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| Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird' today |
The penny has finally dropped. I noticed last year that my ex-asters,
Symphyotrichum novae angliae and
Symphyotrichum laeve, started blooming later than they used to and later than other ex-asters in the area. I noticed the same phenomenon this year, but now I have the answer. It is, you guessed it, that I started pinching, or cutting back, my plants last year. I hadn't intended to do so for the smooth blue ex-aster,
Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird', but the deer did some pruning and they made a bad job of it, which I had to fix up. The result, obvious when you think on it, is delayed blooms.
Several chomps were also taken out of the New England ex-asters, but mostly I went a little pruner-happy on them.
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| Symphyotrichum novae angliae 'Hella Lacey' yesterday |
(The
S. novae angliae out back, where the deer do not roam, started two weeks ago.) Next year, a few stems at the very back of each plant will be left unpruned. Unless the deer get there first.
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Clay and Limestone for all the Wildflower Wednesday posts.
11 comments:
Interesting. We always cut the New England's back, twice usually. They bloom early, get cut back, then will bloom again. I have never cut Bluebird, but since yours look so nice...
Asters always look better pinched back here.
I am terrible about pinching them back and the sprawl all over the place~There are one or two spots that I will pinch next year to get this lovely look yours have. gail
I pinch all of my asters back. The ones in predominately shade still get leggy however. But yes, they do bloom later.
Even if they're a little late, pinched asters that don't flop are always better than early floppy ones! You may want to try Short's aster...it really doesn't need pinching since it's already short to begin with.
I pinch my asters, and they are still leggy. They are lovely anyway!
Hi MMD, I do now recall your last year's posts on "ex-asters!" I just posted on asters myself. You are more experienced, but it does seem that they're not hard to understand. :-)
Your photos are very artistic.
I don't grow Asters, but it sure is a delight to see them on your blog and others! You obviously have a magic touch with them. And the light this time of year shows them in all their beauty!
I forgot the pinching back this year. cutting back the out stems of the clump even helps control the floppiness of Alma Potschke.
Im sure to come back.. we both have passion in flowers.
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Good scientific thinking. I have had a few weddings here and we have house concerts. I am always pinching to get stuff to bloom atj ust the right time.
nellie
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