China aster Starlight Mixed Seeds

Sow China aster Spider Chrysanthemum from March to April in a seed tray. Use good quality soil. Lightly tamp down the surface of the tray before broadcasting your seeds. Do not cover the seeds, but water generously with a very fine spray. Place your tray in the light, without direct sunlight, at a temperature of 20°c to 30°c. Lower the temperature at night to 15°c to create a beneficial alternation for germination.

Seed emergence will take from 7 to 21 days. As soon as the seedlings can be handled, transplant them into 7 cm pots. Then 15 days before planting them in their final positions, start to acclimatize them gradually to a temperature of 15 °C.

By mid May, the temperature in the garden will be warm enough to plant out your young plants. Choose a site with plenty of sunshine and well-drained soil. Add a shovel of compost to each planting hole. Space your plants 30 cm apart.

Regularly remove faded flowers to maintain the plant's beauty and encourage bloom renewal.

Fusarium and powdery mildew are the diseases frequently encountered on China aster. To avoid them as much as possible, do not water the foliage and plant Callistephus chinensis in well-drained soil. Avoid growing China aster in the same place every year. Buy new seeds instead of harvesting those from the flowers in your garden.

Watch out for aphids.