Alpine perennial aster: description of varieties, cultivation, planting and care with photos

Alpine aster is loved by professional flower growers and amateurs. With a minimum of care, this perennial flowering plant graces gardens from spring to autumn. Gardeners achieve continuous flowering by choosing the right varieties. There are plenty of them in the alpine variety of asters.

Characteristic variety

The species was cultivated in the 16th century. It unites a group of herbaceous perennial ground cover plants. The rhizome of the alpine aster is branched, horizontal type. Shoots in height do not exceed 30 cm. From below, the branches are covered with oblong leaves with slight pubescence, linear, small, sessile from above.In diameter, the bushes reach 50 cm. Spreading, the aster covers the ground with a colorful carpet, decorating it, preventing the growth of weeds and the evaporation of moisture. The flowering period of the mountain aster depends on the climate and variety.

Spring varieties bloom from May to June, summer varieties bloom in July and August. Autumn varieties bloom in autumn. Their flowering can last from the first days of September to the end of October.

Inflorescences in perennial single baskets. The color of the marginal flowers is reed-shaped, delicate, pastel. They can be pale or bright lilac, pure white, lilac, blue or purple.

In the middle are tubular bright yellow flowers. The size of the inflorescences is 4-5 cm in diameter. They resemble daisies in their appearance. July and August - the period of seed ripening. Bushes meet winter green.

Varieties

Varieties differ in terms of flowering, color, size of inflorescences. Many of them have been taken out. It is worth getting acquainted with the most sought after.

White Alps

Bushes are compact. Against the background of green leaves, pure white flower baskets stand out brightly.

Albus

Low bushes - shoot length 15-20 cm. Blooms from June to July. Inflorescences are dazzling white, short branches densely covered with leaves.

Astra Blue

Aster Blue has very bright blooms. The color of the petals is blue, saturated. A plant with good frost resistance, does not freeze at -34 ° C.

Illyria

The color of Illyria inflorescences is blue, pink, white, lilac. The bushes are low, they grow only 15-20 cm.

Pink Alpine Astra

A fast growing ground cover perennial. The size of the baskets is 4 cm. This variety is especially loved by landscape design professionals and amateurs. Flowering starts early, the first buds are laid in early May.

Alpine Blue Aster

Large-flowered perennial variety. The color of the inflorescences is blue, intense, size 6 cm. The bushes look impressive due to the lush green rosette. It is formed from elongated basal leaves.

Gloria

The perennial has small rosettes with a diameter of 3 cm. Narrow, blue-colored petals radiate around the bright yellow core.

Rosea

The size of the inflorescences is average - diameter is 4 cm. The color of the marginal petals is pink, delicate. The height of the stems does not exceed 30 cm.

Astra Perennial Blend

The flowers of this variety are large, semi-double, of different bright colors. A perennial mixture is chosen if you want to create a multi-colored composition.

Goliath

Aster Goliath blooms in June. Flowers (diameter 6 cm) bloom throughout the month. Coloring baskets in light purple tones. They decorate miniature 20 cm bushes. Goliath is planted on an alpine slide.

Ruber

Unusual for alpine aster red-pink color of flowers. The baskets are medium in size. The diameter can be up to 4 cm.

Superbus

Low 30 cm bushes strewn with small lilac-blue flowers. Their size does not exceed 3.5 cm.

Happy End

Flowering is abundant, lasts from May to June. The bushes are low (20-30 cm), strewn with bright pink medium-sized flowers.

Dunkle Schone

Beautiful purple flowers, 3.5 cm in diameter, planted on low 30 cm stems.

Planting and growing a plant

Soil preparation comes down to deep digging (30 cm), removal of perennial weed roots, increasing fertility and normalizing the level of acidity. For this purpose, they bring in for digging:

• superphosphate 2-3 tbsp. l.;
• humus (biohumus, compost) 3 kg/m²;
• 1 tbsp dolomite flour.

Choose a sunny place where rain and melt water does not linger. Alpine aster is grown by direct sowing of seeds into the ground and seedlings.

From seeds

Alpine aster seeds germinate poorly. Harvest them after flowering. Planted before winter in a greenhouse with fertile soil. They are not deepened. Sprinkle with humus (1 cm). The greenhouse in the spring is tightly covered with a film (glass) to create a greenhouse effect.

Aster seedlings planted in autumn dive. At the time of transplantation, they should form 2-4 true leaves. Flowering can be expected in the second year after sowing. Alpine aster seeds can be sown in open ground in May. This method is practiced by flower growers living in the southern regions.For temperate climates, the seedling method is suitable.

Seedlings

Alpine aster seeds are sown for seedlings from March to April. Suitable soil mixture, composed of garden soil, sand, peat and humus, taken in a ratio of 1:1:1:1. The seeds are buried by 0.5 cm. They are covered with humus. The container is covered with foil.

In the phase of 2-4 leaves, seedlings dive into separate glasses. Tanks being prepared for planting:

• a hole is made in the bottom;
• poured expanded clay;
• fill with soil.

Seedlings are covered with transparent plastic bottles, having previously cut off the bottom. Seedling care includes watering, fertilizing with biostimulants, supplementary lighting.

Pick up time

In May, asters seedlings are planted in a permanent place. A week before transplantation, adapt to street conditions. They take it out into the yard or onto the balcony during the day. The first year of planting aster alpine is covered for the winter.

Plant care

Alpine aster does not lose its decorative effect for 5-7 years, if it has minimal care. The perennial is watered abundantly (3 buckets per 1 m²), but not often. Waterlogging reduces immunity, causes fungal diseases.

During the season, the earth in the flower bed is loosened to a depth of 4 cm, weeds are removed, bushes are spud.

It helps to strengthen the root system, improve nutrition. Alpine aster does not like long-term drought. Flowers lose their decorative effect, wither, dry. During flowering, faded inflorescences are cut out. Before the onset of frost, dried shoots are pruned and the soil is mulched with humus.

Fertilizer and top dressing

Top dressing stimulates abundant and long flowering. They are held 3 times per season:

1. At the beginning of the growing season with a solution of mineral fertilizers, 10 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of urea, 50 g of superphosphate are taken for 10 liters of water.
2. Granules of superphosphate and potassium sulfate are applied during the appearance of buds, each is taken at 50 g / m².
3. Repeat the previous feeding at the peak of flowering.

Plant propagation

Alpine aster is easy to propagate vegetatively. Dividing the mother bush is the easiest option. Doing this in the spring. Pre-arrange a place for landing. The bush is dug up, the root system is freed from the ground, divided into several parts.

Delenki transplanted into prepared holes, watered. The soil around the alpine aster bushes is mulched with needles, rotten sawdust or dry lawn grass. Reproduction of expensive elite varieties is carried out by cuttings. The method allows you to save all the varietal characteristics of the perennial.

For cuttings, take the upper part of the shoot (6-8 cm) of the Alpine aster. The main condition is 2 growth points on the branch. Planted in a greenhouse. It is filled with a mixture of peat, garden soil, sand, ash. The cuttings are deepened into the ground by 4 cm. With the help of a film, they create comfortable greenhouse conditions. A month later, young roots appear on the cuttings. The seedlings are transplanted into the garden.

Diseases and pests

All varieties of Alpine aster are distinguished by stable immunity. Powdery mildew outbreaks are provoked by wet weather and care errors:

• overwatering;
• thick fit;
• Bad landing site.

Topaz is used for preventive treatments of perennials. They are treated with ornamental plants twice. Both times before flowering. Consumption of the product for 10 liters of a bucket of water - 2 ml. Sick bushes of alpine aster are sprayed in autumn with a solution of copper sulphate (10 l 50 g).The shoots are cut at ground level, burned. The soil is watered with Fitosporin-M solution.

Combination with other plants

In garden beds, the decorative flowering perennial serves as an excellent backdrop for annuals. The rich color palette of alpine aster varieties makes for excellent group arrangements in blues, lilacs or purples.

For example, the alpine aster variety Dunklé Schöne, with purple flowers, is an excellent backdrop for plants with yellow flowers:

• border irises;
• euphorbia cypress and many-flowered;
• spotted loosestrife.

On the alpine hills, a perennial alpine aster is planted next to stonecrops (large, prominent). Its graceful flowers go well with delicate violet flowers and large inflorescences of long-blooming geraniums.Blooming aster alpine looks favorably against the background of decorative bergenia leaves. It enhances the decorative properties of Japanese spirea, Thunberg barberry, white turf.

Alpine aster in landscape design

Professional landscape designers love to include the perennial alpine aster in their compositions. Do not forget about her and amateur gardeners. Use it in many ways. The main range of application of Alpine aster:

• decoration of artificial reservoirs;
• decoration of borders;
• addition of group compositions of ornamental shrubs;
• rocky hills;
• rock gardens;
• garden beds.

Over the years, the popularity of the alpine aster has not decreased. Easy care, large selection of varieties, rich colors, long flowering. This is just a small list of the advantages that make the perennial attractive for flower growers of any level.

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