Planting and Care
- Asters prefer climates with cool, moist summers, especially cool night temperatures.
- Select a site with full sun to partial sun.
- Soil should be moist, well-drained, and average to humus-rich.
- Plany asters in early- to mid-spring. Fertilize soil prior to planting.
- While the plant can be grown from seed, germination can be uneven. You can start the seeds indoors during the winter by sowing seeds in pots or flats and keeping them in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. After 4 to 6 weeks, put the seeds in a sunny spot.
- Set seeds one inch deep.
- Many gardeners purchase a potted plant from the nursery.
- Space asters 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the type.
- Water plants in well. Add mulch after planting to keep soil cool and prevent weeds.If you're replanting shoots, use vigorous, young shoots to ensure best growth.
- Add a thin layer of compost with a 2–inch layer of mulch around the plants every spring.
- If you receive less than 1 inch of rain a week, remember to water your plants regularly during the summer. However, many asters are moisture-sensitive; if your plants have too much moisture or too little moisture, they will often lose their lower foliage or not flower well. Keep an eye out for any stressed plants and try a different watering method if your plants are losing flowers.
- Stake the tall variesties in order to keep them upright and remember to pinch the young shoots to encourage bushiness.
- Cut asters back in winter after the foliage has died.
- Divide every 2 to 3 years in the spring to maintain your plant's vigor and flower quality.
Morning glories are annual climbers with slender stems, heart-shaped leaves, and trumpet-shaped flowers in pink, purple-blue, magenta, or white. They have a beautiful shape before they unfold in the Sun and romantic tendrils that lend old-fashioned charm.
In warmer areas, train climbers over a pergola or arch, or use as dense groundcover. The vine grows quickly up to 15 feet in one season, and can self-seed fairly easily, too.
The flowers bloom from early summer to the first frost. Their big, fragrant, colorful flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
~Information retrieved August 25, 2014 from Old Farmers Almanac
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