Asters

Asters are the frequently favored flower for the Easter Holiday and are beautiful, disc-shaped blooms that come in a variety of colors including blue, orange, pink, purple, red, white and yellow.  In fact, asters share similar properties with daisies and sunflowers, as they all possess a head that consists of thousands of tiny flowers.  Additionally, like the Ox-Eyed Daisy, asters possess a central disc: one that is frequently yellow in hue, but can vary depending upon the species.

Asters are the perfect bloom for flowerbeds and butterfly and rock gardens.  Again, depending on the species of aster, a plant may grow from one to three feet tall.  In understanding an aster’s potential growth, they can, in turn, adequately determine where the plant should be planted.  Finally, with taller versions of aster, it will help a gardener to know that such plants may need to be staked in order to maintain their stature.

Some species of aster are annual plants while many species are perennial.  Thus, when a gardener opts to plant asters, they should make certain they know whether or not the plant will return for several seasons.  Further, in planting annual asters, a gardener should be prepared to plant them in a different location each season: because asters are prone to root rot and fungus, the soil in which annual asters grow may become contaminated and thereby harmful to future plants.

Asters are prone to several plant diseases, including root rot, rusting and fungus.  A gardener can address the issue of root rot by making certain that the do not water asters too often.  Likewise, the issue of fungus can be addressed with relatively inexpensive fungicides.  Rusting however, needs to be addressed before the disease occurs and can be successfully deterred by watering asters at the base of the plant or by spraying the with an effective sulfur solution.

In addition to diseases, asters are often affected by the lacebug.  A lacebug feeds on the foliage of asters and in turn, kills of the leaves of the plant.  Such issues can be addressed with an insecticide or by planting marigolds near the asters.  Marigolds are an effective insect repellent and will help keep lacebugs at bay.

Asters can be sown indoors or outdoors and the spacing between the plants is totally dependent upon the species.  Therefore, when planting aster seeds or starter plants, a gardener will have to carefully read the spacing instructions provided on the back of the seed packet or on the back of the plant tag.

After growth begins to appear, watering asters once a week should be more than sufficient.  The soil only needs to be damp to produce maximum growth.  Additionally, asters to not require additional fertilizer either while they are planted or thereafter; in fact, some fertilizers may do more harm to the plant than good.

Finally, asters can be purchased both on and offline.  Online floral shops offer a number of fresh cut varieties and online garden centers sell and deliver seeds to customers looking to purchase a number of aster species.  Thus, asters are not only easy to obtain, but fairly easy to grow and maintain.  Finally, in the case of any perennial species of aster, a gardener can receive the grace of asters in their yard for many seasons.