Once planted and not contributing to well-being for years? None. Asters should be dug up and divided at the root zone every few years. How does it work and why is division so recommended?
When and why should you divide asters?
Asters should be divided every 2 to 4 years to propagate the plant, prevent disease and maintain flowering. Divide spring asters in summer, summer asters in early fall, and fall asters in late fall or early spring.
Facts – why division makes sense
Several reasons make sharing asters a worthwhile action:
- for propagating the perennial
- as a strengthening measure, among other things, to prevent illnesses
- to prevent aging/rejuvenation
- to maintain the joy of blooming
When is the right time to share?
You should divide your asters every 2 to 3 years (every 4 years at the latest). If division is urgently necessary, you will recognize this by a plant that grows poorly and is sparsely decorated with flowers.
The right time to divide asters generally comes after flowering. It is ideal if a transplanting campaign was planned at the same time. The flowering time varies from species to species and from variety to variety:
- Share spring asters in summer
- Divide summer asters in early fall
- Divide fall asters in late fall or early spring
Only share strong and he althy asters
You should not dig up freshly planted asters and then divide them! The asters should have had at least 2 years to take root and grow. They should be strong and big enough. It is also significant that they are he althy.
Dividing the perennial - step by step
First, the aster nest is excavated. A digging fork (€139.00 on Amazon) can serve you well here. The next step is to cut the clump into sections with a knife or, depending on the size of the root ball, with a spade. Each section should have at least one tuft of leaves.
Old leaves and woody shoots are removed as they can become a burden when rooting. Cut back damaged roots cleanly with a knife! Now the sections just need to be planted. The location should be like this:
- sunny to partially shaded
- protected
- with a permeable and nutrient-rich soil
Tip
Some species, such as the smooth-leaf aster, have such a loose root system that you can easily pull them apart with your hands.
