Diseases and pests
Alpine aster is rarely affected by disease, but powdery mildew is possible in wet and rainy summers. This is a fungal disease that manifests itself as a gray-white coating on the stems and leaves. They fight powdery mildew with the help of Topaz or Fundazol preparations. The funds are diluted in water according to the instructions, the plants are sprayed at least twice.
If asters grow in waterlogged soil, fusarium can develop - root rot. Plants acquire a brown color and die over time. At the first signs of the disease, the affected plants are removed by the root, measures are taken to help drain the site.
Asters can be attacked by such pests:
- caterpillars of the scoop;
- spider mites;
- slugs;
- meadow bug;
- slobbering penny.
Due to their beauty and unpretentiousness, alpine asters quickly win the hearts of summer residents; having planted plants once on their site, the owners never give up the charm and colors of asters.
Types of Rogers with photos
Today, experts often argue about how many types of Rogers there are. There are 5 described and officially recognized species in total. And they differ among themselves in color, shape and structure of leaf plates. Each species has several dozen varieties:
Rogersia stoolis, or podophyllum (Rodgersia podophylla)
Under natural conditions, this species can be found in Korea, China and Japan. The composition of the leaf plate includes from 5 to 7 leaves with large notches at the tips. In spring, during the opening period, the leaves are colored brownish-red. Over time, this shade becomes more bronze. And closer to autumn, the foliage is again painted in the same shade as during the disclosure.
This type of Rogersia is the largest, in height it can reach up to 1.6 m. During flowering, which begins in the second half of June, branched inflorescences are formed on the bushes, consisting of creamy white flowers.
Rogersia elder (Rodgersia sambucifolia)
This species, which is native to the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China, is one of the most common, while it is distinguished by its unpretentiousness. An adult bush can reach a height of about 0.6 m. Its large leaf plates have a bronze sheen. The foliage of this perennial throughout its life does not change its color and remains green. The number of leaf blades on a bush is influenced by the age of the plant, as well as the growth conditions. Sometimes up to 13 leaf plates can form on one plant. This species blooms in July. Fragrant small flowers are collected in large branched inflorescences. The flowers are painted white, but after a while it changes to greenish brown.
Rogersia pinnata (Rodgersia pinnata)
In this type, leaf plates can have different shapes, in this regard, it is often confused with other types. A characteristic feature of this species are large leaf plates with clearly distinguishable veins, located on the petiole randomly like feathers. Closer to autumn, the color of the foliage changes to a bronze-red. The petioles can be short, thanks to which the bush looks like a palm tree. In July, during flowering, pinkish-white inflorescences are formed on the plant. This species is the most resistant to drought. The bush can reach a height of about 0.7 m.
A popular variety of this species is Rogersia Chocolate Wings. Its bloom lasts from June to September. At the same time, fragrant large racemose inflorescences are outwardly similar to chestnut inflorescences.
Rogersia horse chestnut (Rodgersia aesculifolia)
In nature, this species can be found in China in mountain pine forests, and it is found at an altitude of 2900-3000 meters above sea level. Foliage of this type is outwardly similar to horse chestnut leaves. It does not have petioles, while the color of the leaf plates is greener when compared to other species of Rogers. Flowering begins in June, while pinkish-white or pink flowers are formed on the bush, collected in inflorescences. The bush can reach a height of about 100 cm. It grows well both in the shade and in sunny areas, but only if it is watered in a timely manner.
Rogersia nepalensis
This plant differs from other species in the shape of leaf plates: their petiole is elongated, and the notches on the edges are also clearly distinguishable. The leaf plates on the stem are located at a great distance from each other and can be colored in various shades of light yellow or greenish-blue. Dense pyramidal inflorescences consist of lemon or greenish flowers. This plant is quite rare in nature, while it is considered one of the most spectacular types of rogers: the bush is decorated with glossy leaf plates of an unusual shape.
Landing
Site selection. For planting the New Belgian aster, a protected from the wind and well-lit area is selected. The shadow will significantly slow down its flowering, and the shoots will begin to stretch and break. The soil needs moderately nutritious, close in structure to medium loam. It is desirable that the depth of the fertile layer is at least 30 cm. Acidic soils should be regularly limed (when laying a flower garden) using dolomite flour. Locking sections are not suitable.
Reproduction and planting. The New Belgian aster is propagated by seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings. The first method is rarely used, if necessary. This is done in two ways:
- reckless;
- seedling.
The seedless method involves growing a plant from seed in the open field. Sowing is done before winter, in November-December. Purchased seeds must first be kept in the refrigerator for 7-8 days, and before sowing, soak in warm water for 6-8 hours. Freshly picked do not need such preparation. The planting material is embedded in small grooves, watered abundantly with warm water and sprinkled with a layer of soil (no thicker than 0.5 cm). When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, thin them out, leaving a distance of 10-15 cm. Plant the excess plants in another place.
The seedling method is used whenever possible after the purchase of seeds. As in the previous case, the planting material is scarified. Then it is sown in boxes filled with nutritious soil (7 parts of peat, 1 part of mullein, 1 part of sand, 1 part of sod land). For the successful cultivation of seedlings, it is recommended to disinfect the soil - spill it with a weak solution of manganese. Containers with plants should be kept in a bright place at a temperature of 20-25 ° C, and also regularly moistened. The germination rate depends on the variety used.
After the appearance of the first shoots, cultivation is carried out at a temperature of 15 ° C. Sudden changes in temperature are not allowed. The seedlings should receive good lighting. For this purpose, phytolamps are installed above the boxes, at a distance of 20-30 cm. Seedlings need to be fed twice a day (in the phase of two true leaves and a week before transplanting into open ground). The seedling age for disembarkation is 65 days. It is recommended to harden the plants 1-2 weeks before this event, reducing the temperature to 10 ° C.
Perennial New Belgian aster is best grown one at a time. Plant seedlings 40 cm apart. If you want to place other flowers nearby, then choose drought-resistant ones - since aster bushes will grow quickly, they will consume a lot of moisture and dry out the soil. The plant will bloom in 1-2 years after finding a permanent place of residence.
In practice, they often resort to vegetative propagation of the New Belgian aster.The division of the bush is performed in early spring, while simultaneously removing all weak stems. Asters can be propagated without digging a bush. To do this, one or more parts are separated from it (using a sharp shovel), which are then cut into smaller sections. Each part should have 3-5 new shoots. The optimal planting pattern is from 20x30 to 50x80 cm.
Varietal asters are also propagated by cuttings. This procedure takes place from May-June to August. In this case, only apical cuttings are used, the length of which is 5-7 cm. Cuttings of the New Belgian aster are planted in specially prepared beds with fertile soil (2 parts of sod land, 1 part of sand and 1 part of peat). Cover the top of the planting with transparent polyethylene. After 25-30 days, they take root.
Caring for Italian asters
It is not by chance that this type of aster is considered one of the easiest to grow. Italian asters are rarely troublesome, stable, hardy and do not require constant careful maintenance. In fact, you only need to take care of a few basic procedures that are required for any flowering plants:
- About watering in a severe, prolonged drought. Aster is watered carefully, without soaking the leaves, at the root, with deep soaking of the soil. She needs occasional watering to prevent the plant from withering, they are preferable to surface watering.
- Asters need weeding from weeds, especially during the period of the beginning of their growth.
- The soil should be loosened after watering or heavy rainfall (usually they combine loosening with weeding).
- They need early spring feeding with full mineral fertilizer - the only and mandatory one. But if they want to achieve especially lush flowering from Italian asters, top dressing is applied 2-3 times a year - in early spring with nitrogen fertilizers, at the beginning of budding with full mineral fertilizers, and at the beginning of flowering with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. For the plant, use the standard fertilizer dosages recommended by the manufacturer.
Pruning of Italian asters usually comes down to cutting the inflorescences for bouquets, which is carried out before the baskets of the inflorescences fully bloom. For the winter, plants are cut to the root, mulching the soil with leaves or adding snow to protect the buds. If there is no risk of waterlogging, you can leave dry bushes with achenes to decorate winter flower beds, and prune in early spring.
When grown in a regular garden, light pruning helps to give the plants more strict contours, a solid row or even ball effect, but the Italian aster is already characterized by beautiful natural forms and its "wild" character is not a disadvantage, but the main advantage of the species.
Step 1. Competently choose a variety of perennial asters
When problems began with my aster, I began to take notes on how similar plants behave among neighbors, summer residents. Here in front of me "the abyss of stars is full." It turned out that I was familiar with only one kind of Sentbrink stars, and there are many of them, and each has its own characteristics. When choosing a perennial aster for a border or flower garden, two points must be taken into account:
1.plant size, 2. flowering time.
The first indicator is important to harmoniously design a curb or mixborder, highlighting low-growing plants. According to this characteristic, the following popular types of autumn asters can be distinguished:
• Shrub aster (25-50 cm),
• Italian aster (30-60 cm),
• New Belgian aster (60 - 1.5 m),
• New England aster (up to 2m).
Accordingly, for my border in the center of the garden, the first three points will be in place, you can arrange a real cascade, and larger asters are suitable for the side path along the fence for the background.
Now, via the Internet, you can order seedlings of any perennial aster, but you cannot be guided by beautiful photos and the flowering period declared by the seller, you need to choose a variety for a specific region, in my case, the Northwest.
The fact is that many varieties of "Sentbrink", and even more "Octybrink" do not bloom in the Leningrad region, and stand in buds until winter. It turns out that we only need to choose early varieties or proven ones with an average flowering period. An approximate guideline is the lists of varieties that have undergone research in nurseries and scientific institutes and are recommended for a specific region (information can be found on the Internet). For example, for the North-West these are the following varieties:
• Shrub aster (Alise Haslam, Blue Bouquet, Lady in Blue), • New England aster (Rosa Sieger, Rudelsburg, Herbstschnee, Andenken an Paul Gerber). You can also try the time-tested varieties, and most often, without problems blooming in our region : • Shrub aster (Starlight), • Italian aster (Rudolf Goethe, Violet Queen), • Low New Belgian aster (Violetta and Jenny), and a taller aster, but more resistant to everything in the world Marie Ballard.
However, even such landmarks do not guarantee the appearance of autumn stars. The flowering time depends on the length of daylight hours and the average temperatures during that particular season, and it is impossible to move it. For example, the last two summers have broken all records for cloudy days and low temperatures, apparently this is one of the reasons why my shrub asters (presumably Christina or Lady in Blue, their peak flowering should be in mid-October) do not want to bloom.
You can even visually see how the development of the bushes differs in different years. Here is a photo taken in early September a few years ago - the bushes are lush, rounded, flowering is not yet available, but even so the border looks decorative, reminiscent of boxwood.
And here is a photo of September this year, the bushes are rare, low.
For myself, I realized that in addition to describing the variety and recommendations of botanists, I must rely on my own observations. Having discovered a blooming aster, ask the owners for the variety and ask for a stalk or a piece of a bush. Even in such a cold summer, I noticed and photographed a lot of September and Octobrines:
• There were many crimson stars on the Alice Haslam shrub aster in early October. My bush of this variety also bloomed by mid-October.
• Semi-double lilac daisies of the Italian aster Rudolf Goethe appeared in August.
• The variety of the New Belgian aster Maria Ballard did not disappoint - lush lavender flowers have stuck to the bushes since September.
Unfortunately, I have identified the varieties by eye, approximately, but there are already options for a multi-stage color border.
Simple folk recipes for chamomile asters for good health
To cope with a fairly prolonged dry cough, this recipe will help: about 3 tbsp. tablespoons of finely chopped aster root are added to 0.5 liters of boiling water and simmered over low heat for about 15-20 minutes. When infused, drink 2/3 cup three times a day.
Rather, it will be possible to defeat bronchitis with a tincture of 3 teaspoons of dry inflorescences, filled with 250 ml of boiling water. Insist for an hour, strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth and take 1 tbsp. spoon 4 times a day.
Tea will help with some diseases
To reduce and stop bleeding, select the darkest inflorescences, grind them, pour a glass of boiling water. Cover and leave to stand for about an hour. They drink during the day in small sips.
In order to prevent and treat skin diseases, 2 tbsp is poured into 500 ml of boiling water. tablespoons of dried aster leaves, keep on low heat for about 3-4 minutes, insist, use ½ cup three times a day for 15-20 minutes before meals. In addition, lotions are applied to the inflamed and affected areas of the skin.
There are no special contraindications for the use of chamomile asters. It should be carefully used by people with a tendency to allergies, with hypersensitivity to herbs, it is recommended to first consult with your doctor.
Use in landscape design
In terms of use in landscape design, the American aster is universal.Any area with this late bloom will look bright and elegant. The varieties of this species are very harmoniously combined with other representatives of aster and various autumn flowers.
An excellent option for decoration is the combination of the New England beauty with shrubs and low trees. If you wish, you can cut flowers, form bouquets from them, and arrange them around the site, or collect them in original compositions.
An interesting option would be to use the American aster in the form of a flowering hedge. To do this, it is enough to plant her bushes along the fence. Bright flowers will also be a great decoration for flower beds and borders. And both alone and mixed with other plants.
For information on how to properly care for New England aster, see the next video.
The most beautiful perennial asters: photos, names and descriptions
Perennial aster flowers are the closest relatives of the well-known Chinese annual aster. Perennial asters are also called true or true. The plant gives a good cut, especially in autumn, when there are no other flowers in the open field.
According to the flowering period, aster flower varieties are early (May - June), summer (July - August), autumn (September - November)
Of the early ones, the Alpine aster stands out, which blooms before all the others, i.e. in early June, with flowers that look like simple daisies. This plant is 30 cm high. Basal leaves are spatulate, oblong, stem leaves are small, linear. Baskets are single, up to 6 cm in diameter. The flowers are purple, lilac, blue with a yellow center. The bloom is abundant and very colorful, lasts 30 days. The most favorite aster is purple, blue and white.
Of the summer, some of the most beautiful varieties of asters are Italian. They grow up to 70 cm in height, their flowers are up to 4 cm in diameter, purple-blue. It blooms in the second half of summer, from late July to September - mid-October.
The most numerous is the family of autumn asters, which includes amazingly beautiful species that can bloom until the very cold and go under the snow with flowers.
As you can see in the photo, aster flowers of New England (American) varieties form bushes up to 2 m high:
Inflorescences 3-4 cm in diameter, 25-30 pieces each, collected in a dense raceme. Blooms in September - October.
New Belgian aster (Virginia) reaches a height of 50-160 cm. Stems are lignified. Inflorescences terry with a diameter of 5 cm mostly lilac and pink in color. Blooms in September. On each of the shoots, up to 150 or more flower baskets bloom, and so brightly and densely that leaves are not visible between them. One peduncle is enough for a nice bouquet (which you can have at the end of September).
Many gardeners consider the Alpine White aster to be the most beautiful variety. It is the most common and lightest of the dwarf asters in the culture. Flowering shoot - 15-20 cm.
Pay attention to the photo - these perennial asters have snow-white flower baskets:
The plant is frost-resistant, prefers sunny places. Propagated by seeds and dividing the bush after 3-4 years. This aster is used for group plantings in rabatkas, rocky hills. Blooms in June, July. Sowing seeds for seedlings in boxes in March, April or immediately in open ground.
Aster alpine variety Blue - dwarf plant, flowering shoot 15-20 cm, flower baskets are large, violet-blue. It grows in one place for 5 years.
Perennial aster (Italian) is a bushy plant up to 50-60 cm high. Star-shaped inflorescences are blue, pink and other spectacular shades. Blooms in May, June.
Look at the photos of the varieties of asters, the description of which is given on this page:
Plant care
Perennial aster is a very unpretentious plant and caring for it is very simple. This is one of the few ornamental plants in the garden that you can safely forget about immediately after planting. But still, in order for the aster to bloom magnificently and not get sick, it is necessary to follow very simple rules of care.Caring for this perennial comes down to routine watering, weeding and disease control.
Watering
Astra does not like dampness, and therefore there is no need to water it too abundantly. But in the summer, and especially during the dry period, when it is hot, the plants must be well watered in the evening.
Mulching and loosening
Aster can grow on any soil, but still this plant prefers loose, breathable soil. If you have heavy soils on your site, then you will have to loosen under the bushes throughout the season.
Be sure to remove weeds around the bushes, as weeds can drown out the aster and prevent it from thriving.
To weed less often, you can mulch the soil around the roots. It is better to use peat, shredded bark or sawdust as mulch. Mulch will not only keep weeds from growing, but it will also help to retain moisture in the soil, which will allow you to water your plants less often.
Top dressing
Asters are very responsive to the application of mineral and organic fertilizers. In spring and summer, any organic matter, phosphorus fertilizers and lime can be applied under the bushes. During the active growth of the bushes, they should be fed with humus. Fertilizing will help the bushes gain green mass and set more inflorescences.
Pruning bushes
To form a beautiful crown, low-growing shrub varieties of asters require pruning. If you plant asters along the paths, then you should definitely carry out pruning so that the bushes are compact.
Wintering
Aster refers to winter-hardy plants that tolerate even severe frosts well. Before the onset of cold weather, you should cut off the ground part of the bushes and cover the roots with compost if winters are too harsh in your area. Aster can also be covered with fallen leaves or covered with sawdust.
Covering for the winter is especially important for young bushes with a not yet matured root system. In winter, aster care is not needed
Diseases
Most often, perennial aster suffers from the appearance of gray rot and powdery mildew. Too damp weather or lack of care can be the cause of these diseases. To prevent the appearance of these unpleasant diseases, the bushes should be sprayed with soapy water several times per season.
Step 2. Plant flowers in a timely manner and regularly update the border
If approximate clarity has come with the varieties, then it's time to start planting.
Landing place
Although perennial asters and frost-resistant plants, you need to find the warmest, not very windy place for them. This will increase the chances of intense flowering. In addition, the flowerbed with asters should not be in the lowlands, because plants do not tolerate flooding. Soil. As for the soil, perennial asters are not very demanding, but when organizing a curb or flower garden, you need to add humus and ash or dolomite flour if the soil in the area is acidic.
Planting method
Even before choosing a place, you need to decide on the method of reproduction.
In an extreme case, you can try to grow a perennial aster (namely, a shrub) from seeds, but, according to gardeners, this is a troublesome business, because seedlings are often frail and flowering can only be expected after 2-3 years. In addition, hybrid varieties cannot be propagated with their seeds. But the aster reproduces very easily by dividing the bush, offsets (young shoots) or cuttings.
Every 4-5 years of planting asters, you need to rejuvenate, ideally, divide the bushes and change their location. Perennial aster grows intensively in breadth, therefore, in order to divide the bush, it does not even need to be dug out, it is enough to cut off pieces from the side with a shovel. It is better to send bushes of 1-3 branches for growing in ideal conditions, and form a border or flower garden from strong sections of 5-6 shoots in accordance with the idea. If the florist plans to transplant the asters completely, then you can dig up the entire bush and carefully separate it with a shovel, without breaking a clod of earth and without exposing the root system.
If the variety is rare or the bush has not yet matured, then you can propagate it by branches or cuttings. The bending method is similar to dividing a bush. It is practiced with a strong bush that is 3-4 years old.
In the spring, the bush is completely cut off, when fresh shoots appear, it is spud like a potato. The soil should get inside the bush to make it easier to separate the shoots. In autumn or next spring, youngsters with 2-3 growth points are separated. If the bush itself grows well in breadth, forming strong lateral shoots that separate normally, then the growth of the branches does not need to be specially stimulated.
If you want to get an interesting variety, and neighbors, summer residents do not plan to share their bush, then it's time to master cuttings, here the literature offers two methods:
1. Cut the cuttings about 15 cm at an angle, cut off the tops, and plant them under the greenhouse. 2. Separate shoots of the same length at the root, with a heel (i.e., with a growing point, as in the propagation of indoor plants by a leaf), root in a greenhouse.
Our long bush aster curb was created by dividing the bush and bending:
• We brought from friends two bushes of shrub asters (4-5 points of growth) of different colors, with a small clod of earth. It was in autumn. Although it is better to propagate aster in any way in the spring, we had no choice, and everything worked out. • The planted bushes took root, and already in the next season there was flowering. Plus, they began to grow in breadth. • Every year we trimmed the bushes, detaching the young shoots from the side with a clod of earth, and continued the curb. • So from two bushes over several seasons we got a long curb.
Ideally, the curb should have been completely rejuvenated by sectors every 5 years, i.e. dig up the bushes and plant the shoots in another place. We did not do that, for the time being the bushes self-renewed well, but then they began to bloom less intensively.
