Heather Astra, landing and care

Astra is a real wealth of any garden. They affect the imagination by the violence of paints and the grace of buds. A special place among them is an unusual aster heather. It comes from distant North America, where with ease grows in natural conditions. But due to its unpretentiousness and sophisticated beauty, it is used in culture to decorate the garden and park areas. This culture easily adapted to harsh winter conditions, and easily survives at temperatures to -35⁰s. It does not require too painstaking care, besides, it practically does not arise difficulties in its reproduction. Therefore, Astra the heather is increasingly found in the country areas and in the gardens.

Astra Heather, Culture Description

Heather Astra is a multi-year culture of the family of complex color. All superiority of this species are in its flowering. In September-November, the strongwist stems of Vereskaya Astra put out the outfit from numerous small flowers with a delicate aroma. Their elegant color can be the former, soft blue, light purple, but the middle of the bud is always bright yellow or red-brown.

• Heather Astra is a small-bedroom look. Wild-growing representatives of the type of flowers are tongue, small, white or barely pinkish color.
• Starting from 1732, the species is grown in culture. During this time, there were many hybrids with different color of the inflorescence and the magnitude of the bush. For example, the popular Astra variety is a heather blue star or lady in black.
• Soothes from Vereskaya Astra strong, branched, height from 70 to 100 cm, form a shaggy bush.
• The heather Astra exhibits high frost resistance, calmly solve sharp fluctuations in temperature and long-term drought. During the flowering period, the flowers are not damaged, even if the autumn temperature decreases to -6⁰.
• The upper leaves of this type of small (1-1.5 cm in Dina), needle, dark green, are placed alternately. The lower left leaves, more rigid, their length is about 6 cm. Foliage densely covers shoots along the entire length, creating the effect of fluffiness.
• Astra pestovyovaya - soil culture, which rapidly grows in width. She willingly captures nearby participants, so often needs to restrict the area around the perimeter.
• The plant grows in the form of a thick ball, and if the branches are not taped, they begin to tear down the book. This feature of gardeners are used to create unusual garden forms and compositions.
• After flowering, it fertures small seeds of flat shape. But by virtue of late flowering, the seeds are practically not matured, so the heather Astra is propagated mainly by the root division.

Astra Vereskova varieties with photo

In culture, such varieties of Vereskaya Astra are grown:

• Herbstmyrthe - a chic hybrid with a height of more than 1 m. His white-lilac color flowers form blurred inflorescences. Their size is small, only 10-12 mm in the diameter. Middle of flowers yellow, with burgundy tump. Blossoms lasts 1.5 months, starting from the first days of September.

• Erlkenig (Erlkonig) - a variety with a gentle-lilac color of petals and a bright yellow middle. The bush is thick branched, the soil, no more than 100 cm high. It blooms from late September to November.

• Blue Star (Blue Star) - Unusual Astra Pulling heather. She has a high height bush (up to 70 cm). Thanks to the shallow needle foliage and squat branches, in color this variety is a very reminder of the heather or a low-spirited conifer. It blooms for a long time and abundantly, glad of your gentle-blue flowerflowers from August to the first frosts.

• Lady in black (lady in black) - a unique variety with the leaves of an unusual color - dark green or even black and purple. Flowers are small with white petals and a contrasting middle of pink brown. The grade has high decorative properties, so actively used in landscape design. Thanks to low growth, it is perfect as a soil industry in group landings.

• Snow Avalanche (Snow Flurry) is a magnificent soil grade, which can be planted on stony structures, alpine slides. All summer Astra is increasing the needle green carpet with a rapid tall up to 10 cm, and closer to the autumn it is covered with small white flowers, creating the effect of a snowy avalanche. Can be grown in pots as ampel culture.

• Pink cloud (Pink Cloud) is a beautifully mixing Astra, which develops in the form of a spherical bush. Flowers at variety pale pink, small, collected in multiple baskets. Flowers in September-November. The variety boasts high decorative, which is preserved until winter.

• Golden splashes (Golden Spray) - a beautiful variety in the form of a thick pyramidal chest. Astra has small flowers with short white petals and a rich-yellow high-size middle-size.

Cultivation of Astra Mereskova from seeds

Astra Mereskovy is easy to grow from seeds. But considering the fact that it is quite difficult to collect seeds in our region because of the climatic conditions, for the cultivation of Astra Mereskova better to buy seeds in a specialized store.

Sowing Seeds Astra Vereskova in Open Soil

Astra seeds are sown in open ground. Suitable time - Spring (in May) or Winter's anticipation.

In the spring, sowing is carried out like this:

1. In loose, nutrient soil deepen seeds by 1 cm.
2. Then the earth is abundantly watered.
3. Be sure to carry out mulching, laying the thin ball of the compost over the soil.
4. Care produce moderate: loose and moisturize the soil, weighing weeds.
5. If the seed material is high quality, in 8-10, friendly shoots appear.
6. When the sprouts are slightly fixed, they are thinned so that there are at least 15 cm between them.
7. In the fall, seedlings are transplanted at a permanent place.

In the autumn period, seed seeds Astra Vereskova are carried out in the freezing land:

1. In the soil make recesses and seed seeds.
2. Top layer layer compost.
3. New searches appear with the arrival of thaw.
4. Flowering at seminal reproduction occurs only in a year.

Advice! Sewing seeds of Astra Vereskova in December. To do this, it is necessary to prepare the wells in the fall, and in winter, while the snow does not exceed 10-12 cm, deepen the seeds into the grooves and hide them by humus.

Cultivation of Astra herachki ever

Grow this species and ever. Sowing start in March-April.

Do it in this way:

1. Seeds for a while laid on a wet fabric so that they rather sprout.
2. Then they are deepened by 5 mm in nutritional soil in any capacity.
3. The container is covered with a film or plastic lid kept in a light room with good air circulation at 18-20 ° C.
4. 5 days later, shoots are glorified. From this point, the guy is removed and regularly moisturize the soil from the pulverizer.
5. The seedlings are kept in a place where the temperature is held at 18-20 ° C, and at night does not exceed 15-17 ° C.
6. After the formation of the third leaflet, the seedlings are picked in a small pot or cassette.

Two weeks after the dive, the seedlings are fed. You can use a complex fertilizer for flowering plants or a solution of ammonium sulfur at the rate of 1 g of fertilizer per liter of water. After 10-14 days, the feeder repeat. The mixture of their 3 g of superphosphate, 1.5 potassium sulfate, 1.5 g of ammonium nitrate and liter of water.

Astra heather, landing

Seedlings of Astra Mereskova planted in open ground after the appearance of 6-7 full-fledged leaves. By this time, young piglets reaches 7-8 cm. Approximately 10-14 days before landing, the seedlings are gradually tempered so that it is easier to acclimatize to street conditions.

Choosing a seat under the landing of Versice Astra

• Vessel Astra is planted in the garden-park area, on the city club. Her flowering does not cause long to wait and decorate any place, wherever she grew up.
• Astra of this species love solar places, but the light half perceive is perceived normally. To achieve rain flowering, you need to skillfully pick up the landing space. To plant the Astra is better at the sunny section with a sugal or subtle soil. Since this culture does not like excess moisture, it is necessary to avoid seats with high groundwater.
• Very good to plant seedlings on the flower beds, where she had previously been calendula. But the places where gladioluses or tulips were grown are absolutely not suitable. These plants are often a source of fungi that can affect the Astra.
• Astra is actively increasing the rhizome and beautifully blooms on the Alpine slides and in stone gardens. Multiple formation of buds occurs more actively in areas with southern orientation.

On a note! Like all perennials of this family, the heather Astra is transplanted every 4- 5 years. This is done in preventive purposes to prevent the propagation of pathogenic bacteria or pest appearance.

Predset preparation of a plot for Heath Asters

• The preparation of the soil is beginning in autumn. Pouring is carried out with subsequent dumping of the site.
• A fertilizer is necessarily added to the lowland ground. In the first weeks of spring in the ground, mineral fertilizers add and harrow by 40-60 cm deep into the ground. Superphosphate, selfish ammonium sulfate, as well as potash salt, will be used as fertilizer.
• If the soil on the site is too acidic, moreover, lime is added to it. If the soil moisture is greatly improved, there is a sufficient drainage, for example, a small crushed stone.
• Immediately before landing, the ground loose, purified from weeds, well align, moisturizes.

Landing Rules Astra Mereskova

The landing of Vereskaya Astra is carried out in the first day days. Sprouts are planted in light humid soil at a distance of 15-25 cm. The first watering is carried out only on the third day after landing. By this time, the soil will dry. A week after irrigation, they make feeding with a solution of a cow.

Important! Seed out is preferably in cloudy weather or closer to the evening. If the landing work fell out on sunny weather, the pigs are covered for several days until it is rooted.

Heather Astra, Care

Soil heather Astra does not need special care. Holding simple rules provides a decorative appearance, abundant flowering and health of the plant.

• Aster Vereskova is needed regular, but moderate watering. Moisturize the soil needs to be sealed with the upper layer.
• To stimulate growth and flowering, this perennial must be fed at least three times a year: at the stage of vegetation, bootonization, after flowering. Any organic and mineral mixtures can be used as fertilizer.
• In order for the roots to receive plenty of oxygen, the soil in a pleasant place should be loosened and cleaned from sprouted weeds.
• Periodically, it is necessary to inspect the plant for diseases and pests. You must also remove the leaves, flowers on time.
• Since the heather Astra is distinguished by frost resistance, the shelter for the winter is not constructed. In front of the wintering only pruning the above-ground part of the plant at a height of 20-30 cm above the ground.

Astra heather, reproduction

Astra Vessel is much easier to propagate the division of the bush than the ever-edged method. However, it is important to remember that in this way it is possible to multiply only a mature plant, which is not less than 3-4 years. Conduct division in the autumn period after flowering.

Rules for dividing the bush:

1. Rhizome digs up and slowly removed from the ground.
2. Then it is divided into several parts, while you need to ensure that small roots do not damage.
3. After that, the decenes are planted into the prepared wells, the earth falls asleep.
4. The soil is a little tamples and is abundant.

The rooting of new bushes goes quickly. But the flower must be hidden for the winter, because before the arrival of Morozov, he still will not fully strengthen. For these purposes, you can use the booth, which is stacked by a layer of 15 cm. Also fit in sawdust, dry foliage.

Collection of seeds Astra Vereskova

The heather Astra is a late creamy culture, which collects seeds is carried out 50-60 days after the start of flowering. By this time, frosts are coming, so it is almost impossible to get a healthy sowing material.

In this case, there are two ways to get seeds:

• Prior to the first frosts, cut inflorescences and arrange them on a home window sill. Over time, they will hurt, but their germination will be very low.
• In the fall, dig a bush of asters and translated into a large vase, and then grow at home at a temperature of 18-20 ° C. When providing sufficient lighting and care, the seeds will fully force and will maintain its germination of about 24 months.

Diseases and pests Astra Mereskova

Astra the heather rarely sick and damages pests. However, it is necessary to take into account that in the absence of proper care, Astra Buda is subject to such diseases:

• Puffy dew is the defeat of the entire aboveground part of the oidium fungus. Provocateurs of this disease are considered poor soil, planting thickening, irregular watering. You can get rid of the fungus using topaz or sulfaride.
• Ring spottedness - lesion of leaves with fungal disputes. Plants need to burn because the disease quickly spreads. You can process the Fundazole or Bordeaux fluid.
• Gray rot is another fungal disease caused by the Botrytis fungus. Promotes the reproduction of the fungus excess moisture or excessive contribution of nitrogenous fertilizers. Copper cunery is used for treatment.

From pests on Astre Vereskova can dwell:

• Web tick - appears with very dry air. Destroy the pest can any acaricide or decoction of the onion husk.
• Nematodes - causes the appearance of brown spots on the plant. If the removal of damaged leaves does not help stop the pest, it is necessary to destroy the whole bush.

Astra heather in landscape design, photo

Astra pestovina in landscape design is very valued by its soil properties. It is used to decorate rocky mountaineering, landscaping open areas, placing parks. Due to good survival in a half, it is used to decorate areas with high plantings of coniferous crops.

The lowered varieties of Vereskaya Astra are often combined with cloves, iberis, and higher - with decorative yarrow, Rudbequee. But the heather Astra looks particularly beautiful in single landings, when her lush bushes are formed in the form of a bowl or cone.

Heather Astra - Plant with high decorativeness. Putting it in the garden, you do not have to give a flower a lot of time, and for many years it will delight you with your delicacy and sophisticated aroma.