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In late autumn, when the flowering period of many ornamental plants ends, New England aster becomes a real decoration of garden lawns. Sprawling tall bushes with multi-colored flower heads do not require special care, so any gardener can grow them on their site.
General description of the New England aster
New England American aster is an ornamental plant belonging to the Astrov family and the genus Symfiotrichum. The homeland of the aster is America, hence its second name, "American".
Straight and branching stems form sprawling bushes 40-180 cm high and 50-80 cm wide. The leafiness 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, purple or purple, and the tubular ones are pronounced yellow or brown. In total, about 200 flowers are formed on the bush.
The flowering time in the middle zone of the country falls on the beginning and middle of autumn, and in the southern regions the aster blooms closer to November.
American Astra is a herbaceous plant for open ground, characterized by good frost resistance. Certain plant varieties tolerate a decrease in air temperature to -5 ° C. Aster grows in one place for about 5 years. It is used as an ornamental garden plant or for cutting to form bouquets and other compositions.
New England aster can be a decoration of any garden
New England aster varieties
There are about 20 varieties of American asters, photos and characteristics of the most common are presented below:
- Barr's Blue (Bars Blue). Medium 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 planted 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 of pink and lilac flowers, the core is brown with a yellow tint, the flower size is 4 cm. Bars Pink flowering time is the first 2 months of the autumn period.
New England variety Bars Pink grows up to 140 cm
- Purple Dome Low aster New England, as seen in the photo. Height - 40 cm. Small (3 cm) bright purple flower baskets form lush clusters of inflorescences. Flowering time lasts from the last decade of August to early October.
Purple baskets Purple House are collected in lush clusters of inflorescences
- Browmann Braumenn is another New England cultivar, with bushes reaching 120 cm in height. The flowers are dark lilac or purple, the core is golden brown. Budding lasts all autumn until the very frost.
The flowering period of Braumann ends with the onset of frost
- Andenken an Alma Poetschke 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.
Andequin en Alma Pechke blooms almost all autumn
- Constance (Constance). A characteristic feature of this variety of perennial New England asters is the presence of large (up to 8 cm) flower baskets with a yellow-brown center and lingual 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 diffused shade. Blooms in September-October. The minimum budding time is 30 days.
Constance has a minimum flowering time of 30 days
- Rudesburg (Rudesburg). One of the earliest 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. It blooms in early and mid-autumn.
Rudesburg flower diameter 5 cm
Breeding features
American bush aster reproduces:
- Seeds. There are two known methods: seedling and seedling. At the first, seed is planted in open soil. And in the second - into the container.
- By 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 out. The aster is transplanted 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 the final rooting (after about 1.5 months), the mature shoots are transferred to open ground.
Seeds of New England varieties are usually sown in a container
Application in landscape design
The high decorativeness of the New England aster and the successful neighborhood with many plants makes it possible to use it to decorate the backyard area.
New England aster is a good solution for the formation of flower beds and flower beds. If you plant it along the fence, you 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 territory.
Planting and caring for the New England aster
Perennial New England aster is an unpretentious plant. Nevertheless, for its growth and normal development, certain rules for planting and further care should be observed.
Timing
Optimal time for planting seed in open soil:
- deep autumn (mid-November);
- winter (all 3 months);
- spring - after warming up the topsoil, that is, from mid-April.
To obtain seedlings, seed material is planted in a container in March.
Site selection and soil preparation
New England aster is a light-loving plant, for this reason it is better to plant it in open areas, closed from drafts. Planting asters in an area with insufficient lighting leads to stretching of the stems and a decrease in the diameter of the flowers. A site with a close location of groundwater is also not suitable.
It is better to choose a loose, fertile soil. If the land 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 (burnt out cow manure or compost) per 1 sq. m of land.
Landing algorithm
American Aster seeds can be planted either in open soil or in a container.
For sowing in open ground:
- shallow grooves are made (7-8 cm);
- seeds are planted and covered with a 5 mm layer of earth;
- the beds are watered and covered with foil;
- after the formation of the 3rd true leaf, the seedlings dive;
- when the seedlings grow up to 10 cm, they are transplanted to a permanent place, leaving a distance of 40-50 cm between the bushes.
To plant seed in a container:
- fill the seedling container with soil mixture;
- sow seeds, deepening them by 1 cm;
- evenly moisturize the soil;
- cover the container with glass to create a greenhouse effect;
- aster seedlings dive after the formation of the 3rd leaf.
In open ground, the New England aster is planted about 65 days after the seed has entered the soil. This should be taken into account when calculating the date of sowing seeds for seedlings.
In the process of planting seedlings:
- shallow holes are made, on the bottom of which drainage is placed (you can use large pebbles) and humus or mineral fertilizers;
- place the seedlings in the center, cover them with earth and lightly compact them with your hands;
- 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
Follow-up care
Caring for New England Aster includes:
- Moderate watering. You need to moisten the soil as it dries. Excess moisture can provoke root rot and the subsequent death of the bush.
- Removing weeds as they appear.
- Loosening of the soil (in the case of mulching the soil, there is no particular need for loosening it).
- Sanitary pruning - removing 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 poured abundantly 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 asters require moderate hydration.
Diseases and pests
American aster is disease resistant. However, improper care can lead to such problems:
- Powdery dew. The manifestation of the disease is a white bloom on the surface of the leaves. For the treatment of the disease, chemical agents for flowering plants (Topaz, Fundazol) are used.
A sign of powdery mildew is a white coating on the leaves.
- Rust. This disease affects the underside of the aster, causing the leaves to turn brown. In the process of rust treatment, plants are treated with a Bordeaux mixture.
To get rid of rust, the plant is treated with a Bordeaux mixture
- Jaundice. Typical signs are yellowing of leaves and a decrease in flowering intensity. Insects become the spread of the disease, for this reason, the only means of combating jaundice is the destruction of pests with insecticides.
With jaundice, yellow leaves appear
- Aphid - the main enemy of the New England aster. You can deal with it with the help of special preparations for the destruction of flower pests.
Due to the small size of the pests, it is not always possible to detect immediately
Conclusion
New England aster is a flowering perennial plant that, with minimal care, will delight with its beauty until the very frosts. Good frost resistance allows you to grow aster in almost all regions of the country.
