How to Care for New England Aster

Plant New England asters only if you live in one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. Zones 1 through 3 get too cold for the plants to survive winter, while zones 9 and 10 are too hot and humid for this species.

Select a site that receives full sun. These perennials perform best in damp, fertile soil with good drainage. Asters often wilt when their roots get too wet.

Space the plants to accommodate an eventual 2- to 4-foot spread to prevent some of the diseases that affect the foliage of New England asters. This provides good air circulation, making it more difficult for ailments like powdery mildew to attack the leaves.

Support New England asters with stakes if tall stems appear in danger of toppling over. The parent species can grow to 6 feet tall. Select a smaller cultivar, such as the purple dome, purple pixie and roter stern, to avoid the staking requirement.

Pinch back the stems of New England asters to promote a bushier, more compact plant, which can also eliminate the need for staking. Nip the ends of the stems before the middle of July. You may pinch the stems back several times to delay the aster’s flowering, but New England asters bloom late into the growing season anyway, typically from August into October.

Cut New England asters to the ground once the blooming period ends to keep the plants from going to seed and overwhelming the area. This also allows you to rid your landscape of the foliage, which becomes unsightly once the flowers finish blooming.