I planted them for the first time this year - sowing them in the winter. I planted them in the garden. Some are doing very wel, other aren't. The drought is not helping at all, but I think I'll get some cutflowers at the end of summer.

I got my seeds from Park's. Where did you get yours?
BTW, I don't grow for the market, just for arrangements at church/temple.

Kirk, that's good to know. I had success with those last year too, beginers luck I guess. I'm not sure if it's just the year, or some other problem with how short they are. Probably the year. I did rotate where I planted them, as suggested to avoid asters yellow. Maybe next year I'll try the covers. Do you have a framework for the covers, or just do floating row covers?
Cheryl

Kirk, congratulations on your beautiful asters! Don't you just love them? Yes, they are a lot of trouble to grow, with row covers, but I think they're worth it. I have to disagree with whoever said rotating beds will help against aster yellows. I've read that too, but don't remember the source. That could help with some other diseases and/or rots, but aster yellows are carried by leafhoppers, not the soil, so rotating beds won't have any effect. That said, I rotate all my annuals around, just as a general field health measure. In my experience, the ONLY thing that prevents aster yellows is keeping the leafhoppers off, and the only way I know to accomplish that is with row covers.

Kirk, did you put a framework up to hold the row covers, or just let them float? I've always figured that the flowers would get bent and hurt by a floating cover, but it sure would be nice to be wrong about that!

Cheryl, if they are simply short, but don't have any of the yellow and/or brown spots and none of the stem/bud/leaf deformities that characterize aster yellows, they probably have a different problem. You're on an island, aren't you? Perhaps the yellows-carrying leafhoppers from the mainland haven't found your island, lucky you!

Jeanne

Congratulations on your success! Now, please tell me how to get them to germinate. I've had poor germination before, but this year, I had 0 china aster seeds germinate, from 2 different plantings! (Could that even be possible--2 different brands/sources, too.) Is there a trick anyone knows? Should I start them inside first? I'm in the northern half of zone 4, and I usually sow seeds in the cutting garden rows directly about May 15--after Mother's Day. Should china asters (and larkspur) be sown at a different time? (My larkspur scattered early in perennial beds are blooming, but my mid-May row planting germinated very poorly.) Thanks for any insight.

Jeanne, it's a peninsula, actually, and I'm thinking the asters are just doing what the other annuals are doing. Nothing. However, we may get rain tomorrow, and the temps are suppose to be hot, so THAT, just might pump them up. I hope so anyway. Jansblooms, I start all mine inside in trays, then into cell packs, and germination is usually good.
Cheryl

I think I got my seeds from Stokes but I've never direct sown them outside. I started them under lights in early April. I made a framework out of PVC pipe for the row cover.
Kirk

I start them all under lights inside also.
I've always made a framework of squared-off wire hoops. I think I'll ask my husband about about one made of PVC pipe. I bet it's stronger and less likely to put holes in the row cover at stress points. The constant wind it has to deal with here beats it against the corners of the hoops, and even though they have no sharp points, holes appear eventually anyway. By then I can usually remove the covers, but I can't re-use them the next year. Do you glue the PVC pieces together for the framework, or just fit them together so you can take them down for the winter?

Jeanne

Jeanne,
I had winds tear the row cover on the corners of the PVC framework, too. I reinforced those parts with duct tape but the row cover won't be re-useable. I did not glue the pieces into the elbows since they were pretty tight fits.
Kirk

All - my asters didn't germinate at all this year...directly sown...ugh! I had gorgeous asters last year...more than I could use. I've never had problems direct sowing them, but this year, in a different spot, heavier soil, it seems to have made a huge difference. I'm not happy about it...but now know to put them in well tilled soil and covered lightly, but, even then they do take a while to pop up! I'm still crossing my fingers!
Wendy