how can I identify stokesia aster seeds? what color are they? thanking you in advance for your help
As the flowers fade they develop into fluffy dandelion type heads.
Each tiny seed is attached to the little tuft of fluffy material.
Snip off the seed after the fluff has dried and turns white.
Spread the seeds out on a paper plate to dry for a few days.
The seeds can be sown right away or stored for future use.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/seeds/storing-seeds.htm
I bought a medium white aster and potted it up. The day after, the blooms were all wilting and going brown. Can you help? I fed the aster and changed the soil to see if there were any weevils.
Make sure that you used a good quality potting soil and a pot with adequate drainage holes.
Keep the soil moist but never soggy.
I would move the pant to a shady location to help reduce the transplnat stress.
Here is a link to refresh on the care requirements of Asters.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/asters/growing-asters.htm
My asters have brown stems from the ground up 2-3 inches and the leaves are dried up and crumbly. Any ideas why and how to treat?
Underwatering and heat stress is the most likely culprit in this scenario. Try watering more often or witha greater amount of water and see if that helps. Also check for any visible insects on the plants, just in case it is a pest issue.
Fusarium wilt could potentially match your plants' symptoms. Check the description in this article:
https://extension.psu.edu/pests/plant-diseases/all-fact-sheets/aster-diseases
Here is more information about it:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/controlling-fusarium-wilt.htm
What can I do about leaves turning brown and dying at the bottom of the long stems?
This can be quite common, the lower leaves are older, receive less sunlight and are just aging.
If you see yellowing, this could be watering issues; either too much or too little.
Here is a link to refresh you on the care requirements.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/asters/growing-asters.htm
My Asters are about two feet tall, should have pruned them back earlier. How low can I prune them and still have good heads in the fall?
Asters can be treated much like mums and pinched several times before 4th of July. Pinching after mid July may delay flowering. Or just cut asters back by one half in early to mid June. Asters can get tall and floppy so pinching or cutting back may reduce the need for staking.
do i cut to ground level in the fall
I would leave an inch of stem and the basal rosette of leaves. This helps you find it and if the winter is mild, it may live through. Some professionals are beginning to recommend cutting things down in early spring before growth begins. The plant "self-mulches" this way so there is less heaving of plant crowns during freezing and thawing temps. If the plant has suffered disease or pest problems during the growing season, remove all plant parts before winter.
Can you plant Asters in the fall? I just received a pot of them and they look like they need to be replanted.
Fall is a good time to divide and transplant many perennials. Keep watering all the way through fall; don't let the soil dry out. When choosing a spot for it, keep in mind that many asters are tall and the lower leaves turn yellow and fall off by late summer. The exposed stems give an unbalanced, top-heavy look to the plant so something in front like the geranium Roxanne, to hide the bare stems, will look better. I've also read that one can prune asters in June, cutting back by half, to reduce overall height. This delays bloom time by 1-2 weeks.