Their flowers resemble little stars, so they are called asters (Latin astrum means star). The three most commonly cultivated species here - bush aster, New English and Neo-Belgian aster - have also gained the colloquial name of marcinka. They took it from Marcin, the October birthday boy, because flowering begins in August and ends in October.
What do asters like?
All asters like sun and warmth. They also tolerate light shade, but do not form flower buds in places devoid of sun. The substrate should be well-drained and fertile. You should prepare the bed by mixing the soil with compost soil, and if it is very clayey - also with sand.Asters tolerate drought badly. During hot weather, we should water them regularly. In the fall, however, irrigation should not be overdone.
Perennial asters are said to be "voracious" plants, that is, they require large amounts of nutrients. At least twice a year - in spring and summer - they should be supplemented with a compound fertilizer containing calcium.
Old asters get sick more often and bloom less, so they need to be rejuvenated approximately every 3 years. The easiest way to do this is to cut the woody centers of the clumps in the spring and cover these places with fertile soil. After a few weeks, young shoots appear there. However, if you want to propagate the plants at the same time, you have to dig up and divide the entire carp, removing all old and woody parts. We leave young one- and two-year-old rhizomes for planting.
In late spring or early summer, asters can also be propagated by apical cuttings. Cut the shoots so that they are about 10 cm long and place them in moist sand. After 3-4 weeks, transfer the rooted plants to flowerbeds.
Marcinki
Bushy aster Aster dumosus is characterized by short stature, usually not exceeding 50 cm, and many of its varieties grow up to only 20-30 cm. It works well even in sandy positions, although it then requires more abundant and more frequent watering. Forms spherical clumps sprinkled with small, about 1.5 cm flowers.
Novobelgian aster Aster novii-belgii is a tall plant - some varieties reach up to 160 cm. It is often cut into a vase. It works best in damp soils, it also likes humidity in the air. If the substrate is too dry, it fades quickly and reacts with dying to prolonged droughts.
New England aster Aster novae-angliae is also tall, it can reach up to 180 cm and requires tethering. This aster has the largest flowers (up to 2.5 cm in diameter) that close at night, in cloudy weather and after pruning. So it is not suitable for vases. It tolerates drought quite well, although it prefers damp locations.Requires fertile soil rich in calcium.
Autumn asters
Aster gawędka Aster amellus, as one of the few asters, blooms from mid-summer until autumn. It does not require special care, but it does need fertile soil rich in calcium. It grows slowly but is a long-lived species and does not require replanting for 6-8 years.
The heart-shaped aster Aster cordifolius and the heather-leaved aster Aster ericoides are very different from the rest of the asters. They have thin, but quite tall shoots, up to 120 cm. Due to their delicate, openwork appearance, they are often called veil asters. They like moist and fertile positions and lots of sun. In September and October, Christmas flower baskets appear on them. After flowering, shorten the shoots at the base.
Asters for containers
Most often, small varieties of asters are selected for the containers. They can grow in a pot for up to 3-4 years without transplanting, but it is best to transfer them to fresh soil every year, while rejuvenating the plants.The condition for successful cultivation is to water the flowers regularly. We feed them every 2 weeks with fertilizer intended for flowering plants. They feel great on a balcony or terrace throughout the summer and autumn, but in winter you need to protect their roots from freezing.
Aster pests
Autumn rain is conducive to the development of fungal diseases to which asters are very susceptible. These perennials are most often attacked by powdery mildew (leaves and shoots look as if they are sprinkled with flour), astra rust (dark spots on the leaves) and Fusarium fungi, which block the wires in the stem (the plant withers and dries up, even though it is sufficiently watered) . As soon as we observe any of the symptoms, we dig up the infected specimens and burn them, and spray the rest of the rebate with a dedicated chemical preparation.
