Silver carpet aster grow well in Inland Empire gardens in areas of full sun, on well-drained soils and with low amounts of supplemental water. The chart shown below provides a recommended baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed to maintain healthy growth throughout the average year. As shown in the chart below, there are several months indicated by an asterisk (*) when winter rains can provide sufficient moisture and irrigation is not needed. The high and low range of moisture indicates it can grow with varying amounts of water and you should make irrigation adjustments based on field observations of growth and character.
| |
Jan* |
Feb* |
Mar* |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov* |
Dec* |
| Runs per Month |
0x to 2x |
0x to 2x |
0x to 2x |
1x to 2x |
1x to 2x |
1x to 2x |
1x to 2x |
1x to 2x |
1x to 2x |
1x to 2x |
0x to 2x |
0x to 2x |
| Inches per Run |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
1″ |
| |
| Inches per Month |
0″ to 2″ |
0″ to 2″ |
0″ to 2″ |
1″ to 2″ |
1″ to 2″ |
1″ to 2″ |
1″ to 2″ |
1″ to 2″ |
1″ to 2″ |
1″ to 2″ |
0″ to 2″ |
0″ to 2″ |
Range of supplemental summer water: 7"-14"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-10"
| |
0″-2″ |
0″-2″ |
0″-2″ |
1″-2″ |
1″-2″ |
1″-2″ |
1″-2″ |
1″-2″ |
1″-2″ |
1″-2″ |
0″-2″ |
0″-2″ |
| |
Jan* |
Feb* |
Mar* |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov* |
Dec* |
For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, follow this link.
For information how to calculate your irrigation system’s schedule and precipitation rate, please follow this link.
Silver Carpet Aster goes semi-dormant in summer, and will look a bit dried up. It’s not necessarily dead, dying, or under watered. Do not try to water it until it looks lush in the middle of summer as you may over water and kill it. Allow for the seasonal “down time,” and look forward to it growing vigorously again when it is ready. Only plant it in locations where you are happy to accept the summer dormant look of it. In it’s growing season it is a beautiful little groundcover full of flowers that attract butterflies – I think it is worth it. For a cleaner and more compact look, cut back part-way annually, in early fall just as the plant is coming out of or is about to come out of dormancy (S).
References
