How to Grow Stokes Aster (Stokesia Laevis)

With daisy-like flowers in pink, white or blue, Stokes aster is a summer-blooming perennial (meaning it comes back year after year).

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Bypass Pruners
• Compost Makers
• Fertilizers
• Garden Trowels
• Mulch
• Plants

Choosing Stokes Aster

1. Look for plants at nurseries in spring and summer; into fall in warm climates.
2. Buy Stokes aster in 4-inch to 1-gallon containers.
3. Choose healthy-looking plants with signs of new growth in leaf and flower bud.

Planting Stokes Aster

4. Plant Stokes aster in full sun - or partial shade in hot regions - in well-drained soil.
5. Add a light application of organic fertilizer to the planting hole.
6. Place the plants no deeper than they were growing in their containers.
7. Set the plants 9 to 12 inches apart.
8. Mulch around but not on top of the plant with 3 inches or organic compost.
9. Water well until soil is completely moist.

Caring for Stokes Aster

10. Cut off spent flowers with scissors or bypass pruners.
11. Trim off old foliage in early spring using scissors or bypass pruners.
12. Apply a light application of organic fertilizer to the top of the soil in early spring; follow package directions.
13. Mulch around but not on top of the plants with 3 inches of organic compost; do this in early spring or - in cold climates - in late fall.
14. Water well weekly until soil is completely moist in summers with no rainfall.

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