The Chinese aster, which has the scientific name Kallistefus Chinese, is in fact very widespread in our latitudes plant. The reason for this popularity lies in the long flowering - from the middle of summer to the deep autumn. Grow this astra quite easily: let's find out what is needed for this.
Cultivation of Chinese asters
A real Chinese aster is a one-year-old, not a perennial plant. They grow it usually from seeds in seedlings. To do this, in the middle or the end of April, it is necessary to close the seeds in shallow soil mixture, pour it and leave it in a warm place (24-25 ° C), covered with a film. They germinate quickly enough, after 4-5 days.
After the appearance of the first shoots, transfer the containers with seedlings into a light and cooler place with a maximum temperature of 18 ° C. Water abundantly, but make sure that moisture does not stagnate. After the first pair of these leaves appear, dive the plants, dropping one at a time in a pot or replacing several sprouts in a more spacious container a few centimeters apart.
There are very many varieties of Chinese asters, about 300. They are all different in flowering time, in their height and in the nature of their use. The most popular are such series of asters as "Dragon", "Starfish", "Kremkhild", "Old Castle", "Ribbon", "Shanghai Rose", etc.
If you purchased seeds of an early cold-resistant variety of Chinese asters (for example, the domestic varieties "Lady Coral"), then growing it from seeds is possible even in the open ground. They should be planted in a bed at a distance of 20-25 cm, 2-3 seeds per well. The flowering of such a plant will begin 2 weeks later than the asters that were grown through seedlings.
Try to plant a Chinese astra in your flower garden, and you will appreciate the richness of the colors of this seemingly simple summer .