Mum and Aster Care

My mums and asters start out looking good but soon become floppy and aren't very attractive by the time they start to bloom. Any suggestions?

Melinda:

You can improve appearance and bloom with minimal effort. Pinch back the growing tips, keeping these plants 4 to 6 inches tall through late spring and early summer. This will give you shorter plants with lots of flowering stems. Stop pinching at least 6 weeks before their normal flowering time. Pinching later than this can delay or eliminate fall bloom. This is especially important in the North, where snow may be flying before the delayed flower buds start to open.