Coneflowers

Coneflowers are drought tolerant, but new plants need water occasionally, and more often if the spring season is especially dry. 

• Put a thin layers of compost and mulch around the plants to help keep them  moist and prevent weeds.
• Native in ground seldom need fertilizer. Ensure your soil has plenty of organic matter when you plant.
• In late spring, provide supplementary water only if the season is extremely dry or your coneflowers are newly planted.
• To prolong the bloom period, deadhead when flowers fade. Cut back stems to a leaf near a bud. Deadheading in late season prevents self-seeding and bird-feeding.
• Optional: To encourage delayed blooming for fall enjoyment, cut coneflower plants back by 1 foot when plants come into bloom. This will result in later-flowering, more-compact growth because coneflowers can get leggy. Cut some and not others for more staggered bloom heights and times.
• Beneficial wasplike soldier beetles may appear in August. They feed on insect eggs and larvae and pollinate plants. Do not harm them.
• In late fall in colder regions, lightly spread mulch around plants.
• Cut back stems to soil level when they wither or after frost. To promote self-seeding, cut back in late winter. Cut back in late winter/early spring when you’re tidying up the garden.
• Optional: Consider leaving late-season flowers on the plants to mature. The seed heads will attract birds and promote self-seeding. Deadheading will prevent self seeding, if this is your preference. To deadhead, cut the dead flower back to a leaf where you can see a bud ready to swell. 
• Divide or transplant coneflowers in spring or fall.

Growing Coneflowers in Pots

We tend to grow coneflowers in the ground as perennial plants, but you can certainly grow them in pots if the containers are deep enough for the plant’s taproot. Use 2- or 3-gallon (or larger) pots, with drainage holes. Spread crushed gravel in the bottom of the pots for drainage. Fill the pot halfway with potting mix. Tamp down. Plant the root ball an inch below the rim of the container, spreading out the roots. Add soil slowly until it is even with the top of the root ball, tamping down lightly. Water deeply.

• Keep pots in partial shade for 2 to 3 days, then place in full morning sun and partial afternoon shade.
• Always water deeply at soil level with the soil is dry to the touch. Water on leaves can cause fungal disease.
• Fertilizer every couple of seeks with a water-soluble 10-10-10 product.
• Deadhead just below the base of the flower for continued bloom.
• To overwinter, prune plants to soil level when plant growth slows in fall.
• Move to a cool (40º to 50ºF) area, with low to moderate indirect light.
• Check the soil every couple of weeks and water lightly when the top 3 inches are dry. 
• When new.growth appears in spring, move to a brighter, warmer (60º to 70ºF) area. Moving the plant helps to prepare it for living outdoors in the spring and summer. 
• Do not water leaves from above, as this can encourage fungal disease on leaves. Instead, water at soil level. Use an insecticidal soap or neem oil solution spray if you see any aphids or pests.
• Every 3 to 4 years, in spring after new growth has started, divide and repot echinacea plants.