How To Grow A Purple (or White or Pink) Aster: It Is Super Easy!
Asters are the last hurrah of the garden season here in the Midwest
All season long, my garden helper Josette and I waited. We waited and waited on this weird, funky looking green thing to prove itself a weed or a flower. We waited through June. We waited through August. We waited through September. And just about the time I had given up and was ready to rip it up in frustration mid-October, it decided to magically explode into an amazing display of bee-smothered Aster ecstasy.
Asters are the last hurrah of the garden season here in the Midwest – dancing above the yellows and oranges of fallen leaves – and are one of my absolute favorite perennial plants in the garden. Better yet they are easy to grow, the daisy-like plant you see in the photos is self-seeded.
HOW TO GROW AN ASTER:
- Asters prefer part shade to full sun.
- Plant seeds in Spring or find plants at nursery centers in late summer and early fall which show signs of healthy budding.
- Dig a hole twice the width of the container it came in, then plant in soil no deeper than the container.
- Mulch around the plant to prevent weeds and hold in moisture, then water well.
- Water regularly in drought if needed. I NEVER water the asters and they need very little water attention overall.
- Fertilizer is not necessary, however, an organic fertilizer could be applied in the spring after cutting back any dead stems from the winter season if you wish.
- Divide every few years and spread the love.
Asters self-seed occasionally, but not rampantly – perfect for a fall surprise in the garden.
