On 10/7/06 10:05 PM, in article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

Stores sell asters at this time of year, because they are in bloom (in
the Northern hemisphere, anyway). But bloom time does not necessarily
mean planting time. When is the right time of year to transplant
aster, mums, daisies, etc? I've heard lots of different answers to
that question, and it would be nice to get the *right* answer.

Thank you!

Ted Shoemaker, certified Gray Thumb

Madison, Wisconsin, US

USDA zone 4/5
AHS heat zone 4/5
Sunset zone 43


Keep in mind that many of those plants are bought by people who will use
them as house plants for a month or two and then throw them away. If
Madison's anything like upstate NY, you'll see those plants in stores until
they run out. Here, that can be as late as Thanksgiving. If you want to
plant them, the idea time is mid to late September, or more generally,
whatever date gives them 4-6 weeks of UNfrozen ground so they can begin
establishing a root system.



Optimally, I'd do all that in the spring. One trick you might use is
overwintering them in the pot tucked into your leaf pile and covered with
another inch or more of chopped leaves. Uncover as early as possible in the
spring and transplant when the soil is workable again. It won't be 100%
survival, but you should manage a goodly percentage.

Cheryl