How to Grow Aster? Detailed Explanation of Planting Methods and Techniques
Aster, also known as Qingyuan, Ziqian, and Xiaobian, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Aster in the Asteraceae family. It is also a traditional Chinese medicine, with the effects of treating wind-cold cough and asthma, and consumptive disease with coughing of pus and blood. So how should aster be grown? Let's learn about it together.
1. Land Selection and Preparation
Aster generally grows in low-mountain shady slope wetlands, mountaintops and marshy land at an altitude of 400-2000 m. It has strong tolerance to waterlogging and cold, but is afraid of drought. When selecting land, choose a plot with flat terrain, deep soil layer, loose and fertile soil, and good drainage for planting. Before planting, deep plow the soil more than 30 cm. Combined with plowing, apply 3000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu as base fertilizer, and an appropriate amount of superphosphate can also be added. Spread it evenly on the soil, then shallow plow once more before sowing, rake fine and level, and then make raised beds, with a bed surface width of 1.3 m and a bed ditch width of 30-40 cm.
2. Propagation Methods
Aster is generally propagated by fine roots near the ground. It can be planted in spring or autumn. In spring, around Qingming, dig out the seed roots and cut them into 3-6 cm lengths. Then open furrows in the prepared land, place 5-8 roots as a clump into the furrow, cover with soil and water, and seedlings emerge after about 20 days. Autumn planting must be done before Lidong. The planting method is the same as in spring. Seedlings from autumn planting grow robustly. Generally, plants planted in spring do not bloom in the same year, and in the second year in autumn they bolt and bloom.
3. Field Management
After the seedlings are uniform, cultivate and weed in time. When cultivating, be careful to hoe shallowly, not too deep, so as not to damage the root system. Weeding should be timely; remove weeds as soon as they appear. Combined with cultivation and weeding, apply 1000-1500 kg of decomposed human and livestock manure water per mu as topdressing. When the seedlings grow to more than 7 cm, combined with cultivation and weeding, apply another topdressing of 1500 kg of human and livestock manure water to promote seedling growth. Aster is afraid of drought, so during cultivation, attention must be paid to moisture. Water promptly during drought, and pay attention to drainage after heavy rain, so as to avoid waterlogging for too long and cause root rot of the plants.
4. Pests and Diseases
The main disease is leaf spot, which mainly affects the leaves, but it is generally not serious. When the disease is severe, Bordeaux mixture can be sprayed for control, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive times, while increasing the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to enhance the plant's disease resistance. The main pests are grubs and cutworms, which damage rhizomes and seedlings. When opening furrows for planting, scatter trichlorfon and plow it into the soil, or when pest damage is severe, mix trichlorfon with soil and scatter it into the soil to poison and kill them.
The above is an introduction to how to grow aster. I hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please follow us.