Content
In late autumn, when the flowering period of many ornamental plants ends, the New England aster becomes a real decoration of garden lawns. Spreading tall bushes with multi-colored flower heads do not require special care, so any gardener can grow them on their site.
General description of New England aster
The New England American aster is an ornamental plant belonging to the Aster family and the genus Symphiotrichum. The aster is native to America, which is where its second name “American” comes from.
Straight and branching stems form spreading bushes 40-180 cm high and 50-80 cm wide. The foliage is medium, the leaves are lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate.
Small (3-4 cm) flower baskets of the American bush aster, as seen in the photo, form paniculate clusters of inflorescences. The reed petals of the flower can be blue, pink, violet or purple, and the tubular petals can be distinct yellow or brown. In total, about 200 flowers are formed on the bush.
The flowering time in the central zone of the country occurs in the beginning and middle of autumn, and in the southern regions the aster blooms closer to November.
American aster is a herbaceous plant for open ground, characterized by good frost resistance. Some plant varieties can easily tolerate a drop in air temperature down to -5 °C. Aster grows in one place for about 5 years. Used as an ornamental garden plant or for cutting to form bouquets and other compositions.
New England aster can decorate any garden
Varieties of New England aster
There are about 20 varieties of American aster, photos and characteristics of the most common ones are presented below:
- Barr's Blue (Bars Blue). Medium-sized plant up to 100-120 cm in height. Flower baskets are blue, the core is yellow. The flowering period lasts almost all autumn. For 1 sq. m plant 4-5 bushes.
The flowers of the New England variety Bars Blue are usually bright blue with a yellow center.
- Barr's Pink (Bars Pink). A medium-sized plant, the height of which is about 100 cm, some specimens grow up to 150 cm. Flower baskets are pink and lilac, the core is brown with a yellow tint, flower size is 4 cm. Flowering time of Bars Pink is the first 2 months of the autumn period.
New England variety Bars Pink grows up to 140 cm
- Purple Dome. A short New England aster, as seen in the photo. Height – 40 cm. Small (3 cm) bright purple flower baskets form lush clusters of inflorescences. The flowering time lasts from the last ten days of August to the beginning of October.
Purple House purple baskets are collected in lush clusters of inflorescences
- Browmann (Browmann). Braumen is another New England variety, the bushes reach 120 cm in height.The flowers are dark lilac or purple, the center is golden brown. Budding lasts all autumn until frost.
The flowering period of Braumann ends with the onset of frost.
- Andenken an Alma Poetschke (Andenken an Alma Pechke). A medium-sized plant (about 1 m) with beautiful bright red flowers with the same bright yellow core. The flowering time of the New England variety is the first 2 months of autumn.
Andeken en Alma Pechke blooms almost all autumn
- Constance. A characteristic feature of this variety of perennial New England aster is the presence of large (up to 8 cm) flower baskets with a yellow-brown center and reed petals of a rich lilac color. Aster stems are tall - from 120 to 140 cm. Constance successfully takes root both in sunny areas and in diffuse shade. Blooms in September-October. The minimum budding time is 30 days.
The minimum flowering time for Constance is 30 days.
- Rudesburg (Rudesburg). One of the early New England varieties, the first flowers appear in August. Reaches 180 cm in height. The flowers are semi-double, the petals are bright pink with a red tint, the core is yellow-brown. Diameter – 4 cm. Blooms in early and mid-autumn.
Rudesburg flower diameter 5 cm
Features of reproduction
American bush aster reproduces:
- Seeds. There are two known methods: seedless and seedling. At the first stage, seed material is planted in open soil. And with the second - into a container.
- Dividing the bush. This method involves dividing an adult bush into small parts, each of which has 3-4 shoots and a viable root system.An adult bush can be dug up completely, then divided and transplanted to another area, or cut off with the tip of a shovel and only the growing part can be dug up. The aster is replanted in this way in spring or autumn after the end of the flowering period.
- Cuttings. In this case, cuttings are cut - shoots 10-15 cm long with two buds. The resulting material is planted in a greenhouse until the root system is formed. After final rooting (after about 1.5 months), the strengthened shoots are transferred to open ground.
Seeds of New England varieties are usually sown in a container.
Application in landscape design
The high decorative value of the New England aster and its good proximity to many plants make it possible to use it to decorate a personal garden.
New England aster is a good solution for forming flower beds and ridges. If you plant it along the fence, you will get an impromptu hedge. Lush bushes with bright flowers look harmonious next to shrubs and low trees. And compositions of cut flowers will decorate any room.
New England aster can be a good way to decorate an area
Planting and caring for New England aster
The perennial New England aster is an unpretentious plant. However, for its growth and normal development, certain rules for planting and further care must be followed.
Deadlines
Optimal time for planting seed in open soil:
- late autumn (mid-November);
- winter (all 3 months);
- spring - after the top layer of soil has warmed up, that is, from mid-April.
To obtain seedlings, seed material is planted in a container in March.
Site selection and soil preparation
The New England aster is a light-loving plant, for this reason it is better to plant it in open areas, protected from drafts. Planting an aster in an area with insufficient lighting leads to elongation of the stems and a decrease in the diameter of the flowers. An area with close groundwater is also not suitable.
It is better to choose loose, fertile soil. If the soil on the site is depleted, it will have to be fertilized regularly.
The area chosen for planting is dug up, weeds are removed and the soil is fed at the rate of 50-60 g of complex mineral fertilizers and one bucket of organic fertilizers (burnt cow manure or compost) per 1 square meter. m of land.
Landing algorithm
American aster seeds can be planted either in open soil or in a container.
For sowing in open ground:
- make shallow grooves (7-8 cm);
- plant the seeds and cover with a 5 mm layer of soil;
- the beds are watered and covered with film;
- after the formation of the 3rd true leaf, the seedlings are picked;
- when the seedlings grow to 10 cm, they are transplanted to a permanent place, leaving a distance of 40-50 cm between the bushes.
To sow seed into a container:
- fill the seedling container with soil mixture;
- sow the seeds, deepening them by 1 cm;
- moisten the soil evenly;
- cover the container with glass to create a greenhouse effect;
- Aster seedlings dive after the formation of the 3rd leaf.
New England aster is planted in open ground approximately 65 days after the seed material enters the soil. This should be taken into account when calculating the date of sowing seeds for seedlings.
During the process of planting seedlings:
- make shallow holes, at the bottom of which drainage is placed (large pebbles can be used) and humus or mineral fertilizers;
- Place the seedlings in the center, cover them with soil and lightly compact them with your hands;
- the holes with seedlings are watered, the soil is mulched with straw, last year's leaves or sawdust.
After the formation of the 3rd leaf, a pick is made
Aftercare
Caring for the New England aster includes:
- Moderate watering. You need to moisten the soil as it dries out. Excess moisture can cause root rot and subsequent death of the bush.
- Removing weeds as they appear.
- Loosening the soil (in the case of mulching the soil, there is no special need for loosening it).
- Sanitary pruning – removal of dried flowers and leaves.
For better flowering, the aster should be fed. After the appearance of the 4th leaf, complex fertilizers are used, and during flowering - potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
Closer to winter, the aster branches are cut off, and the remaining parts of the plant are generously filled with water and covered with fallen leaves.
At the end of autumn, the aster branches are cut off, and the remaining parts of the plant are watered, after which they are covered with fallen leaves.
New England aster requires moderate moisture.
Diseases and pests
American aster is disease resistant. However, improper care can lead to the following problems:
- Powdery mildew. The manifestation of the disease is a white coating on the surface of the leaves. To treat the disease, chemicals for flowering plants (Topaz, Fundazol) are used.
A sign of powdery mildew is a white coating on the leaves.
- Rust. This disease affects the lower part of the aster, causing the leaves to turn brown. In the process of treating rust, plants are treated with Bordeaux mixture.
To get rid of rust, the plant is treated with Bordeaux mixture.
- Jaundice. Characteristic signs are yellowing of the leaves and a decrease in flowering intensity. Insects become the spreaders of the disease; for this reason, the only way to combat jaundice is to kill the pests with insecticides.
Jaundice causes yellow leaves to appear
- Aphid - the main enemy of the New England aster. You can cope with it with the help of special preparations for the destruction of flower pests.
Due to their small size, pests cannot always be detected immediately
Conclusion
New England aster is a flowering perennial plant that, with minimal care, will delight you with its beauty until frost. Good frost resistance allows you to grow aster in almost all regions of the country.
