Description of the Novobelgian variety aster, features of planting and care

It is difficult to imagine a garden without flowers; they delight the eye from early spring to late autumn, improve your mood, and make each area unique and original. Asters are beautiful autumn flowers that are not afraid of cold weather and retain their bright colors even on the threshold of late autumn. The bright bushes of the New Belgian aster delight the eye and allow you to enjoy the richness of the colors, forgetting about the impending cold weather.

Description and characteristics of the New Belgian aster

Many gardeners are familiar with this flower under the name Oktyabrinka. Many varieties bloom really late - in September-October, the bright color of the small numerous flowers makes the plant especially noticeable against the background of autumn grayness.

Aster Novobelgian is a perennial with thin strong stems, the bush is very lush. Depending on the variety, it can be short (60 centimeters) or tall (up to 140 centimeters); it is often used as a unique hedge or border plant.

Thanks to the abundance of varieties, it can bloom from July to November, withstanding temperatures down to -5 ° C, and delight with bright flowers of different shades - deep lilac, pink, white.

A huge number of flowers bloom on the plant, the bush is completely covered with them, and resembles a bright cloud. Numerous small leaves of rich dark green color contrast favorably with bright inflorescences.

Variety varieties

If desired, you can select several varieties of this plant, differing in height and shade, and create a unique garden composition.

Marie Ballard

The creator of this variety, Ernest Ballard, bred it in 1955. The plant is tall - about a meter in height, with densely spaced stems. The bush is not tied up and no supports are placed. The flowers are quite large, have a rich bluish-lilac hue, and when fully opened, a bright yellow core is exposed. It blooms at the end of July, the flowering period is 2 months.

Mont Blanc

Tall and late flowering variety. Due to the height of 130-140 centimeters, it requires support. It blooms starting in September for 2 months.White double flowers with a diameter of 2-4 centimeters are collected in inflorescences.

White Ladies

A tall, up to 110 centimeters, bush, showered with boiling white flowers, the large yellow core gives it a resemblance to a chamomile. Does not require a garter, looks very impressive, blooms in September and blooms with small (2-3 centimeters) flowers for a month.

Royal Ruby

A bush of medium height - 80-90 centimeters, with double, bright crimson flowers and a yellow core. Abundant long-term flowering and unusual color make the variety popular among gardeners.

Amethyst

A variety with a tall bush and dark purple inflorescences, blooms from August to mid-October, the diameter of the flowers is 3.5 centimeters.

Sam Benham

A tall one and a half meter variety of New Belgian aster with white flowers. Late September flowering allows you to enjoy the beauty of flowers until the cold weather.

Royal blue

The light blue flowers of this variety of aster are quite large (up to 4 centimeters). The bright yellow center and semi-double inflorescences look very elegant in the autumn garden. The bushes are tall - up to 120-130 centimeters, the plant blooms in September, the flowering period is 45 days.

Sunset

Another popular variety of New Belgian aster with a voluminous tall bush and flowers reminiscent of lilac-pink daisies. Blooms until late autumn. All types of this plant are easy to grow and unpretentious; small flowers are arranged so densely that the foliage is not visible. The bushes are beautiful in the garden, the flowers stand well in a vase, and can simply bring daisy lovers back to summer.

Flower propagation

Belgian aster can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush. It takes root well and grows quickly with minimal care.

Propagation by seeds

This is a complex and time-consuming method, so it is rarely used by gardeners, and varietal plants are not propagated this way. Non-seedling and seedling planting methods are used. When sowing in open ground, planting is carried out in November-December, in prepared beds. Before this, the purchased seeds are kept in the refrigerator for a week and then placed in warm water for a couple of hours.

The seeds are placed in small depressions, watered with warm water and covered with soil. In the spring, after the first leaves appear, the plant should be pruned. With this method of planting, the New Belgian aster begins to bloom after 2-3 years.

The seating method provides faster results. Seeds are prepared in the same way as for seedless sowing. They are placed in special containers filled with soil. The best composition for aster is a mixture of sand, humus, peat and turf soil. It is first watered with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

The boxes with seeds are kept at a temperature of +20-25 °C until the first leaves appear, then the seedlings are picked and placed in a cooler place - +15 °C. Plants are planted in open ground after 2 months.

Dividing the bush

This is the easiest way to reproduce. A small bush is dug out of the ground, carefully divided and planted. Transplantation is carried out in early spring. Large bushes do not need to be dug up; they are simply divided into several parts using a sharp shovel.

Cuttings

To obtain cuttings, use the upper part of the stem. Cut cuttings 5-8 centimeters long and plant them in boxes with soil. They should be covered with glass or film and periodically ventilated and watered. After a month, the cuttings take root, after which the plant can be planted in the chosen place in the garden.You can cut New Belgian aster starting in May throughout the summer.

Growing a plant

To grow a truly beautiful plant, you need to choose the right place for planting, carefully care for it, feed it and protect it from pests.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

In order for the plant to take root well and become a decoration of the garden, you should:

• decide on the choice of variety, taking into account the climatic features of the area;
• check the condition of the submitted samples, select a strong, healthy plant, carefully inspect it, make sure there are no pests and diseases;
• find a place for plants to live comfortably.

It is better to purchase planting material in specialized stores or nurseries - you can find quality products there.

Choosing a landing site

You should decide in advance what the New Belgian aster will be for you - an ordinary garden decoration, a hedge or a border plant. The choice of variety and planting location depends on this. The plant does not like waterlogged soils and suffers from wind and drafts.

Soil preparation

Oktyabrinka prefers light, fertile soils with a neutral pH. The selected area is dug up, the seedlings are placed at a distance of 40 centimeters from each other, since the bushes grow strongly. On acidic soils, the plant does not feel well; in this case, it is necessary to add wood ash to the area with flowers or lime the soil.

Landing technology

The area for flowers must be dug up, loosened and completely free of weeds. The bushes do not require holes; they are planted in shallow furrows. The plant should be carefully removed from the container; to do this, it should be watered abundantly beforehand.It is planted in the ground, the soil is compacted, and then watered.

Rules for caring for flowers

The plant does not need any special care.

Watering and fertilizing

It is even necessary to water it only in particularly dry summers; It is better to do this with warm water.

Fertilizing with mineral complex fertilizers is done twice: when the buds are formed and a month after that.

Loosening and mulching

The soil around flower bushes must be regularly weeded and loosened. To prevent the formation of a dense crust that harms the plant, the soil is mulched.

Preparing the Novobelgian aster for wintering

The roots of a plant that has recently been divided should be covered with spruce branches for the winter; the remaining bushes do not need protection.

Disease and pest control

The plant may suffer from powdery mildew if the soil is waterlogged. In this case, the flower should be treated with suitable sulfur-containing fungicides in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Rust is another fungal disease that affects New Belgian aster. In this case, it should be treated with Oxychom or Topaz.

The flower is affected by mites, aphids, leafhoppers, and acaricides. To avoid the spread of pests, you need to avoid placing plants too close to each other and promptly remove dead leaves, flowers and twigs of the bush. With the onset of autumn cold, dig up the ground under the bushes. If pests appear, immediately treat the bushes with suitable insecticides.

The New Belgian aster is an unpretentious plant that even a novice gardener can grow. The main thing is to choose the right litter, and then you can enjoy the bright, saturated colors even on a gloomy autumn morning.