Aster (China) Growing Guide

Callistephus chinensis

Aster (China)

Crop Rotation Group

Miscellaneous ●

Soil

Any good garden soil.

Position

Full sun.

Frost tolerant

Little or none for annual asters. Many perennial asters are very cold hardy.

Feeding

Encourage fast growth by adding a balanced organic fertilizer to the soil before planting. Take care not to overfeed China asters, which may not bloom well when given too much nitrogen.

Companions

Use China asters as feature plants for the late summer garden, but do not crowd them.

Spacing

Single Plants: 11" (30cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 11" (30cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

When starting China aster seeds indoors in early spring, cover them well with moist seed starting mix. China asters also can be direct-sown in late spring, after the soil has warmed.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Providing some type of grow-through support for China asters helps to keep the plants upright in late summer, when they become heavy with blooms. Blossom colors include pink, purple, lavender, white, and red.

Harvesting

Gather China asters for flower arrangements when the blooms are just beginning to open. When kept in fresh water, new petals will unfold for two weeks.

Troubleshooting

Leafhoppers spread disease among asters. Where this is a problem, cover plants with row cover (garden fleece) during the first half of the growing season.

Planting and Harvesting Calendar

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Pests which Affect Aster (China)