Other Years

Ball Florist Mix (A. dumosus L.)
2013
~June 23: I bought 9 plants from Rona and set them out.
September 16: Although they started out well enough all but one died, and that one is not well-developed.
 
Starlight Asters (A. dumosus L.)

Starlight Aster, 2004

2006
January 1: I ordered seed from Stokes last month.
3: The seeds arrived today. I started 36 in a cloth napkin.
5: I transferred 13 sprouts and 6 unsprouted seeds to cells, and started 10 seeds in 9 cells. 9 seeds are missing from the napkin. I guess they fell out during handling. :(
7: I put the last 5 sprouts and 4 seeds into cells.
April 27: One plant remains. It is a little leggy and is coming into bud.
May 13: Flowering.
 
2005
January 5:  I rolled 40 Starlight seeds in a cloth napkin and started them soaking.
10:  4 sprouts.
12:  I planted those 4 sprouts in soil mix. They are showing green cotyldedons inside the seed coat. I put the unsprouted seeds in the warming box.
25:  I have 3 seedlings, and no more sprouts. I discarded the first batch of seeds and started the remaining 32 seeds in a napkin.
April 19:  I have 1 plant flowering thinly and 2 with good foliage.
May 7:  1 is finished, I sold 1 at the garage sale, and I have one coming into bloom.
 
2004
January 17:  I rolled 36 Starlight seeds in a cloth napkin and started them soaking.
21:  There were 10 sprouted seeds.   I planted 9 of them in a 9-pak.
24:  Now up to 17 sprouted seeds in 2 9-paks.
25:  Now 18 sprouted seeds in 2 9-paks.   5 have developed cotyledons and 3 more are visible.
April 11:  I transplanted my 6 remaining plants into 4 inch pots.   I put 5 of them under the fluorescents lamps and one under the sodium lamp.
19:  The plant that was under the sodium lamp is budding.   It has only a few buds, and it will flower too early for the garage sale, so I put it back under the fluorescents.   I put a different one under the sodium lamp to see what happens.   Maybe by switching lights and putting them outside sometimes to be cool, I can control the flowering time and get many blossoms too.
May 7:  I took 4 plants to the garage sale.   One had one blossom open and the others had tiny buds.   I still have 2 plants which are not as advanced.
June 6:  Both plants are in bud, and one bud on one plant is opening.
July 15:  They both flowered beautifully, one slightly after the other, and slowly died down.
 
2003
January 24:  9 plants are coming along.
February 15:  I transferred them to 4 inch pots.
March 22:  They are doing fine.   Their foliage is low and covers the pot.   One is taller than the others and is showing buds.
30:  That one is starting to flower now.   It has 7 buds.   I got my new grow shelf operating today and moved the plants under the new light, a high-pressure sodium one.   I am giving them 12 hours of light per day.
April 1:  I ordered more seeds from Stokes.
5:  The most advanced plant has its top flower almost completely open.   It is purple.   However one of the plants still under lights has died mysteriously.   Its leaves are completely limp, but the soil is very moist.   Is this a reoccurrence of last year's Asteraceae disease?   I certainly hope not.   I must apply No-Damp when the soil has dried a bit.
20:  A fourth plant is coming into flower.
July 5:  I gave away all but 2, and I deadheaded those and put them into the garden after they flowered.   One has died, and the other seems headed the same way.   The plant I gave Jennifer died suddenly on her, but Donalda's flowered for a long time.   I don't know what the explanation is.
 
2002
February 27:  I ordered a package of Starlight Mix, 629D, $2.25, from Stokes.   They are recommended as a pot plant, so I intend to grow some under lights next autumn.
December 13:  I planted 36 seeds, two per cell.   They are in the basement starter table.
19:  3 sprouts.
20:  4 sprouts.
25:  3 more sprouts.   I moved the tray upstairs, to where it is warmer.
29:  I moved the tray back downstairs.
 

Crego Asters
2002
June 13:  I bought 9 plants from Revy, 49 cents, and set them out, most along the west side of the house and 2 in the garden.   I intend to treat them with No-Damp, and see if they can avoid the fusarium fungus.
14:  I watered them with a litre of No-Damp solution.
July 24:  The plants along the house are doing well, but 1 in the garden is totally brown and the other has 2 brown leaves.
July 26:  A first flower.
September 7:  Doing well along the house, with several flowers per plant and no sign of fusarium.   One plant in the main garden is still alive, but not really flourishing.
2001
July 10: I bought 8 plants for 99 cents at Revy and set them out.
August 5: A first flower is opening.
August 26: The plants did not grow very much, but they put out a nice display of flowers. Now, unfortunately, they have mostly succumbed to whatever kills asters in my garden. Most plants have dried up and died.
August 29: I pulled the plants out. They were quite dried up, and I saw that their roots systems had not developed since they were planted, but may in fact have diminished.
December 2: They were almost certainly killed by fusarium fungus. This fungus resides in the soil and enters the plant through the roots. It then spreads upwards into the whole plant, killing it. It is quite specific, affecting (probably) only asters, and then not every variety.
 
1998 April 15: I started one 9-pak, 3 Stokes seeds per cell.
19: sprouts.
June 1: Doing fine outside.
~August 31: They died, probably from my usual aster problem, fusarium wilt.
 
Massagno Spider Asters 1997
May 10: I purchased 9 plants from St. Mary's Nursery.
11: Split into individual pots.
30: 9 plants set out.
August 4: Buds opening, 4 plants left.
December 18: Disappointing again.
 
1995
~April 4: Started some seeds.
May 14: Only 1 seedling from ~12 seeds, so I bought 12 plugs at the Conservatory plant sale. This was about 15 plants, now in 6-paks.
May 26: Planted.
June 17: Doing well.
July 29: 3 alive and doing well, about to flower. All those together at the south end died, apparently of fusarium wilt.
September: Those at the north end flowered for a while, but fusarium got them too.
 
1994
April 11: Started seeds, 18 cells with 2 seeds per cell.
14: Some are up.
17: 13 seedlings.
21: 6 healthy plants, and 3 weak ones.
August 17: 1 weak plant budding.
September 4: All dead. The last one died whilst beginning to flower.
 
1993
 
August 18: 3 of 7 spider asters are in flower.
September 4: There are some blossoms.
 
New England Aster (A. novae-angliae)
1996
May 4: Visible.
 
1995
May 10: Visible.
 
1993
August 5: Flowering very well.
August 18: Many blossoms.
 
Blue Boy Asters
1995
May 8: I had these rototilled under today.
 
1994
May 10: Visible today.
June 21: Doing well.
 
1993
August 18: Some flowers on the Blue Boy aster,
September 4: It has many small blue flowers, but they are not very distinguished.
 
Aster Sedifolius (A. sedifolius L.)
1995
May 4: I did not much admire it, so I had it rototilled under today.
 
1994
May 10: Visible today.
June 21: Doing well.
 
1993
June 23: Bought a perennial aster, described also as a Michaelmas daisy, from St. Mary Nursery for $6.99 + tax. Andrea told me it will be tall with purple flowers and yellow centres.