Asters are the absolute stars of the garden! Depending on which variety you pick, these daisy-like beauties can bring a pop of color to your flower beds from early spring all the way through late fall. If you want to create a real showstopper, try mixing different shades and choosing varieties with staggered bloom times so you have flowers all season long. You can easily grab some established plants at the nursery or, if you’re feeling adventurous, start them from seed yourself.
Buying Asters from the Garden Center
You can find asters at the store almost year-round, and they aren’t too picky about when they go into the ground—just avoid planting when the soil is frozen! That said, the best time to plant summer and fall asters (the ones you buy in plastic containers) is during the spring. This gives them plenty of time to establish a strong root system before it’s time to bloom.
Location and Soil
Before you start digging, you’ll need to find the perfect spot. Asters are total sun-worshippers and love a place with full sun. They prefer soil that is rich in nutrients but drains well. If your soil is a bit heavy, try mixing in some sand to help with drainage. If it’s looking a little “blah” or nutrient-poor, some compost will do wonders. One golden rule: keep the soil consistently moist, but never soggy. Asters hate “wet feet” and will rot pretty quickly if they’re sitting in standing water.
How to Plant Your Asters
Once you’ve found that sunny sweet spot, it’s time to get planting! Asters do great in garden beds, but they’re also perfectly happy in large containers.
- First, dig a hole that is about the same depth as the root ball but a bit wider.
- Mix a little sand into the soil you dug out to help with drainage.
- If you’re planting in a pot, add a layer of clay pebbles or broken pottery at the bottom for extra drainage.
- Gently remove the plant from its nursery container.
- Set it in the hole, fill it back up with soil, and press down firmly to get rid of air pockets.
- Give your new plant a good drink of water.
- If you’re planting in the ground, you can sprinkle a little slow-release fertilizer (like horn meal) around the base to give it a head start.
Sowing Aster Seeds
If you want to grow asters from seed, you can start them indoors as early as March. Put about three seeds in each starter pot, keep them in a warm spot, and make sure the soil stays nice and damp. Once mid-May hits and the danger of frost has passed, you can move them outside or even sow seeds directly into a sunny spot in your garden.
