Echinacea: growing and caring without the hassle

Briefly about echinacea

Echinacea is a perennial of the Aster family (Asteraceae), which came to us from the eastern part of North America and has long become a favorite of domestic gardeners due to its unpretentiousness and variety of colors. In addition to its undoubted decorative qualities, this culture also has healing properties: the well-known tincture of echinacea is used to prevent acute infectious diseases, combat depression and chronic fatigue, and has an immunostimulating effect on the human body. A seemingly frivolous ornamental plant is also known as a generous melliferous crop: 1 hectare of blooming echinacea gives about a centner of honey.
Echinacea is a herbaceous rhizome plant with many shoots. Its height ranges from 40 cm to 1.5 m. At the top of the stem is an inflorescence in the form of a basket with a convex core of red or red-brown color and petals of various shades.

What are the types and varieties of echinacea

In the wild, there are 9 types of echinacea: purple, narrow-leaved, strange, pale, Tennessee, etc. But the most popular among gardeners is purple echinacea due to its luxurious flowers, whose diameter can reach 12-13 cm. The color range of this species is diverse - from purple (Granatstem) and deep pink (Cranberry Cupcake) to white (White Swan) and orange (Indiaca).

Echinacea Growing methods

Echinacea species are usually grown from seed - by sowing in open ground or using seedlings. Hybrid varieties are propagated vegetatively - by dividing the bush.

Echinacea cultivation instructions

Experienced gardeners start preparing seedlings in the second half of February. Sowing containers are filled with soil, which is recommended to be spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate. Echinacea seeds can be pre-wrapped with a napkin and placed in warm water or a special solution for germination - their dense shell needs to be softened. The seed can be scattered over the surface of the soil, immersed in the soil by 0.5 cm, or placed in shallow furrows, sprinkled with sand on top. Then the sowing is sprayed from a spray bottle, covered with foil and placed in a well-lit place. The optimum temperature for the successful germination of seeds is 12-16 degrees. It is not difficult to take care of them - it is enough to air the seedlings daily and moisten the soil. After the sprouts appear, the film is removed.

Echinacea: when to plant?

It is recommended to plant seedlings in open ground in May, when the weather is warm. To plant an echinacea sprout, it is enough to dig a hole 5 cm deep and place some compost on its bottom. When planting a sprout from a pot together with an earthen lump, the hole should be enlarged. The distance between the holes is at least 30 cm. Watering with echinacea is necessary quite often, preferably in the evening, and weeds must be removed from the site in a timely manner. Starting from the second year of the plant's life, fertilizers can be applied - a mixture of ash and rotten compost.

Where to plant echinacea

For planting echinacea, it is best to choose a brightly lit place with slightly alkaline or neutral soil - excessively wet or sandy soils are destructive for this plant.
Echinacea seeds are extracted from the flower and dried on paper in a dry, well-ventilated area for 10 days.After that, the seeds can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 years by placing them in a glass jar or plastic container.