Growing Asters – The Perfect Perennial Plant For Big Fall Color! : When autumn arrives and your home is devoid of colour and flair, you should think about cultivating asters! Asters come into their own and truly steal the show after other flowering annuals and perennials have begun to fade! They look great added to your standard fall arrangements, with their star-shaped blooms that mimic tiny daisies.
Growing Asters – The Perfect Perennial Plant For Big Fall Color!
As it happens, the shorter days of autumn are the reason asters start to blossom in colour. August, September, and October are cooler months when this perennial does best. Actually, asters begin to bloom in brighter hues throughout the fall season because of the shorter days. Because they are cooler months, August, September, and October are best for the growth of this perennial.
Varieties of Asters – Growing Asters
Asters come in hundreds of species, and there are even more varieties of hybrids. The majority of cultivars fall into one of two primary categories: native to North America, New York asters and New England asters.
Asters from New York are usually smaller, reaching a height of about two feet. Their leaves are smoother and their stems are slimmer. Their petals are coloured pink, white, blue, and purple, and they bloom in the fall.
Of the two varieties, New England asters are the tallest. Most reach a maximum height of three to four feet. Their larger, woody stalks are covered in profuse blossoms. Their bloom colours range from purple, blue, white, pink, red, and orange. They bloom in the late summer and early fall.
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Planting, Growing, and Maintaining Asters
Besides flowerbeds and gardens, asters thrive in containers. Use high-quality, well-draining potting soil that stays moist. Grow asters in containers to provide fall colour to your deck or other sunny spot.
Aster soil requirements
Asters need loamy, draining soil. Standing water can cause root rot, so find a place where the soil drains quickly after watering or raining.
Compost and other organic matter should be added to clay soil. You should also avoid loose, sandy soils. For optimal soil pH, aim for 5.8–6.5. Composting neutralises alkaline soils. Use well-draining potting soil for pots.
Planting Asters
You may choose to plant asters as seeds in the spring, but they take several years before they are mature and become established. Instead, most growers opt for picking up plants at nurseries or local garden centers.
Planting Transplants
Choose a sunny spot. Partially shaded asters will be weak and wiry with few blooms. To transplant young plants, buy healthy, bright ones from garden centres in mid- to late spring.
In the growing spot, loosen the soil 4–5 inches deeper and an inch wider than the transplant rootball. If necessary, add a few inches of compost to enrich the soil and assist new plants establish.
Place your aster in the hole and backfill with earth. Water frequently until plants are established. Additional asters should be 1–3 feet apart. The spacing depends on the variety, so check the plant’s tag.
Long-Term Care – How To Grow and Maintain Asters
Watering
Asters need one inch of hand-watering or rainwater per week once planted. Early morning watering allows plants to dry out over the day, especially in fall with shorter daylight hours and chilly nights.
Fertilizing
Starting in the spring, you can use an all-purpose fertilizer once or twice a month to help feed the asters. Continue fertilizing until they have started to bloom. This is usually around August, but the timing will vary depending on which aster variety you are growing.
Deadheading & Cuttings
It does help aster plants if you deadhead old and spent blooms. This allows the plant to put its energy toward creating new blooms. Simply use a sharp and clean pair of pruning shears and clip off the blooms where they attach to the stem.
