Echinacea is a perennial plant, that is, it lasts all year round. He can reach over a meter in height and it has very large petioles, dark green and sometimes thorns, especially on the stem. But the most striking thing about this plant is, without a doubt, its flowers.
The wildflowers are very large and very similar to daisies. The ligules (petals) are very long and can be of various colors, although usually white, red, pink, and purple echinaceas predominate. Although they have a large flower plate, you have to be careful with it because in some species it has thorns.
Source: Rainbow Gardens
Location and weather
This plant likes full sun in full shade. If it does too much, then the partial shade will be better. But it is important to have at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight towards the plant for it to be well nourished.
Although it can withstand high temperatures, it does not with low temperatures. Yes, it can withstand the cold, but not the frost.
Tierra
The soil for growing echinacea plants should be light and clayey, that it should not clump and, above all, it should be well drained.
If you plan to plant in the garden, before doing so, you should dig the soil to make the soil loose and porous, especially compact it because if so, the tree is very difficult. ahead.
In the case of a potted plant, it can be grown with less trouble, but it is not recommended to pound the ground, leave it as it is to oxidize. and can take root.
Irrigation
Echinacea is not a plant that needs constant watering, as it tolerates drought well. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want water either. In fact, prefers to live in a slightly humid environment, as it facilitates greater growth.
However, it does not tolerate excessive watering as it will rot the roots. Therefore, it is better to water in small amounts even if you have to do it more than once a week.
Diseases and diseases
There are two important problems to prevent and treat if they occur: on the one hand, slugs, who tend to like this plant and that can do a lot of damage to it.
On the other hand, there will be fungi, especially root rots that occur, as we have commented before, due to over-watering.
In general, this is what most commonly affects the echinaceae family.
How to sow seeds of echinacea
If you’re buying echinacea seeds (which you can buy at your garden store, nursery, etc.), the first thing you should do is prepare a seedbed or small pot for planting.
Make sure the soil is not compacted, nor compacted, but porous both when placing the medium and when placing seeds and backfilling. That’s right, You should plant it twice the diameter of the seed. However, measuring it is almost impossible, so it is usually placed practically at the bottom of the pot and sprinkled with a little soil as if sprinkled with some salt.
In about 15 days it will germinate if you keep it at a steady temperature of 25 degrees.
The first spring and summer should be in a greenhouse, or at least protected from inclement weather. In the spring of the second year, you can transplant it to its final position.
How to cut wild chrysanthemums
Another way to grow echinacea is through cuttings, which are nothing more than parts produced from the plant (it happens in the fall or spring months).
For this, the best time is autumn, since that is when the plant hibernates and undergoes the least division. Before doing this, it is important that you water the mother plant the night before so that the roots stay hydrated and the soil softens.
In the morning, you can divide the plant into several cuttings, which you will have to plant in a mixture of coarse sand with peat. It must be drained so that water does not accumulate on the ground. When planting them must be done at a sufficient depth, cover with soil and put it in the shade at first.
And those are the first days you should not expose it to the sun because it has to get used to its new state. It is not necessary to water frequently, it is better for the soil to dry out between waterings so that the fungus does not appear.
In about 2-3 weeks, the cut will take root well and that will be when you should start getting out in the sun. Of course, little by little until the sun has risen.
After a few months, the plant will be working just like where we got it, so you’ll have flowers again (in the summer) and it’ll be able to grow rapidly, maybe not that year, but next season. followed by the echinaceae family.
