With colorful ray florets and yellow tubular florets, asters form unmistakable flower heads that adorn the garden and balcony all year round. From the hardy spring aster to the annual summer aster to the perennial autumn aster, the multifaceted genus fulfills every design wish. The following answers to frequently asked questions reveal how cultivation goes smoothly on the garden stage.

Autumn asters are often used as decorations for autumn festivities

Plant aster properly

Plant your asters in spring. Many years of practice have shown that autumn planting is associated with high losses. Place the young plants that have been brought up behind glass or bought ready-made so deep in the ground that the root ball is just below the surface. The addition of compost, horn shavings (€32.93) or leaf soil promotes rooting in a natural way. The alpine and mountain asters, on the other hand, are happy about the addition of fine grit or sand and some rock flour (14.13€) for a vital start to perennial life. Water regularly on the day of planting and afterwards.

care tips

Our heads are quickly spinning at the overwhelming variety of species and varieties that the wonderful genus of asters presents us with. How good that there is extensive conformity with regard to care. With these gifts, you can guide the perennials through the garden year:

  • In case of dryness, pour directly onto the root disk
  • Fertilize organically or apply a phosphorus-rich liquid fertilizer during the growing and flowering period
  • Clean out wilted flowers consistently
  • Record and share every 2-3 years
  • Rake and weed regularly to keep the soil loose

Before the first frost, cut off the perennials by a maximum of one third, unless self-sowing is planned. A thick layer of leaves or compost effectively prevents winter damage. Asters in the planter ideally settle in a frost-free winter quarters.

Which location is suitable?

The selected variety defines the basic conditions for the ideal location. For popular aster species and varieties we have put together the following brief overview:

  • Alpine Aster (Aster alpinus): Sun to partial shade in dry, lean, alkaline to neutral soil
  • Mountain aster/lime aster (Aster amellus): Sun to semi-shade, in calcareous, sandy-poor, dry soil
  • Pillow aster (Aster dumosus) and smooth-leaf aster (Aster novi-belgii): Sunny, airy, nutrient-rich, fresh and moist soil
  • Summer aster (Callistephus chinensis): Sunny, well-drained, humus-rich, moderately moist soil
  • Autumn Aster/Smooth Aster (Aster laevis): Sunny location with loamy, lean, not too dry soil
  • Bog aster (Aster novae-angliae): Sun to shade with nutritious, humus-rich, preferably slightly moist soil

Although the requirements for light, temperature and soil conditions differ, asters agree on one thing: they all cannot stand waterlogging.

The right planting distance

Match the planting distance to the selected aster variety. Pillow asters that stay small come into their own at a distance of 20-25 cm. Medium-sized species stand out at a distance of 40-45 cm. The majestic wood aster, smooth aster, or myrtle aster should be settled at a distance of 50-60 cm.

What is the best planting time?

In garden practice, spring planting has proven to be excellent for asters. This applies across the entire spectrum of species. For the summer asters, which are sensitive to cold, this date is a must anyway. This gives the perennials enough time to establish themselves so well that winter cannot harm them.

When is flowering time?

Where asters thrive in the garden, there is a colorful blossom festival all year round. The right combination of species and varieties is a prerequisite for a never-ending cup of flowers. For your inspiration, we've rounded up some popular flowering species:

  • Alpine aster (Aster alpinum): flowering period from May to July
  • Wild Aster (Aster ageratoides): Flowering period from July to October
  • Wood aster (Aster cordifolius) and borage aster (Aster novae-angliae): flowering period from August to October
  • Pillow Aster (Aster dumosus): Flowering period from September to December

While the species mentioned above show their blooms again every year, the summer aster (Callistephus chinensis) is limited to a one-off appearance on the garden stage from July to September.

Cut aster properly

If you cut off withered flower heads during the flowering period, the buds underneath will gladly accept this invitation to develop. Your effort will be rewarded with a long-lasting bloom and a well-groomed appearance. However, please only cut back close to the ground at the end of winter. Until then, the drawn-in parts of the plant act as natural winter protection. If self-sowing is not desired, cut back the plants by a third in autumn.

watering aster

Please only water the drought-loving alpine and mountain asters when the soil has dried 3-4 cm deep. All other garden asters like a constantly slightly moist soil, regardless of whether the bed or the balcony box is their home. Since the flowers are all lime-tolerant, you can use normal tap water. Please avoid sprinkling your favorite flowers overhead and instead pour the water from the spout directly onto the root disc.

Fertilize aster properly

With an organic nutrient supply you offer all aster species the necessary food for a long flowering period and avoid the risk of over-fertilization. Adjust the time for the administration of compost, horn shavings, guano (€121.99) or bark humus to the individual beginning of the growth phase. Work the material lightly into the soil with the rake every 3-4 weeks until the end of the flowering period and then water. The lime-loving mountain and alpine asters also get a handful of rock flour or algae lime. For asters in pots and balcony boxes, we recommend an organic-mineral, phosphorus-rich liquid fertilizer according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Diseases

Fusarium wilt, which is widespread in kitchen and ornamental gardens, does not stop at asters. The penetrating sac fungus genus causes stems, leaves and flowers to die off. If symptoms appear, such as wilted, mottled leaves dying from the ground up, dig up the affected plants and dispose of them in the trash. In the following 3-4 years no more composite plants should be cultivated at this point.

hibernate

The majority of garden asters are hardy and unperturbed by the bitter frost. In exposed locations and to protect against permanent wetness, we still recommend the following precautions:

  • Cut back the plants by a maximum of one third in autumn
  • Pile up the bed area with leaf soil or cover with needle brushwood
  • Put asters in the pot in a frost-free winter quarters

The annual summer asters are an exception. Not least because of their short lifespan, they have recently formed their own genus as Callistephus chinensis. When the summer flowering period is coming to an end here, dig up the root balls to dispose of them on the compost.

multiply aster

If you can't get enough of the asters, which are as easy to flower as they are easy to care for, you can choose from the following propagation methods:

  • Sow the seeds on the windowsill, with a germination time of 2-4 weeks at 18-20 degrees Celsius
  • Division of the root ball in spring or autumn
  • Take cuttings during the growing season and root them in poor soil

Asters grown behind glass start the season with a significant growth advantage. If the seed is harvested by hand, the flower color is always a surprise. In contrast, with vegetative propagation through division or cuttings, you are sure to achieve a varietal result.

How do I plant correctly?

Every 2-3 years, the perennials should be picked up, divided and planted in the new location in the spring. Thanks to this makeover, your asters will remain vital and thriving. At the same time, these measures serve the uncomplicated propagation. As long as a section has at least 2 shoots, it will not grow into an adult aster.

Aster in the pot

Cultivating asters in pots will result in plenty of flowers if you treat the flowers to high-quality potting soil, enriched with lava granules or perlite breathing flakes. Please don't forget to place some broken pieces of pottery over the water drain to protect against waterlogging. The care program in the tub and balcony box is just as uncomplicated as in the bed:

  • If the substrate surface dries, pour directly onto the root disk
  • Fertilize liquid every 2 weeks from the beginning of growth until the end of flowering
  • Continuously trim wilted flower heads

In autumn, cut back the perennial by a third. Then put the pot in the frost-free winter quarters. Water moderately during dormancy and do not apply fertilizer. In March/April, cut off the remaining foliage and repot the perennial into fresh substrate. From the end of April/beginning of May, the aster takes its place on the balcony and terrace.

Is aster poisonous?

Asters are the ideal decorative perennials for the family garden and the balcony. Within the wide range of species and varieties, no poisonous specimens are represented. On the contrary, the blossoms act as a colorful decoration for cold and warm dishes in the creative kitchen. Of course, this only applies to plants from organic cultivation.

Beautiful varieties

  • Albus: White alpine aster, with whose flowers spring is making its way into the rock garden and on the balcony; 25 cm
  • Wartburg Star: Light violet, rather short-lived early summer aster that gives off a wonderful scent; 40-50cm
  • Mira: Abundant flowering summer aster, which delights us with blue-violet flowers from July to September; 40-45cm
  • Opus: Annual summer aster, Callistephus chinensis, with lilac-white, peony-like flowers; 70-80cm
  • Little Carlow: Hardy blue wood aster with dark blue flowers from August to November; 70-110cm
  • Alma Pötschke: Fantastically beautiful autumn aster with salmon-pink flowers as ideal fence viewers; 120-140cm
  • Eye candy: Lush cushion aster for reddish-purple flower cushions from September to December; 20-25cm
  • Autumn greetings from the Bresserhof: multiple award-winning pink cushion asters until the first frost; 30-40cm
  • Schneegitter: Magnificent myrtle aster with countless white flowers on loose panicles in autumn; 70-90cm
  • Calliope: Majestic, quite late autumn aster, richly branched with light violet flowers from October; 120-140cm

Category:

Vegetable garden