Echinacea
You need to keep in mind that Echinacea are plants of prairies and open woods.
They need loose or loamy soil in full sun to florish.
The seedlings and older plants grow best with weekly watering but are quite tolerant of extended drought.
They have a deep root system that enable them to store some water for dry times.
The plants increase to form dense clumps that flower throughout summer.
The root system contain the best theraputic value and can be harvested after one year of robust growth.
When harvesting the root it is tempting to separate sections off that look like they might reshoot but we have found that if replanted the bushes are less than adequate being highly bushy and little to no solid root system.
The seeds need 4 to 6 weeks of cold, moist stratification to prepare for germination.
We sow ours at the start of Winter but do not expect germination until October.
Once germinated, the seedlings are easily destroyed by excess watering or too little light.
