Asters are one of the most magnificent flowers in nature. You may notice that these flowers resemble gerbera daisies a bit—and that’s correct since they both belong to the family Asteraceae.
The growing season of asters takes place during late summer and fall. However, the Alpine Aster blooms in the spring and is notable for its excellent resistance to frost.
As to how to take care of them, it’s pretty easy and won’t take up much of your time. Here, we’ll go over its fundamentals so you can get asters to bloom wonderfully in your garden or deck.
Basic Aster Care


You can choose to grow asters from seed or buy potted ones. They need to be placed under full or partial sun most of the day for their flowers to bloom.
Avoid putting them in shady areas since the plant will be weak and the flowers will be fewer. This is especially true for cultivated varieties—those that are artificially bred.
Asters thrive in slightly acidic, loamy, and well-drained soil. If the pH balance of the soil is alkaline, you can correct it by applying organic matter such as compost and well-aged manure.
Regular watering once a week is needed until the flowers have stopped blooming. Keep in mind that the soil has to stay moist but not saturated always.
Here’s another tip: don’t get the water to touch the leaves, but direct the watering spout to the base of the plant. This will prevent mold and mildew growth on the leaves as well as serious plant diseases.
Use a balanced fertilizer on the asters once or twice a month. But be careful not to overfeed them because this will shorten their blooming period.
Occasionally, you may also need to remove dead flowerheads to allow new ones to sprout. If you see powdery mildew on some leaves, spray it with a fungicide to control and keep it from spreading.
Also, if you sight yellow, falling, or damaged leaves, a lace bug or other pests may be behind this. To deter them, coat the aster leaves on both sides with insect soap or use a safe and organic pesticide.
FAQs about Caring for Your Asters
- What flowers are similar to asters?
Asteraceae is indeed a big family with over 32,000 species belonging to more than 1,900 genera. Similar to asters are daisies, sunflowers, marigolds, chrysanthemums, and echinacea.
- Where should I place asters in the house?
They have to be placed in areas where they get full sun exposure for at least six hours in a day, such as in your garden or on your windowsill.
But since the sunlight can change in position, you may have to transfer your plant a few times during the day.
- Are asters an annual or perennial plant?
Asters are perennial plants that are easy to care for. A perennial plant, by the way, means that the plant can last for several years.
What’s unique about asters is they can grow the entire summer. However, their gorgeous flowers bloom later than other flower varieties.
Also, their gentle pink and lavender colors are beloved by gardeners and families alike when they show up in fall. But they also have hot colors like red-pink and pink that are also attractive.