Echinacea Growing Guide
Echinacea purpurea
Crop Rotation Group
Miscellaneous ●
Soil
Rich soil with a near neutral Ph.
Position
Full sun in cool climates, partial afternoon shade where summers are very hot.
Frost tolerant
Echinacea is a hardy perennial that survives very cold winters. Plants become dormant in winter and re-emerge in spring.
Feeding
Spread rich compost over the dormant plants each winter.
Companions
Echinacea’s purple blossoms contrast well with pink, yellow or orange flowers.
Spacing
Single Plants: 35cm (1' 1") each way (minimum)
Rows: 30cm (11") with 40cm (1' 3") row gap (minimum)
Sow and Plant
Start seeds indoors in late winter and set out seedlings, or start with purchased plants. Echinacea often does not bloom reliably until its second year in the garden.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Notes
Echinacea is grown for its beautiful flowers and for the medicinal properties of teas and tinctures made from roots, leaves and flowers.
Harvesting
Dig plants up in early autumn to harvest the roots. Small divisions with skimpy root systems can be replanted and allowed to grow for another year. For enhancing immunity to colds, echinacea tinctures or teas are taken every few hours for several days.
Troubleshooting
It is not known whether or not colourful new varieties of Echinacea have medicinal properties that compare to the older strains, which are preferred by butterflies.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar
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Pests which Affect Echinacea