I wondered why this aster had died.

Well done for raising so much! Maybe your house should be called Great Aster?

I think you found the culprit - those worms. They attack the roots and bring on all kinds of nasties. Here's what works for me. Pull up each plant and thoroughly wash away all of the old potting mix and debris around the rootball. The rootball should be completely clean. Then give the plant a bath in a Hydrogen Peroxide solution in a bucket. Completely submerge the entire plant in the solution for 5 minutes or so. The HP solution will destroy all bugs, eggs, pathogens, mold, etc. The plant itself will be perfectly fine. Then repot in sterilized pots with new potting soil. Keep it quarantined until all the other plants are treated as well. Disinfect entire area where plants are kept.

Those weevils have been at my sedums this year too. They are such a pest. I'm wondering if your Lamium is 'Ghost' as it looks just like mine. :) Purple/Pink flowers. You've done a wonderful job raising money with your plant sales. Congratulations :)

There wasn't any aster to salvage Paul :o). I enjoy weevil hunting so I can feed the fish. The H2O2 would make them inedible for the fish. When ever I repot plants I always check for them.

I dont disinfect the whole area as I have lots of beneficial insects etc in the area and don't want them destroying. The loss of an odd plant is a small price to pay for lacewings, ladybirds, bees and other assorted gardening friends. There are lots of earthworms among the block paving and the birds enjoy ferreting about for slugs/snails etc.

The Lamium is Pewter something or other Karen.

Pink Pewter aka Pink Chablis. they are one and the same plant according to the RHS. I think the RHS have gone for the Pink Chablis as its 'proper name'

Oh, ok. I guess the title threw me off...

sorry Paul I often use rhetorical questions. It was a sure fire way to get students to think they knew something I didn't. old habits die hard I guess but thanks for your input.

You want me to think I know something that you don't? Why? What if I actually do? What is your point?

That is a very good amount raised Seaburn, well done with all your efforts, I do like your white Aster, don't think I've ever seen a white one, it certainly likes to spread itself around, Nerines look lovely also, I had to split mine last year so although they have all taken the flowers are few and far between this year, you are right our winter is coming, bit of a shock to the system after all the warmth we've been experiencing...
Sorry Seaburn, I'm once again working backwards through the blogs and just found out you have had a milestone birthday, congratulations, yes you're still a spring chicken, lol, pleased to see you have recovered from your op and the enforced resting period, it's horrible when forced upon us isn't it, made me chuckle at your description of your hubby's gardening tactics, I daren't let mine in to the garden without supervision, mind you mine always needs a dogsbody so wouldn't be out there on his own anyway....

Those VWs are such a pain, they do so much damage, I swear they come in the compost, they seem to be devastating more and more plants.....
Well done on making so much money for your local hospice, excellent.....your Nerines are looking very healthy, ours are short on flowers, perhaps they need splitting?

Have copied the Hydrogen instructions in my notebook,
always useful to have on hand.

Yes, Diane it actually works and I have to credit Darren for the idea. A bottle of HP is only $1.00 at the supermarket.

Hi Eileen, I think the Aster might be A umbellatus, I have 1 t the back of the border, Derek.

Hydrogen Peroxide has lots of uses; in fact, I bought some after reading an article on its uses in the garden and around the house.
For treating fungal infections , combine 4 tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide with a pint of water in a spray bottle. Won't harm the plants.

Love the cyclamen.. SG. They always add a little unexpected colour under trees. Ours are being swamped by Arum Lilies at the moment.

Sorry Paul with you saying "Oh, ok. I guess the title threw me off..." I thought you thought I had posed a question. So I was explaining why I used rhetorical questions. I don't have any problem with anyone knowing more than me, that's how I learn, but motivating 11-18yr olds takes some doing with some aspects of science/biology. {Especially when the travelling Hull fair is in town. For those of you in the know its the same fair as the Nottingham goose fair and Newcastle's Town Moor fair.}
so appologies if you feel insulted, that wasn't my intention.

Derek that is a definite possibility, I will ask the lady I originally got it from and see if it rings any bells for her.

I wont be using H2O2 in the garden as it is harmful to the fauna in the garden.

Well done on raising that money :) It must have been well accepted by the hospice.

Vine weevils are horrible aren't they. Good job you found them. I hope the plant will recover.

Lovely Nerines and Cyclamen :)

Nobody said to give H202 to the fauna! Why would you? It can be used in the garden safely to treat various problems. You have to be smart about how you use it. I'm talking about the food grade 3% solution anybody can pick up at the supermarket. The molecule simply breaks down very quickly to form water and oxygen. How is this harmful to fauna? water? oxygen? Would love to hear your answer on this one, or how you dodge it, lol! Teacher?

Hydrogen peroxide can easily break down, or decompose, into water and oxygen by breaking up into two very reactive parts – either 2OHs or an H and HO2:

If there are no other molecules to react with, the parts will form water and oxygen gas as these are more stable than the original molecule, H2O2. The reaction happens slowly while hydrogen peroxide is stored, because unevenness in the container’s surface can help to split the molecule – one part gets stuck to the surface while the other part pulls away. So, before too long, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide will react to form water!

http://www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/Resources/Contemporary/student/pop_peroxide.html

"The HP solution will destroy all bugs, eggs, pathogens, mold, etc."
Your quote Bathgate, not mine and as fauna means animals and that includes bugs and all other insect classes not just bugs, my comment still stands. But the time it takes to decompose is relatively slow, so in contact with living tissue it can be hazardous even at 3%. It used to be used as a skin irritant to bring earthworms to the surface for worm surveys/counts. It is not advised now as many worms died as a consequence.

I am fully aware that H2O2 breaks down very slowly into water and oxygen.
I've used the rsc resources and attended many of their courses over my biology teaching career. It has never been a secret so why the 'how you dodge it? lol Teacher?' ?

2 molecules of H2O2 break down to form 2 molecules of H2O and one molecule of O2 in living tissue; that is why cells have the enzyme catalase [hydrogen peroxidase in the new nomenclature] to speed the reaction up so as not to cause cell damage. Even plant cells produce it for their internal chemistry.

I chose not to use H2O2: each to their own.
Sorry you have a problem with my choices of how I manage the pests in my garden.

I said to use a bucket. Why are you giving me a BioChem lesson? Are you just showboating? It's not relevant to dunking your infected plants INTO A BUCKET of diluted HP solution. It won't affect healthy plant cells nor fauna nor anything outside the bucket. It converts to water in a few minutes (you misunderstood that study). I'm trying to learn something here about a common garden remedy that really works, teacher. Did I miss something? Should I continue to use it, teacher?

"I chose not to use H2O2: each to their own." Yeh, you can, but that's not a compelling argument and it's void of any scientific data as I have provided you with a thoughtful study to support my claim which you misread & misunderstood. Maybe that's why your asters are dead.

Can I just say that being a teacher isn't a problem for me, it sounds like it is for you but I wont get into a slanging match.
By all means continue to use it.

I did fully understand the article and as many plants use a mycorrhizal co-partner the H2O2 would kill it, as you pointed out it kills moulds.

The article from the rsc, that you quoted is correct and I don't dispute it at all; it clearly says it breaks down slowly. So I don't see why you think I am contradicting you or preventing you from learning about the uses of H2O2.
The many experiments rsc advocates for the classroom give decomposition times as 5-25 mins if you use a catalyst. Left over night in an un-stoppered container only about 25% would have broken down.

The one pot of asters are dead as the vine weevil grubs ate the roots. So whether I understand an article is irrelevant to the demise of this plant The clump in the garden is fine.

My final comment on this is:
if sharing information on this site is "showboating" we are all guilty of it when we offer advice or opinion. I am proud of my on going education and a long and successful career of sharing knowledge and encouraging others to learn from first hand experiences.

Good for you

Derek I was at my HPS group tonight and we had Helen Picton from Old Court Nursery & Picton Gardens. They hold the national collection of asters. They have over 430 cultivars. She said it is A umbellus but it has been reclassified as Doellingeria umbellus. She was excellent and explained how they have been reclassified. The N America or new World asters have found not to be closely related to the European asters.

Hi Eileen, thanks for the info, I wish they wouldn't keep changing things, but is it umbellus, or umbellatus, I've always called it umbellatus ?, I just like to be precise, Derek.

I'd better check that could be the spell checker on here.
neither haha according to the Plantsman - RHS its umbellata

this is the link to the really good article
https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-the-rhs/publications/magazines/The-Plantsman/2014-issues/june/the-splitting-of-aster.pdf

Thanks Eileen, got there in the end, I shall alter my label, [maybe tomorrow now] Derek.