Coneflowers

9 years ago

Hi. Hopefully the pictures I'm going to try to post will actually post.

So... I have a little area of my garden especially for coneflowers. Lisa (?) brought a coneflower to spring fling for me (thank you!) and I threw echinacea seed in the area last November. They, like everything else in the garden, were neglected for the last several months. They began to look unhealthy--maybe a mildew--so I took some time this afternoon to cut them back. It's possible they are too close. As you can see in the second pic, there are several plants right next to each other. Can this cause problems? Because they are wildflowers really,

I just left them that way. Should I thin them? And do you think I could dig the crowns (or whatever they are called) up and replant? When's the best time to do so?

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Comments (5)

hazelinok
Original Author
9 years ago
Well, no pics. I think it has something to do with my home hillbilly Internet. I'll try again and if it doesn't work, I'll post them at work in the morning.
hazelinok
Original Author
9 years ago
Okay, I turned off the wifi and used my data to post these. I suspected that was the issue earlier in the week.
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hazelinok
Original Author
9 years ago
Here's the closeup...
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
9 years ago
Coneflowers stay healthier with wider spacing. I usually try to put them about 18" apart from one another, though first year plants can get by on closer spacing. Being crowded can lead to (among other things) powdery mildew because of poor air flow.

I've dug and divided (or merely transplanted) echinacea plants in both spring and fall with equally good results. As long as they are growing in fairly well-drained soil, they are easy to please. If I had some that needed to be transplanted or divided right now, I wouldn't hesitate to do it.

Yes, coneflowers are native plants but that doesn't mean they don't need some care in order to thrive. I only truly treat them like wildflowers if they are growing in the wild. When grown in cultivated beds, I treat them like all other perennials.
hazelinok thanked Okiedawn OK Zone 7
dbarron
9 years ago
Extended stress (like drought) can bring on PM in most any plant.
hazelinok thanked dbarron