Flowers of September: reproduction, planting and care in the open field, description of varieties with photos

Sentyabrinki, as they are called by the people, or asters virginian (New Belgian) got this name for a reason. It is directly related to their flowering, which begins in September. Gardeners appreciate and love septembers, as they are not only pleasing to the eye, when all the flowers have long faded, but also unpretentious, they are easy to care for, they are easy to plant and propagate.

Description and features

Sentyabrinki is a bushy herbaceous plant from the genus Astrov, whose homeland is in North America. Sometimes they are called Oktyabrins, as they bloom until late autumn and are not even afraid of the first snows.Virginia aster bushes are highly branched and covered with numerous small flowers. One bush can have up to 200 units of flowers. The middle of the flowers can be yellow, orange, red or burgundy. And the petals are most often lilac, but there are varieties with white and pink shades.

Growing from seeds

These flowers are often grown from seed as seedlings are almost impossible to find.

Growing seedlings

In order to grow seedlings from September seeds, you need to choose the right planting material, plant it on time and organize proper care.

Selecting planting material

To grow seedlings, it is better to purchase seeds from a specialized store, rather than collect them yourself. Due to late flowering, the seeds do not have time to mature, and the collected material will have a very low germination rate.

Timing

Seeds of the virgin aster begin to be planted in February, in order to have time to grow seedlings before spring, or rather until May. It can be planted in the fall, because the plant is frost-resistant, but it is still better to do it in the spring. So the seedlings will have time to acclimatize and develop the root system.

How to plant

For sowing seeds, take any low containers. They are filled with soil, then shallow grooves are made and seeds are sown in them. Sprinkle on top with a thin layer of soil, about 3-5 mm, slightly pressing it down. Next, irrigate the soil with seeds and cover with a sheet of glass or polyethylene. Place the container in a warm, well-lit place, waiting until they germinate to seat them. After 3 weeks, the first shoots will appear. At this time, you need to remove the shelter.

Irrigation

Sown seeds need regular watering.Care must be taken to ensure that the soil does not dry out and is always moist. But waterlogging also adversely affects the formation of seedlings. It is also important to periodically ventilate the plantings, the formation of condensate inside the container with sown seeds is unacceptable.

Picking

After a month, the sprouts will be ready for picking. They are carefully removed from the soil and, together with the soil, which is located near the root, are transferred to separate containers, for example, cups.

Hardening

In the spring, seedlings must be hardened off. To this end, containers with it are taken outside every day and left for some time in the fresh air.

Landing in open ground

When the seedlings are strong enough, they are planted in open ground. But before that, you should choose a place and prepare the ground.

Choosing a seat

Septembers are not capricious, so they grow well on any soil except loamy. When choosing a place for planting seedlings, it is better to give preference to a sunny area without drafts. Preferably on a hill to avoid possible flooding.

Soil preparation

2 weeks before planting seedlings, the site is prepared. To do this, it is dug up and fertilized. These can be organic or mineral compounds.

Plant pattern

Dig holes for planting, their depth should correspond to the root system of seedlings. They are filled with water, and after it has been absorbed a little, seedlings are planted.

The distance between plants should be about 50 cm. If it is planting over paths, you can reduce it to 20 cm.

Care

In order for September trees to grow quite lush and bloom profusely before the onset of frost, like any other plant, they need to be looked after.

Irrigation

Shrub especially needs watering the first 2 weeks after planting. Then it enters a phase of active growth and can already cope with short-term droughts on its own.

For irrigation take settled water. Water infrequently, but plentifully.

Loosening and weeding

From time to time, the soil around the flowers of the virgin aster should be loosened in order to get enough oxygen to a fairly developed root system of the plant.

And weeding serves as a prevention of some diseases and pests that a plant can infect from weeds.

Feeding

For the whole season, Septembers need to be fed 3 times. The first is carried out in the spring, at which time nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied. The second, potash top dressing should be done in the middle of summer. And with the beginning of flowering shrubs, phosphate fertilizers are applied.

Cutting

In order to stimulate growth and enhance the flowering of the shrub, pruning is carried out. All dry and withered shoots are removed. To form a beautiful bush shape, he althy branches can also be cut. They can later be used for reproduction.

Transfer

In order for the virgin aster to feel good and develop harmoniously, it needs to be transplanted to a new place every 4-5 years. Such transplants are carried out in the spring, so that the bushes have time to take root before winter. When transplanting in the fall, the gardener risks rubbing the plant.

Wintering

After the shrub has completely faded, its stems are cut to the root. Mature plants do not need any shelter, but young ones are better to warm for the winter. To do this, use dry foliage, grass or spruce branches.

Reproduction

There are several ways to propagate septembers.

Dividing the bush

The plant is most often propagated by this method. To do this, the bush is dug out completely, and then divided into several parts. In fairly mature plants, stiff parts are removed, as well as non-viable shoots, and planted in different holes.

Cutting

This breeding method is not easy and not always successful. This procedure is carried out in June. To do this, cut young shoots, whose height is 10 cm. For cutting, you can use a pruner or sharp scissors.

The ends of the cuttings are immersed in water and wait until they take root.

Then the cuttings are inserted into the soil and covered with cut plastic bottles. They are not removed for a month. Next, the bottles are slightly raised so that the plant gets used to the change in temperature and humidity.After a few days, the bottle is completely removed. The cutting is not transplanted until next spring.

Seeds

Flowers are rarely propagated by sowing in open ground, more often they are used for seedlings. When sowing seeds, you need to be sure of their freshness, as they quickly lose their germination.

Diseases and pests

The virgin aster has strong immunity, but is still susceptible to some diseases.

Powdery mildew

This is a fungal disease that appears as a white coating on plants. At the first signs of the disease, treatment should be started immediately. Otherwise, powdery mildew can destroy the plant. Over time, the plaque will cover the entire ground part, the foliage will turn brown and crumble. This disease is treated with fungicides, which include copper.

Black leg

Often, with excessive moisture and hot weather, a disease such as blackleg appears. Its main symptom is the blackening of the stem at the base. It is almost impossible to cure the affected plant, so they are dug up and burned.

In order to protect young sprouts from this disease, it is necessary to treat them with Previkur or its analogues.

Fusariosis

When fusarium leaves September first turns yellow, and then turns brown and falls off. Fusarium is also not cured, therefore, to combat it, preventive treatments with Fundazol or Rovral should be carried out.

Rust

Sometimes a red bloom may appear on the plant. This is a sign of a disease called rust. They fight it with the help of fungicides like the drug "Skor".

Meadow bug

Rarely, but still possible to notice a meadow bug on asters. This pest is easily controlled using any available insecticide.

Spider mite

This pest can be red, orange and yellow. Its appearance on the plant is evidenced by the appearance of small white dots on the foliage. First, they settle on the lower part of the sheet, and over time they move to the upper part. To destroy this tick, small-drop spraying of bushes with phosphorus or sulfur preparations is carried out. Insecticides are also used: Aktofit, Fitoverm or Vermitek.

Aphid

These small flies settle on young shoots or on the underside of foliage. Aphids suck juice from plants, while being a carrier of various infections. These insects secrete a sweet substance called honeydew, which attracts other insects.To combat such a pest, insecticides are used.

Slugs

You can't completely get rid of slugs, but you can protect the flower by mulching the soil around it. Slugs will not be able to cross porous, dry, or injurious surfaces. Stone chips, spruce needles, crushed eggshells can be protective mulch.

Landscape use

Septembers are often used as hedges and borders, as well as for the design of alpine slides and rockeries. Late flowering of aster continues the life of alpine slides until frost.

And undersized virgin asters can be planted in pots and decorate a balcony or terrace.

Views

There are several different types of virgin aster. They come in a variety of colors and sizes.

Short

Low-growing varieties of virgin aster do not exceed 30 cm in height. They look like hemispheres, sprinkled with small flowers of various colors. Looks great in the foreground in flower beds.

Medium height

Medium height varieties grow to about 45-80 cm. Their buds may be slightly larger than the low-growing varieties or the same size.

High

Tall september species can grow up to 2 meters tall and grow well without the need for a garter. Their inflorescences reach a maximum of 4 cm in diameter.

Ground covers

Such septembers spread a beautiful bright carpet on the soil. It is these species that are used for alpine slides.

Globular

There are varieties with spherical bushes. They do not grow above 70 cm. They look beautiful and harmonious as a hedge.

Terry

Some varieties have petals on inflorescences rolled into tubes, which are arranged in several rows, thanks to which the flowers look double.

Popular varieties

There are about 1000 varieties of septembers. But among this numerous variety, the most common are distinguished.

Audrey

This is a low-growing species of Virginian aster, the height of which does not exceed 45 cm. The color is pink.

Jenny

Jenny variety also belongs to undersized asters. It is quite compact, its height is about 30 cm. Inflorescences are bright red.

Snowsprite

Snowsprite is a short growing variety with lush white flowers. The height of the bush is 35 cm.

Elina

And this variety belongs to the bushes of medium height. It grows up to 60-80 cm. The bush is densely strewn with bright pink flowers, so that the leaves are almost invisible.

Cassie

Cassie is a medium height plant, but grows slightly taller than the previous variety, up to 80-85 cm. In September, the bush is covered with white flowers with a diameter of about 3 cm.

Royal Velvet

This is a medium-sized shrub that blooms with bright blue-violet buds. It is especially popular due to its unusual colors.

Whit Lady

These sentyabrinka bushes are over 1 meter high. The flower belongs to tall varieties. Whit Lady's flowers are white, as her name suggests.

Desertblue

The bushes of this virgin aster grow up to 1 m. Flowers with a diameter of up to 3.5 cm have a lilac color.

Dastyrose

Another tall variety that can also reach a height of 1 m. Its flowers have a delicate crimson hue and a diameter of up to 4 cm.

Amethyst

Purple or lilac flowers with a long flowering period lasting over 1 month. Grade height - 1 m.

Dick Ballard

A bush with white flowers, the petals of which are arranged in two rows, with a diameter of up to 3 cm. Its height is 1 m. It blooms for about 35 days.

Sunset

Tall bush, reaching 1 m 20 cm. Its inflorescences are small in size, but rather bright crimson in color. Flowering period 30-35 days.

Healing properties

Like all asters, septembers have medicinal properties. They are rich in flavonoids, coumarin and saponins. These substances make flowers medicinal.

The plant has the following properties:

• antipyretic;
• expectorant;
• antihistamine;
• antihelminthic.

And also decoctions from septembers are effective for various problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Why don't bloom

Sometimes virgin aster bushes don't bloom. The reason for this may be a draft. Even if the bush grows in a sunny open area, it may not have time to bloom before frost due to the fact that it is constantly blown. The bush may not bloom due to drought. When a plant lacks moisture, its root system begins to actively develop in order to provide itself with moisture. At the same time, the bush may simply not have enough strength to bloom.

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