I always choose large/ congested plants and split them to make backups and then any that come through that I don't need I sell on.

How about asters have you had failures due to splitting them in autumn?

no if they pot bound I have just cut through the middle with a bread knife and planted the sections out.

So you don't go along with current advice carol klien saying asters should only be divided in spring?.

I split the ones in the ground in spring but if in a pot i'd do it now as the soil is still warm for the roots to get out into the soil. In the past I have also split a pot and just re-potted both bits into bigger pots with fresh compost but then kept them in a cold frame once the foliage had died down.

I'd split when I need to, I did loads only last week because they were in my way, puddled in deadheaded and they're already producing new flowers, go by your own instincts and by what is happening in your own garden, parts of my garden think its spring anyway, weird and wonderful Alistair...

It was more about buying a small plant aster which i did then splitting it for safety sake so i had two and then reading an article by carol klien saying you run the risk of upsetting and possibly killing an aster if you split it in autumn as the pants don't start growing again until spring but you could say that about many plants couldn't​ you!.

yes thats true of any plant. but a pot grown one has viable roots that will keep it going through the winter then come the spring new growth will happen from the undamaged ones.

Ok thanks i bought a guava today mad totally mad still don't know what I'm going do with it.