Should I cut the dead branches from last year off the aster clump or will the new growth come from those same branches?
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners.
Asters make wonderful addition to any garden. They give much-added colour to either your fall or summer garden. You can definitely cut back your asters in the spring at the first sign of green shoots. Cut the old stems down to just above the newly emerging shoots.
To create a bushier plant with more blooms you can pinch off the plant’s growing tips and the first sets of leaves on the stems. For the best results pinch just above the node ( point where leaves are attached) from mid-spring to early-summer. The disadvantage of pinching is that the flowering time will be delayed.