Pest identification
What's eating my symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship'?
Aphids
Signs: Colonies on shoot tips and flower buds; sticky honeydew promotes sooty mold; distorted growth.
Control: Spray with insecticidal soap or a strong water jet; encourage beneficial insects; pinch out heavily infested tips.
Slugs & snails
Signs: Ragged holes in young leaves and stems in spring, with slime trails.
Control: Scatter ferric phosphate pellets; use copper rings around clumps; hand-pick after dark.
Aster lace bugs
Signs: Upper leaf surface bleaches to a pale, stippled silvery tone; colonies of nymphs visible below.
Control: Apply neem oil or pyrethrum spray to leaf undersides in early summer; repeat after two weeks.
Rabbits
Signs: Clean-cut removal of young shoot tips and stems at ground level.
Control: Surround plants with wire mesh guards; use proprietary rabbit repellent spray on surrounding vegetation.
Keep symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
- What eats new york aster — the species this cultivar belongs to
- What's wrong with my plant? — the diagnosis apps compared
- Common symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship' problems & fixes
- Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Fellowship' watering schedule
- Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Fellowship' light requirements
- Full symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship' care guide
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Fellowship' pests — FAQ
What is eating my symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship'?
Michaelmas daisy 'Fellowship' is prone to aphid infestations on shoot tips and is regularly targeted by slugs when emerging in spring. Aster lace bugs cause stippled foliage in summer. Powdery mildew weakens plants but is not a pest. Rabbits browse young growth readily. Aphids are the most consistent pest problem on novi-belgii cultivars.
How do I get rid of aphids on symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship'?
Colonies on shoot tips and flower buds; sticky honeydew promotes sooty mold; distorted growth. Spray with insecticidal soap or a strong water jet; encourage beneficial insects; pinch out heavily infested tips.
How do I get rid of slugs & snails on symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship'?
Ragged holes in young leaves and stems in spring, with slime trails. Scatter ferric phosphate pellets; use copper rings around clumps; hand-pick after dark.
How do I get rid of aster lace bugs on symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship'?
Upper leaf surface bleaches to a pale, stippled silvery tone; colonies of nymphs visible below. Apply neem oil or pyrethrum spray to leaf undersides in early summer; repeat after two weeks.
How do I get rid of rabbits on symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'fellowship'?
Clean-cut removal of young shoot tips and stems at ground level. Surround plants with wire mesh guards; use proprietary rabbit repellent spray on surrounding vegetation.