How you can grow asters

Q. I’ve seen more asters in catalogues and now at the garden center. Can we grow these here? Can you tell me more about them?

Nate from Salem

A. When I first started growing perennials, I became familiar with asters, but honestly gave them little respect. They were nondramatic starry-shaped blue flowers with the yellow centers that came to life in the garden in late summer and autumn.

I was familiar with their so-called wild flower cousins that grace our roadsides in the fall, but I took these prolific and sturdy flowers for granted. Well, no more. After a little research, I have gained new respect for them.

I started out this gardening season year with several areas that were a blank space, all mulch and no color or interest.

Planning a new flower bed, no matter the size, brings along with it challenge and possibility. Focusing on my goal of three-season color and a succession of pollinator friendly plants, I seriously looked at asters.

The most common available in North America are the New England aster Sympyhotrichum novae angliae and the New York aster Symphyotrichum novi-belgii. Planting a native species of aster over a nonnative species makes them a better choice for pollinator attraction.

Popular varieties include Monte Casino, Smooth aster, Many-Flowered Aster, Purple Dome, Magic dark blue and Jin dai.

Aster flowers come out in almost all colors of the rainbow. They are also referred to as Starworts or Michaelmas daisies.

It is best to pick out a sunny spot, but they will also do well in a shady corner. The plants prefer well-drained soil. The drainage of water prevents the rotting of the plant roots, and a light dose of fertilizer is helpful.

Staking the heavy stalks in late summer will prevent them from flopping over from their own weight. Many varieties defy the intense cold of zone 3 and 4 and others are known to be drought resistant.

For details, go to http://go.osu.edu/aster.

Today’s answer was provided by Eileen W. Novotny, an OSU Extension master gardener volunteer in Mahoning County. The clinic is now open. Call 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Regular clinic hours are 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Thursdays.