How to Grow and Care for
Asters
With their ferny texture and masses of daisy-like flowers, asters are essentials of the late-season border. Planting Asters is a great way to draw more bees, birds, and butterflies.
Asters are a great alternative to Chrysanthemums because of the colors that are available with Asters that are not found among Chrysanthemum varieties. True blues and purples are not commonly found in Mums.
For new plants. Your Aster will need an area that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, but it will take as much light as you can give it. An area that has a lot of airflow would be ideal to help prevent powdery mildew that is common to Asters. Amend the soil with Nature’s Blend or Cotton Boll Compost and plant about one to three feet apart, depending on the variety’s mature plant size. Mulch the base of the plant to prevent weeds, keep the soil moist, and provide extra winter protection.
For established asters. They need around an inch of water throughout the week in the summer. They can grow up to four feet tall if you leave it be or you can pinch back growth by one-third once or twice at the beginning of summer to get bushier growth through the season.
Fertilize properly. Use a balanced fertilizer about once a month to provide asters with the proper nutrients.
Bloom time. Asters often bloom from late summer through fall.
To overwinter asters. You can either cut back asters after the foliage has died or leave it for the birds to snack on the seeds.
Asters are a great alternative to Chrysanthemums because of the colors that are available with Asters that are not found among Chrysanthemum varieties. True blues and purples are not commonly found in Mums.
For new plants. Your Aster will need an area that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, but it will take as much light as you can give it. An area that has a lot of airflow would be ideal to help prevent powdery mildew that is common to Asters. Amend the soil with Nature’s Blend or Cotton Boll Compost and plant about one to three feet apart, depending on the variety’s mature plant size. Mulch the base of the plant to prevent weeds, keep the soil moist, and provide extra winter protection.
For established asters. They need around an inch of water throughout the week in the summer. They can grow up to four feet tall if you leave it be or you can pinch back growth by one-third once or twice at the beginning of summer to get bushier growth through the season.
Fertilize properly. Use a balanced fertilizer about once a month to provide asters with the proper nutrients.
Bloom time. Asters often bloom from late summer through fall.
To overwinter asters. You can either cut back asters after the foliage has died or leave it for the birds to snack on the seeds.