There are white, deep blue, pink, violet, red and even yellow flowers - the asters. Depending on the variety, they inspire with their charm. One aspect in which they are all quite similar is their seeds.

When the seeds of the aster are ready for harvest varies depending on the variety

What do they actually look like?

Not everyone has ever seen the rather inconspicuous and - admittedly - not very spectacular looking seeds of the asters. You should know their physical characteristics so that you can recognize them when you wander past the faded flowers in the garden and perhaps are looking for seeds to sow in the spring.

This is what the seeds of the asters look like:

  • narrow
  • elongated
  • ocher to light brown
  • wider at one end than the other,
  • relatively smooth
  • Longitudinal grooves are partially visible
  • different sized
  • standing together in the middle of the former inflorescence
  • provided with former tubular flowers on top

Seed maturity: Varies by species and species

In the world of asters there are those species that bloom as early as May. Others flower in midsummer and still others only in autumn. Due to the different flowering times, there is a different time for seed ripening. The seeds of the spring asters ripen as early as July. The seeds of the autumn asters are not ripe until late autumn.

What should you know about germinating or sowing the seeds?

The seeds can be brought forward between March and April. You should not start direct sowing outdoors before May. The seeds germinate at temperatures as low as 10 °C. But the higher the temperatures, the faster they germinate. Their average germination time is between 7 and 14 days.

Harvest or buy seeds

You can easily harvest the seeds. But beware: some seeds, such as those of the alpine aster, need a cold stimulus in order to germinate. If you do decide to buy the seeds, you usually don't need to expose them to cold. This has usually already been done.

tips

If you harvested the seeds in the summer or fall, it's best to keep them in the fridge until next spring. In this way they retain their germination capacity.

Category:

Vegetable garden