Asters attract insects with their star-shaped flowers. After pollination, seeds form on the flowers. You can grow new plants from the seeds the following year.
How do I harvest the seeds of asters?
After the asters bloom, the brownish seeds form. Many asters have fine, white flying threads. To harvest, you can simply cut off the seed head and shake the seeds onto a plate.
How do I store the seeds of asters?
The brownish seeds are first freed from the threads. It is best to then let the seeds dry in a shallow bowl. The temperature for drying the seeds should not exceed 25 °C. For example, if the seed gets too hot on the windowsill, it will no longer germinate the next year.
When can I harvest the seeds?
The seeds of different types of asters ripen at different times. The seeds are usually ripe one to two months after flowering. You can recognize ripe seeds because they have turned completely brown and come off easily.
Tip
Some seeds need to be stratified
Many varieties of asters are cold germinators. They need a cold stimulus to germinate. For this purpose, the seeds of the asters are stratified. This means that they are placed in the refrigerator for several weeks and then sown directly.