) are considered quite resistant to various diseases and pests. But these flowers are still susceptible to infection by certain diseases and damage by insect pests. By observing all the requirements of plant agricultural technology at your dacha, you can prevent their occurrence.
Aster is susceptible to damage by various viruses. Their main features are mosaic and wrinkled leaves. In diseased plants, development is inhibited and the inflorescences are severely deformed. To prevent viral diseases of asters, we use only healthy seed material, grow varieties that are resistant to them, and destroy vector pests and weeds that are disease reservoirs.
Most often, our favorite asters in the landscape design of dachas, which we grow, are affected by a fungal disease - fusarium, so we treat their seeds and plant these plants every year in a new area. It is especially important to detect the first signs of pests in time and destroy them in a timely manner. This problem is especially relevant during the beginning of the growing season of asters and the formation of plant inflorescences.
The most harmful diseases for this plant species include:
Fusarium (wilt)
This fungal disease causes the leaves to turn yellowish and then acquire a brownish tint. Gradually they curl up and wither. The shoots of a diseased plant become covered with elongated spots, and dark stripes appear in their lower parts. This disease can affect flowers on one side of the bush.
Treatments
Annual alternation of planting asters with other types of flowers. Before planting, treat the seeds with 0.2% foundationazole. Sprinkle the soil with garden lime. We periodically spray the asters with 0.5% copper oxychloride.
Blackleg
This fungal disease causes blackening of seedlings and rotting of stems. Sick plants die.
How to treat
We water the soil twice a day with onion infusion (20 g/1 l of water). As a preventive measure against blackleg, we plant the seedlings early and then sprinkle them with calcined river sand. We disinfect the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (50 g/bucket of water). Its consumption is 10-12 liters per 1 sq.m.
Rust
At the beginning of summer, swellings appear at the bottom of the aster leaf blade, containing fungal spores. The leaves of diseased flowers wither and dry out.
Spray treatment
We spray the plants with 1% Bordeaux mixture for 10 days in a row. We also treat them with a mixture of lime and ground sulfur in a 1:1 ratio.
Jaundice
This viral disease causes the leaves to lighten, then their general chlorosis is observed.
We regularly combat the carriers of this disease - thrips, aphids and cicadas by spraying the bushes with yarrow infusion (pour 800 grams of grass with a bucket of boiling water, leave for 2 days). We spray the affected plants with 0.1% Inta-Vir or Actellik. We burn very infected ones.
Description of the signs of aster pests and their control
The most dangerous pests for this type of plant are the following:
Tilled slug
This pest nibbles leaves and flower buds. After it, whitish marks remain on them, and elongated holes are formed.
Control measures
We collect and destroy insects by hand. When planting asters, we carefully remove all weeds. Sprinkle the soil in the flower beds with lime.
Aster blizzard
Small butterflies with dots in the middle of their wings fly above the plants. Their caterpillars (1.5 cm) eat the petals and achenes of asters.
Fighting methods
Before planting flowers in the ground, we treat it with Bazudin. We regularly remove caterpillars and weed weeds.
Common earwig
This pest damages young inflorescences and leaves. It leaves behind jagged remains of plant parts.
Means of struggle
Spray the asters with Fundazol or Pyrethrum. We regularly collect insects by hand.
Bud aphid
These pests appear on young flowers and cause deformation of the upper leaves. Under their influence, the leaf blade shrinks ugly.
Ways to fight
We spray the asters with Inta-Vir and 1% karbofos.
Slobbery Penny
The larvae of these insects live in their foam-like secretions. Most often they are found in the axils of shoots or leaves. The pennitsa appears at the end of spring and damages the tissues of young flowers, severely deforming them. Affected specimens are covered with small yellowish spots. Flowering in such plants is greatly impaired.
How to fight
We spray the plants with 0.2% karbofos.
Spider mite
The pest damages the leaves of flowers. They turn brown and wither.
Fighting methods
We pollinate the asters with ground sulfur and lime (1:1). Spray the affected plants with 0.2% karbofos. To prevent the appearance of the pest on hot days, we spray the flowers with a solution of green potassium soap.
Video about protecting asters from diseases. Why asters can get fungal diseases. How to protect asters from diseases - disease prevention.
Protecting asters from diseases - video
Hello.
We are standing in front of the asters. Many people love them and grow them especially for the first of September. In general, asters bloom for a very long time and decorate the garden. But, unfortunately, they have one unpleasant feature: suddenly they begin to fade, and fade along with the buds. And sometimes this is such a widespread phenomenon that this entire small bed... It can all die in just a few days.
Now let’s discuss with you why this happens and how to prevent it.
Fungal diseases are again to blame for this, as always; we have a lot of them on all crops. And therefore you need to be prepared to take action in time. We should always have some kind of fungicide on hand to treat our plants.
Here are some good flowers, but trouble has already happened to this plant. His bud began to rot, wither, which began to bloom and cannot, it all dries up. Here is a completely wilted plant. I left it specifically to show the process of development of the disease. This is the so-called fusarium wilt. Not only asters suffer from it, but this year many zinnias suffered very seriously, so that almost all the plants had to be pulled out. This disease spreads through the soil, so it is extremely important for asters (including zinnias) to change the planting location. Under no circumstances should they be planted in the same place.
What to do with sick plants.
There is no need to just pull them out of the ground. You need to dig them up with a lump of earth and disinfect the whole place (the plant is completely rotten, it has no roots, it has all dried out). Why this disease did not spread further - I confess - I already treated it, applied a fungicide here, in this case with foundation, so the neighboring plants seemed to remain alive. And this place where you dug up this plant must be shed with a solution of fungicide (foundazole).
If your disease is so harmful that it spreads and pathogens persist in the soil for a long time, if your entire soil is literally contaminated, no matter where you try to plant asters, they die everywhere - what to do in this case if you Still, you love your stars. There is such a method of thermal soil treatment (some sources write): spill the soil with kerosene and set it on fire. There is no need to take such action on purpose. For example, I plant my asters where I burn garbage in the fall and spring. I especially put this garbage (plant remains) in the place where I plan to plant asters next year. I burn this garbage there. In the spring I bring this garbage there again. The soil is thoroughly fried. This is where you can plant asters. As practice shows, they get sick less. Our neighbor's aster suffered more from this disease. Zinnias, too, as I said, suffered. Therefore, this measure is justified. Those. after the fire you plant your asters.
If you are sick, do not expect that by cutting off the diseased bud, the aster will continue to develop. No, as practice shows, the plant begins to dry out, disappears and dies. And through the soil it infects other plants. Therefore, do not regret it, dig it up and, together with a piece of soil, carry it into a fire or into a barrel, where you burn all the diseased plant remains, and again pour it with foundationazole.
We protect asters from diseases and pests. When growing asters, it causes a lot of trouble blackleg, due to which both shoots and seedlings die.
In those affected by this fungal disease, the base of the stem darkens, becomes thinner, and the plants droop. The constriction areas rot and the seedlings die within 2-3 days.
The source of infection is contaminated soil. Increased soil moisture and dense crops contribute to the spread of the disease.
- Methods of protection. Seeds for seedlings should be sown in disinfected soil, after having spilled it with a thick solution of potassium permanganate or any fungicide that protects against fungal diseases.
Seedlings should be watered moderately, only when the top layer of soil dries out. Regular ventilation also inhibits the appearance of the disease.
Diseased plants should be removed, the soil should be sprinkled with ash, and watering should be reduced. If the disease spreads strongly, still healthy plants should be urgently transplanted into fresh soil.
More one of the most harmful widespread fungal diseases of aster is fusarium. Plants are affected during any growing season, but most severely during budding and at the beginning of flowering.
From the soil, the fungus (the causative agent of the disease) penetrates the root system, causes it to rot, and then spreads through the vessels of the stem. Starting from the root collar, brown longitudinal stripes form on the stem.
The affected parts of the plant turn brown and dry out, and the aster dies. The fungus invades the plant from the soil at temperatures above 20°C (the optimal temperature for its development is 20-27°C).
The appearance of fusarium is facilitated by the application of fresh manure, the formation of a crust on the soil surface, heavy clay and acidic soils, dense crops and plantings, excessive application of fertilizers, and untimely removal of diseased plants.
The disease is very dangerous and can lead to the death of 40 to 80% of plants. The fungus persists in the soil on plant debris.
- Methods of protection. There are no varieties that are absolutely protected from fusarium. There are only more or less stable ones.
Therefore, when growing aster, it is so important to create favorable conditions for it. It is also very important in the fall to remove all plant debris, lime acidic soil, and drain low areas with stagnant water.
If diseased plants appear, they should be immediately removed from the flower garden, and the remaining asters should be watered with foundationazole.
To water, you need to dissolve 20 g of the drug in a bucket of water; this amount is enough to treat 1 m2 of soil surface. Treatment must be carried out at least 5 times with an interval of 10 days.
Another disease - brown leaf spot or septoria- greatly spoils the appearance of asters. During budding, light brown spots of various shapes appear on the lower leaves. They grow, and all the leaves of the bush are affected. During flowering, the foliage dries out.
More often, asters are affected by brown spot in years with warm, humid summers. At risk are weakened, poorly cared for plants, densely planted plants, and overfed with nitrogen fertilizer. The infection persists in the soil on plant debris.
- Methods of protection. When a disease appears, plants should be sprayed 2-3 times with an interval of 10-14 days, dissolving a preparation containing copper in 10 liters of water: Bordeaux mixture (100 g) or copper oxychloride (50 g).
Fungal disease gray rot It affects many plants, and asters also suffer from it. Leaves, stems, and flowers are affected. Rot of the stems and tops of young shoots is especially dangerous. The stem and leaves turn brown, the tissues soften and rot.
The time of appearance of the disease and its severity depend on weather conditions: in rainy, cool weather the disease progresses, in warm and dry weather it does not.
- Methods of protection. The same as for brown spot.
Asters and diseases caused by bacteria. When affected by bacterial spotting, brown oily spots up to 2 cm in diameter form on the underside of leaves, stems and buds.
Later, the same spots appear on the upper side of the leaves, merge and cover most of the leaf. The disease begins during budding and progresses during flowering; the seeds are also infected. The bacterium overwinters in the soil on plant debris and in seeds.
- Methods of protection. In the fall, you should dig up the soil and turn over the layer. Seeds should be collected only from healthy plants. When a disease appears, plants should be sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture or 0.5% copper oxychloride. Treatment should be carried out 2-3 times every 10-12 days.
Cucumber mosaic virus Aster can be infected by harmful insects - leafhoppers, aphids. Young plants affected by mosaic have leaves that are small, deformed, and have light veins. Later the entire leaf blade brightens.
The main stem has shortened internodes and the plants do not flower. On asters affected by the disease in a later period of development, the inflorescences grow ugly, often one-sided. The causative agent of the disease persists in the rhizomes of many cultivated plants and weeds.
- Methods of protection. It is impossible to save asters from mosaic, so at the first signs of the disease, the affected plants should be destroyed. And, of course, we need to fight pests that transmit the mosaic virus from one plant to another.
Most harmful to aster aphid. It reproduces especially actively in hot and dry times, forming entire colonies on leaves and stems. It feeds on plant sap.
The growth of a damaged bush is weakened, the shoots are deformed, the flower petals curl, become discolored and very often dry out.
- Protective equipment. To get rid of this pest, you can use a decoction of tomato shoots. 4 kg of green mass are poured into a bucket, filled to the top with water, boiled over low heat for 30 minutes and filtered.
Take 3 liters of decoction, add water to 10 liters, add 40 g of crushed laundry soap and spray the asters.
If there are a large number of aphids, you will have to use chemicals, for example, Inta-Vir (1 tablet per 10 liters of water).
Nina Ippolitova, candidate of agricultural sciences sciences
The word “aster” literally translated from Greek means “star”. This name of the flower is associated with an amazing ancient legend. The constellation Virgo was associated by the Greeks with Aphrodite. One day, the goddess of love, while looking at the ground, shed a tear. From this cosmic dust a beautiful flower emerged. People called it "aster". Since then, this amazing plant has come to symbolize love. Today people rarely think about how the flower appeared, but its exquisite beauty is appreciated. This is one of gardeners' favorite plants. But, unfortunately, the beautiful appearance of a flower can spoil the disease. Asters need protection that will protect them from harm.
Brief description
The annual aster amazes with its amazing diversity. Breeders have developed a huge number of varieties. They vary surprisingly in their color and shape. This beautiful plant can delight you with needle-shaped, double, pom-pom, peony-shaped inflorescences of bright, rich tones.
The plant is planted in flower beds and used to decorate borders and balconies. After all, it blooms in July and continues to remain beautiful until late autumn. The plant is quite unpretentious. But some factors can trigger aster disease.
Let's consider what misfortunes a beautiful flower is most often exposed to.
Fusarium wilt
This is the most common aster disease. The photo shows how the plant dies. It can be affected during any growing season. But this process is most pronounced during the beginning of flowering.
Brown stripes appear on the affected area of the stem. Even the entire stem can change color. The leaves, when exposed to disease, sag and acquire a brown tint.
Infection of flowers occurs through the soil. This is facilitated by factors that weaken the root:
- clayey heavy soils;
- adding fresh manure to the soil;
- insufficient or excessive hydration;
- crust formation on soil.
How to fight fusarium?
Aster diseases and the fight against them are a pressing issue that worries gardeners.
- Before sowing, for preventive purposes, seeds must be soaked for 15-18 hours in a solution of microfertilizers (magnesium sulfate 0.05% or cobalt chloride 0.03%).
- The soil mixture is watered with diluted manganese (1.5 g per 10 liters of water). The seeds are covered with dry sand.
- Asters affected by the disease must be removed immediately.
Septoria or brown spot
Light brown spots appear on the leaves of the lower tier. This is a rather unpleasant aster disease. Over time, the spots acquire a gray tint. The pycnidia of the fungus are visible on the top of the leaf.
During flowering, the leaves begin to dry out. The plant loses its decorative effect.
Pycnidia are able to overwinter on plant debris. The disease is spread by seeds that were collected from the affected flower.
Fighting methods
Gardeners have carefully studied aster diseases and the fight against them. Experienced specialists suggest resorting to the following procedures:
- As soon as such an aster disease is noticed, it is necessary to immediately spray the plant with Bordeaux mixture (1%), copper oxychloride (0.5%).
- It is necessary to perform 2-3 such procedures. The interval between spraying should be 10-14 days.
Helichrysous aphid
Such a lesion disfigures aster leaves and sprout buds. Even flower stalks may be damaged. But it is possible to notice aphids only when the leaf opens.
The pest overwinters inside a bud on plum branches. Initially, several generations of wingless aphids hatch and develop. And only towards the end of June does a pest appear that can fly to Asteraceae plants. Chrysanthemums, asters, and sunflowers suffer from winged aphids. It is on these crops that the pest begins to multiply rapidly.
In autumn, aphids return to the plum tree. She lays eggs on tree branches. Only they survive the winter.
How to fight aphids?
It is important to pay timely attention to the condition of the plant. If disfigured leaves or buds are noticed, control measures must be taken immediately:
- Initially, you should make sure that it is the aphids that have attacked the plant. To do this, carefully unfold the kidney.
- An excellent “weapon” against aphids is a systemic insecticide.
- A favorable result will be ensured by spraying with karbofos, depis, chlorophos or Inta-Vir. This procedure should be carried out in early spring. It is best to spray the plant at the moment when no more than 4 true leaves appear on the aster.
Gray rot
Any diseases of the annual aster lead to the loss of the original beautiful appearance of the flower. Gray rot is no exception. It affects leaves, stems, inflorescences. The disease is especially dangerous for young shoots.
The leaves and stem at the site of the lesion become brown. Tissue softening occurs. Damaged areas begin to rot. In these areas, a fluffy gray coating of mushroom mycelium forms. Rapid growth of the disease is observed in cool, rainy weather.
Diseases and pests of the annual aster can very quickly destroy a beautiful plant. The same solutions that are used for septoria can help get rid of gray rot.
Bacterial spot
If such an aster disease occurs, yellow spots form on the leaves. How to deal with such a scourge?
First, let's look at how the disease manifests itself. The lower leaves of the plant take on autumn color. They begin to turn yellow or red. Then they dry out quickly. However, similar symptoms are characteristic of many diseases. Therefore, to determine bacterial spot, it is necessary to conduct a laboratory test.
The scourge spreads rapidly during wet weather or as a result of frequent watering. Since a humid environment accelerates the spread and penetration of the pathogen through wounds and stomatal slits.
The causative agent of the disease is able to overwinter in the affected areas. Therefore, aster can only be propagated from a healthy plant. In addition, when growing aster, you must adhere to strict hygiene.
Allows you to get acquainted with what this aster disease looks like, the photo posted in the article.
Methods to combat spotting
To get rid of the disease, the following measures are taken:
- It is necessary to provide the leaves with a dry environment. To do this, you should stop spraying for a while.
- For preventive purposes, it is recommended to treat aster with copper sulfate. Spraying is carried out once every three weeks. This procedure must be repeated several times. In this case, not only the plant itself is sprayed, but also the soil.
- In the event of a disease, it is recommended to treat the plant with Bordeaux mixture (1%), as well as copper oxychloride (0.5%). The procedure must be repeated 2-3 times. The interval between spraying should be 10-12 days.
If you want an amazing flower to delight you with its beautiful blooms, provide it with the necessary conditions:
- Annual aster does not like shade or excess moisture. Therefore, choose a sunny, open place for it.
- The aster feels best in fertile, neutrally acidic soil.
- It is not recommended to feed the plant with organic fertilizers. The addition of fresh manure will have a particularly detrimental effect on the condition of the aster. You can feed the crop with rotted compost or mineral complex fertilizer.
If you provide the plant with the necessary care, the beautiful flower will thank you with magnificent blooms that will last until late autumn.
To grow beautiful and healthy asters and enjoy the beauty of their flowering, you need to try and create favorable conditions. It may take a little time to create such conditions, but the results are worth it. Unfortunately, there are often certain factors that prevent plants from growing healthy. They can also cause various diseases. This flower is also not immune to pest damage. The fight against aster diseases and pests, which may include both prevention and treatment, will help save the planting. To save flowers from death, you need to correctly recognize the problem and take timely action.
The main enemies of aster
You can find out about the damage to a plant by the appearance of the stem, leaves, and sometimes by the flowers themselves. What may indicate illness:
- slowing down plant growth;
- a large number of deformed flowers;
- narrow leaves;
- leaves that are wrinkled or smooth;
- change in color of the stem and leaves;
- the appearance of veins on leaf blades.
Such changes can be caused by various diseases. It should be noted that asters can be affected by at least 24 types of different viruses. Although preventive measures (treating asters against diseases) can help reduce the likelihood of infection, it will most likely not be possible to completely protect the planting from viral diseases. Such diseases can be caused by various factors. One of these is the transmission of viruses by insect vectors. That is why in the garden where it is planned to grow asters, pests and insects should be controlled.
If the plant is affected by pests, it most likely will not be possible to save it. The most effective method of pest control is prevention. A plant affected by a pest dies very quickly, since the pests either suck the juice from the flower, gnaw the roots, or eat the leaves. A flower cannot exist in such conditions. If only a few flowers damaged by pests appear in the planting, measures should be taken urgently to protect the remaining flowers. Although damaged asters cannot be saved, it is quite possible to protect the planting as a whole from pests and diseases.
Plant pests
Planting asters can be affected by several types of pests. You can determine who exactly is causing the damage either by finding a representative of the pests, or by examining the affected flowers and identifying the damage. Who attacks asters and how:
- Common earwig (gnaws buds, leaves and inflorescences, the stubs have a jagged mark).
- Slobbering pennica (lives in foam-like secretions in the axils of shoots and leaves. Deforms stems and leaves, contributes to the formation of yellow spots on them).
- Till slug (eats leaves and buds, leaving behind oblong holes and mucous secretions).
- Sunflower moth (the caterpillar of this butterfly feeds on pollen and flower petals. The achenes in the baskets may be damaged).
- Spider mite (sucks juice from leaves. Lives on the underside of the leaf. Leaves turn brown, yellow and wither).
- Meadow bug (sucks juices from shoots, buds, flowers and leaves. Whitish dots appear on the plant. The buds are deformed, the leaves curl).
- Gamma armyworm (damages the above-ground part of the stem closest to the roots. Lives in the soil).
By seeing damage on a plant, you can identify the pest that affected the planting. Since they multiply quickly, measures must be taken decisively. In some cases, manual collection of pests helps.
What diseases can flowers cause?
The list of diseases of perennial and annual asters is very diverse. Most diseases are classified as fungal or viral. They can affect both individual stems and entire plantations. Diseases spread very quickly, so measures must be taken quickly and decisively.
To combat aster diseases, you need to know their varieties and visible manifestations. These could be:
What does the fight against aster diseases and pests include?
Taking preventive measures that will prevent problems from occurring will help you avoid many diseases. Prevention that can save you from the need to combat aster diseases and pests includes:
- Autumn digging of the soil. Deep loosening of the soil, as well as digging it between bushes, helps destroy the habitats of pests and disrupt their natural habitat.
- The right choice of flowers for planting. If it is not possible to look for the reasons why asters are dying in the garden, or there is no time to eliminate the problems, it is better to choose varieties for planting that are resistant to diseases and pests.
- Autumn treatment of shrubs. It involves removing and burning annual shoots and stems of perennials that die off during the winter. This type of care prolongs the life of the bushes.
- Correct choice of shrub density when planting. If the planting is too dense, diseases spread easily because there is insufficient wind movement between the bushes. If you do not plant the plants too tightly, you can save asters from blackleg and other diseases.
And yet, no matter what preventive measures are taken, it is not always possible to save the planting from diseases. Before starting treatment, the disease or pest must be correctly identified. The treatment method is selected depending on the problem encountered. Knowing exactly why asters turn yellow and dry out, you can take timely action to save the planting.
How to carry out treatment
Treatment of diseased shrubs takes place in several stages. Their sequence is as follows:
- damage identification;
- classification of the disease;
- carrying out medical procedures.
There are no general rules for the treatment of asters; it should be selected in accordance with the type of disease. That is why, before starting the procedure, you should determine exactly why the aster’s leaves curl or other visible damage occurs.
The table below will help you choose treatment methods. 
As can be seen from the information described in this article, prevention plays a big role in caring for asters. Using fungicides, fertilizers and pesticides for asters, you can prevent the emergence of many diseases and the spread of pests. In addition, to prevent any damage to the planting, regular weeding of the area and loosening of the upper layers of the soil is recommended. 
When diseases or pest damage occur, damaged stems and leaves should be removed first. This way you can avoid the rapid spread of the disease. Treatment measures are prescribed as the type of disease is determined.
Biological preparations for protecting plants from diseases and pests - video