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With proper care, asters can be the stars of the fall garden.
Asters, named for the Greek word for star, have long been a mainstay of autumn gardens. Depending on how the plant is treated, asters can give the garden a fireworks finale or act as a dismal dirge.
Like chrysanthemums, fall-blooming asters are often purchased on a whim by homeowners seduced by their late season color. Or, they are pass-along plants, inherited from a neighbor in the spring with vague instructions like: "Plant it in the sun, and it will give you lots of little flowers in the fall." All this can lead to neglect and produce some very rough looking customers.
In September, nurseries offer a stunning array of asters in purples, blues, pinks, and whites. In the pot, they are typically sold as foot-high mounds of blooming color, but in the garden, asters can grow to be quite different.
Depending on the variety, fall-blooming asters can range in height from a foot to four feet. The home gardener should be certain to check the eventual height of the plant when purchasing an aster. Taller forms of New England and New York asters will almost inevitably need to be staked and will look better for having something shorter planted in front of them to mask their leggy foliage.
To a certain extent, the gardener can control the height and shape of an aster by pruning. Gardeners can pinch asters like mums, regularly removing little bits of new growth until the first of July. However, an easier approach is to cut the aster back by one half in mid-June. At this time, the aster can be shaped. Outer stems can be cut lower than inner ones to produce a nice mounded plant. This shaping tends to encourage bloom near the base of the aster and discourage ugly brown stems. Although this pruning may sound extreme, it tends to delay flowering by only a few days and produce a much prettier plant.
Powdery mildew is the bane of fall asters. It makes the foliage of a plant look as though it has been liberally doused with talcum powder. By planting the aster in a sunny spot with good air circulation, powdery mildew can usually be avoided. Asters also perform best if they are planted in rich, well-drained soil and receive regular watering at their roots. Asters should be cut down after flowering to deter seeding. Even without seeding, asters will need to be divided every three years to stay at their best.
If this all sounds like too much work, there is a wonderful, relatively carefree aster that performs fantastically in the Colorado garden. The monch aster or Aster x frikartii ‘Monch' is an aster that begins blooming in late July and continues until frost. The plant makes a lovely 2-3 foot high and wide mound and features rather large lavender blue flowers with yellow centers that bloom along the entire stem. Monch seems to like Colorado's dry conditions although it does appreciate some mulch in winter. Like all asters, Monch attracts swarms of butterflies.
With the proper care, asters can light up the fall with their beguiling jewel tones. An aster that is well cared for can be a marvelous addition to bouquets, a powerful attractant for butterflies, and a stunning accent in the fall landscape.
Q: How can I help my roses make it through the winter?
A: Keeping roses healthy during the growing season and making sure that they have adequate water through the winter will go a long way toward protecting your roses from winter kill. In addition, you should cover the graft and the lower branches of the rose with about six inches of loose soil or sawdust. Putting rose collars or chicken wire around the rose will help keep the loose soil in its place over the winter.
Q: How do I keep squirrels away from my newly planted bulbs?
A: Narcissus, or daffodils, are unattractive to squirrels, but when planting other kinds of bulbs some extra precautions might be necessary. Try adding a little sharp gravel to your soil to deter squirrels, and as you plant bulbs, be sure to clean up the papery jackets that tend to flake off bulbs like crocus.
Q: My peony's foliage is starting to yellow. Can I cut it down, or should I leave it on for winter protection?
A: Peonies are wonderfully hardy plants. Once a peony's foliage yellows and wilts, you should cut it off and rake it away from the plant.
Cover your tender plants if you want to extend our short growing season. Cardboard boxes, old blankets, sheets or towels or spun garden fabric like "Remay" will be a better insulator than plastic.
The Chrysanthemum is a favorite fall blooming flower. The name comes from the Greek chrysos (gold) and anthos (flower). Chrysanthemums were cultivated in Chinese gardens for 2500 years before coming to the west.
Keep that wonderful, fresh flavor of your home grown herbs by freezing them. Use a blender or food processor to process 2 cups of herbs with 1/2 cup mild-flavored vegetable oil. Freeze in an ice cube tray, then unmold and store in labeled freezer bags.
Use a spading fork with flat tines for cultivating clay or rocky soil and for digging up plants like potatoes and carrots without slicing through them. A spade, on the other hand, is good for dividing perennials where you need to cut through the root system, turning the soil and digging straight-sided holes.
The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.
Fact Sheets are available at the Larimer County Extension Office, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, telephone (970) 498-6000, or contact us by e-mail at larimer@coop.ext.colostate.edu
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