These fast-growing plants will be ready to put on a good fall display in their first year.
More often, asters are planted from potted nursery specimens.
The woody center can be discarded, with the outer portions replanted at the same depth as before.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Light
Plant aster flowers in an area that boasts full sun for the majority of the day.
Too much shade can cause lanky plants and fewer flowers, especially for the more common cultivars and hybrids.
There are some native species varieties, however, that will do quite well in partially shady conditions.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Soil
Asters appreciate loamy soil that’s slightly acidic.
Water
Keep new plantings moist and continue watering regularly until the flowers are finished blooming.
As a rule of thumb, the soil your asters reside in should stay consistently moist but never saturated.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Doing so can cause mildew or fungal growth.
One inch of rain or watering once a week is usually recommended for most perennial plants.
Excessive nutrients can shorten the blooming time, so stop fertilizing asters in August.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Remove dead or wilting stems promptly.
When frost finally kills off the foliage, clip off the stems at ground level with cleanpruners.
While asters can be grown from seed, germination can be difficult.
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Depending upon the variety, you might also wind up with something that looks nothing like the parent plant.
For those reasons, propagating from division is the recommended route.
Cover the asters with a few inches of mulch to protect the roots during the winter period.
Fortunately, lace bug outbreaks precede aster blooming time, so spraying won’t affect butterflies and bees.
Asters make a good container plant.
Any sunny windowsill will work well.
Other plants in the family includedaisies, marigolds, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and echinacea.
