Diseases and pests
New England aster is distinguished by excellent health, but sometimes it is also affected by diseases or attacked by pests. For example, in order to prevent fusarium, it is recommended to soak the seeds in a manganese solution for a few minutes, and then rinse them with water. In the event that this disease has struck the bushes, then all diseased parts must be removed, and healthy ones treated with a drug called Fundazol. Gray mold can affect asters in the summer during a rainy season. In this case, you can save them by using the "Topaz" product. And you can also use chemicals for the spring prevention of this disease.
If on the lower leaves a brown bloom appeared, and they began to swell, then the bushes should be treated with Bordeaux liquid
With yellow leaves and poor flowering, you should pay attention to insects that carry jaundice. The easiest way to deal with this is with insecticidal preparations.
It is worth noting that the greatest harm to the American aster can be caused by aphids, scoops, spider mites. Their attacks can be prevented by fairly frequent weeding and garbage collection under the bushes. Experts recommend Aktofit as a chemical agent against flower pests.
Peculiarities
The name of the variety "aster" has Greek roots and means "star" in translation. Indeed, wonderful flowers are similar to celestial bodies, but the color palette of the "earthly stars" is much wider. Even legend says that asters appeared from stardust that fell from the very heavens. Peony aster is a genus of perennial bush plants with a powerful root system and large flowers. The bush itself belongs to medium-sized species and grows up to 70 cm in height. Its stems are not too branched and erect, lateral shoots grow extremely rarely, which allows them to keep their columnar shape well.
The flowers of the peony aster are very similar in shape to peonies, for which the plant got its name. The inflorescence is presented in the form of a double basket with short inner petals and longer outer ones. Similar to tongues, they are directed towards the bright yellow center, which gives the flower a shape similar to a colored ball. The diameter of the flowers can be from 8 to 15 cm, and the color is white, burgundy, pink-purple or yellow. Blooming aster pleases its owners from mid-summer to the end of September. They often bloom magnificently and brightly, while exuding a pleasant and sharp floral scent. The plant gets along well enough with other flowers in the neighborhood, and therefore can be an excellent addition to a flower bed.
How to plant peony aster - planting flowers
When growing asters in seedlings, you should buy nutrient soil in specialized stores or cook it yourself.
Photo of asters in the open field
Seed material is usually purchased in specialized stores, but if peony asters have already grown in the garden, then you can harvest their seeds yourself.
The process of growing asters - video
Note to the gardener! Purchased aster seeds have already passed all pre-sowing treatment. Therefore, they can be immediately planted in containers with a nutrient substrate. Before planting, the collected seed material from the flower beds should be held for half an hour in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect it.
Photo of the process of picking asters
Important! After a pair of real leaves appear on the aster seedlings, a picking procedure should be performed, planting the plants in hotel cups.
If the substrate in which the seeds were planted was sufficiently nutritious, then the aster seedlings do not need to be fed before they are transplanted to a permanent place. If the soil is depleted, then it is recommended to introduce biofertilizers or wood ash into it.
BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS! Nerine Flower or Spider Lily Weigela Hydrangea
Photo of planting seedlings of asters in open ground
Growing asters from seeds in the open field is best done in the southern regions of Russia, where the climate is milder and warmer.
Growing seedlings of asters - video
Aster seedlings are transplanted into flower beds in May, when the soil is already warmed up enough.
6 popular varieties
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Needle aster
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Aster ground cover heather (creeping)
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Astra pomponnaya
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Spread aster (forest)
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Astra virginian (new belgian, saintbrinka)
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Shrub aster
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Care Tips
As with any plants, timely watering is primarily important for the New England aster. Many gardeners love the plant for its drought tolerance. After all, if the summer is moderately rainy, then nature will do everything by itself, and you can completely do without watering. In the dry period, it is necessary to water the bushes once, maximum 2 times every 7-10 days. After watering, it is worth loosening the ground around the asters.
It is important to take into account that the root system is located rather shallow. Optimal if the weeding depth is less than 5 cm
The plant prefers a nutritious soil with a neutral environment. If the soil is acidic, then lime or dolomite flour should be added to it. A light, loose soil with a drainage layer that avoids excessive moisture is considered ideal. And you can also carry out mulching using dry sawdust or peat.
In too cold winters, when the temperature drops below 35-40 degrees of frost, it is worth insulating the plant. To do this, the stems must be cut, and the leaves with humus must be put on top. It is worth noting that New England aster tolerates extreme heat worse than cold. In summer, the optimum temperature is 26-28 degrees Celsius. You can prolong flowering by removing wilted flowers.
