MAIN Home Life Gardening Flowers Asters

Asters meaning "star" in Latin are sometimes commonly called "colored daises" - but they are actually part of the same family as sunflowers as seen in their deep yellow centers - with brightly colored petals in white, lavender, purple, pink or red.

Perennial asters prefer well-drained soil with full or partial sun.

With seeds slow to germinate, asters can be started indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date, or thereafter planted directly into the soil. As they establish themselves they form in to bushy clumps which after a few years should be divided and transplanted.

Perennial asters and mums both benefit from pinching back to extend the growing season, resulting in a bushier plant and a profusion of flowers. Begin pinching back in mid-June, but curtail any pruning after early July, or it will have the opposite effect - leaving the plant without any blossoms in the fall.

The "star" of the autumn garden, perennial asters are a mainstay in any flower garden and provide colorful blooms at the end of the summer just when most other flowers are fading...

On the Web - How to plant & grow asters :

BBC Gardening - Aster - Picture, brief history, recommended varieties, how to's on sowing and planting, watering and required sunlight, common diseases.

Bushy Aster - Picture, description and how to's, soil and sun requirements, related links.

Aster - Plant Pest Handbook - Descriptions and remedies for common diseases with similar information on common aster pests, including aphids, aster leafhoppers, blister beetles, stalk borer and more.

also see in Shopping -> Buy Garden Tools & Supplies Online

also see in Flower Gardening -> Bellflowers

Candytufts | Carnations | Chrysanthemums | Geraniums

Lavender | Sweet Pea | Violets