Topic: Echinacea

[mc55]

hello - has anyone grown this from seed ?  I've tried two sowings, the first failed (full packet) but I did think that the mouse may have eaten them.  This time I only sowed a few, but still no sign.  They were sown about 3 weeks ago in the potting shed, in a propergator.  At the same time I sowed some Scaribous (forgive my spelling) and only two of those have germinated.  Any advice ?

[Tee Gee]

You don't mention the temperature you had the propagator set at, they do not like it too hot see here; http://tinyurl.com/3albuy

I presume you mean the annual Scabiosa/Scabious these also don't like it too warm, in fact some would say it is better sown insitu and thinned out.

The perennial varieties should be propagated from basal cuttings in April/May

I hope this helps!

[Palustris]

Which Echinacea? I sowed Echinacea paradoxa last Autumn and it has just begun to germinate now.

[jennym]

Sowed Echinacea purpurea once, they took ages to come up. Survived about a couple of years but gave up the ghost in my soil.

[sunloving]

Hi Ive grown echinaceas for years and they are really brilliant late season gorgeousness!
But they dont respond well to heat so i would take them out of the propagator and put them outside. They are pretty hardy so dont worry if you get a frost on them. Also you don't say where they are going but bear in mind that thay are quite a thirsty plant in the late summer when its dry (well some years!) mine would wilt before the tomatoes did, so if they are going into a pot i would get some of those water retaining gel things.

they can take up to six weeks to come up so don't give up yet!
good luck. sunloving

[kitten]

This is all useful stuff, thanks everyone, i'm about to sow some echinacea in modules this weekend.  I'll know not to panic then if they take ages to pop up  :o

 ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Scabious I planted last month have come up fine, but I've never tried Echinacea. I've been on the verge several times though.

[Leopoldo]

I sowed mine in a cold frame and had to give a stack away to my mum cos so many came up. They're pairie plants, so I guess like a bit of chill to get germintating.

[mc55]

thanks everyone - it seems as though I'm being too nice to them.  May try some direct in the flower border.

[Garden Manager]

I have had terrible trouble growing echinacea from seed. I have tried to grow  the plain  'purpurea' as well as the white variety 'White Swan'. Never got more than a couple of each and only one of each survived long enough to plant out. Last year I tried a variety called 'magnus' and again only a few germinated and survived.

After poor germination my other problem is slugs and snails. They tend to eat the young echinacea plants to death before they can be planted out or get to flowering size.