Aster Seeds (Mixed)

Aster Mixed gives you the star-shaped blooms the plant is named for, in a spread of colours from one packet, and it's one to grow if you want flowers that hold on later into the season rather than an early, quick burst. With around 600 seeds in the pack, the biggest seed count in this range, there's enough here to fill several containers or restart a batch if the first sowing doesn't take. Patience is the main thing aster asks for. Germination runs 10-14 days, the slowest of the flowers in this batch, and the soil needs to stay lightly moist throughout rather than drying out between waterings, a slightly different routine than the water-when-dry plants nearby. Space seedlings 20-30 cm apart, keep them in full sun for 5-6 hours a day, and expect the first blooms around 80-100 days after sowing. Stems that grow tall may need a stake, so keep one on hand as the plant fills out.