plant annual asters in the gardens.

Perennial asters

Perennials of the aster genus are divided into two groups according to flowering time: early flowering and autumn flowering.

Early flowering perennial asters

The group of early flowering ones is not very numerous and is represented only by such species as Alpine aster (Aster alpinus), Bessarabian aster (Aster bessarabicus) and Italian aster (Aster amellus).

alpine aster

Perennial asters from the alpine group bloom in May, have a height of 15 cm to 30 cm, single inflorescences up to 5 cm in diameter look like simple daisies, and are often used for rockeries. Varieties:

alpine aster Glory– height 25 cm, flower diameter – 4 cm, blue-blue chamomile with a yellow-hot center;
aster Wargrave– height up to 30 cm, diameter of a pink flower with a yellow center 4 cm, blooms in May-June.

In the photo: Alpine aster (Aster alpinus)

Aster Italiana

or, as it is also called, chamomile, blooms in June-July. Its inflorescences are large - up to 5 cm, baskets - corymbose inflorescences, bushes up to 70 cm high. Good for rocky gardens and rockeries. Varieties:

aster Rosea It has reed flowers of pink color, and tubular flowers are light brown. Blooms for up to three months from June;
variety Rudolf Goeth– large corymbose inflorescences up to 4-5 cm in diameter, reed flowers – purple, tubular flowers – yellow;

In the photo: Italian aster or chamomile (Aster amellus)

Astra Bessarabian

Also called false Italian. Bush up to 75 cm high, numerous purple flowers with a brownish center.

Autumn-blooming perennial asters

Autumn-blooming asters are more diverse: New Belgian aster, bush aster and New England aster.

Bush aster

The earliest of the autumn asters is the bush aster (Aster dumosus), which is native to North America. Varieties of this species grow in height from 20 cm to 60 cm, the stems are so heavily leafy that even in a non-flowering state they can decorate the garden, like boxwood bushes. The most famous varieties:

Niobe And Alba flor Plena– asters with white flowers;
Blue Bird– a dwarf variety up to 25 cm tall with pale blue flowers, like the taller Blue Bouquet and Lady in Blue;

In the photo: Bush aster (Aster dumosus)

Aster novobelgica

The most common asters in our gardens are the New Belgian asters (Aster novi-belgii), or Virginia asters, which have both dwarf varieties (30-40 cm) and tall ones - up to 140 cm in height. The bushes of this type of asters are powerful, the inflorescences are paniculate, the color of the flowers is blue, white, purple, all shades of pink and burgundy. Varieties:

dwarf– Snowsprite with white flowers 35 cm high, Jenny – red asters, up to 30 cm high, pink variety Audrey up to 45 cm high;
medium height– blue-violet Royal Velvet up to 60 cm tall, Winston S. Churchill – juicy ruby, bush 70-75 cm tall;
tall– Dusty rose – a bush up to 1 m high with soft crimson flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, Desert blue – lilac-blue flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter on bushes up to 1 m high.

In the photo: Aster novi-belgii

New England aster (Aster novae-angliae)

Or North American aster , also a popular species in our autumn gardens. It differs from other perennial asters in that its bushes reach a height of 160 cm. In all other respects, it is similar to the New Belgian one: very abundant flowering of small inflorescences. Varieties:

Browmann– bush up to 120 cm tall, diameter of racemose inflorescences – up to 4 cm, blooms profusely from September. Reed flowers – purple;
variety Constance– the height of the bush can reach 180 cm, the stems are branched, strong, inflorescences are up to 3.5 cm in diameter, tubular flowers are brown or yellow, reed flowers are purple. Blooms in September, frost-resistant;
Septemberrubin– one and a half meter bush, reed flowers – red-pink, inflorescence with a diameter of 3.5 cm.

According to the time of flowering, asters are divided into:

early(bloom from July);
average(bloom from early August);
late(bloom from mid to late August).

According to the height of the bush, asters are divided into five groups:

dwarf(up to 25 cm);
short(up to 35 cm);
medium height(up to 60 cm);
tall(up to 80 cm);
gigantic(above 80 cm);

There are three groups according to the purpose of cultivation:

cutting(tall, large flowers, long peduncles);
casing e (compact, low, good both for flower beds and as potted plants);
universal(compact, medium size, long peduncles, large inflorescences).

According to the structure of the inflorescences, asters are divided into three groups:

tubular– inflorescences consist exclusively of tubular flowers;
transitional– inflorescences have 1-2 rows of reed flowers and tubular flowers filling the middle;
reed– inflorescences in which reed flowers cover tubular ones or there are no tubular ones at all.

The reed group is divided according to the principle of the structure of inflorescences into the following types:

Non-double simple