How to Grow Echinacea Angustifolia From Seed

Echinacea, also called coneflower, is grown for its medicinal properties. Generally an easy-to-grow herb once established, some varieties of echinacea are challenging to start. This is true of Echinacea angustifolia. This variety, however, needs fluctuating temperatures during the cold winter to germinate, but it's also one of the more profitable varieties to plant. Requiring extra care once established, this herb grows best in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 10.

Sand (optional)
Rototiller
Compost

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare the soil by removing any large debris, like rocks and sticks, and till it so it's flat and the roots can easily penetrate the ground. Amend the soil by adding sand or perlite to increase draining properties. This type of echinacea likes an alkaline, gravelly soil.
- 2
  Scatter the seeds over the soil and cover them lightly with compost or sterile potting soil. Spread the seeds in early winter, to germinate by spring.
- 3
  Thin the plants so they have 6 to 12 inches between each plant. Do this in early spring when the echinacea has one or two green leaves.
- 4
  Water the plants sparingly. They do not tolerate soggy soil. Allow the soil to dry before watering. If the growing zone gets 20 inches of water a year, you may not need to water at all, except in cases of extreme drought.
- 5
  Weed the garden plot regularly, even daily, in the first year -- as young echinacea plants have a hard time competing with weeds.
- 6
  Harvest the roots by hand in the fall after the first frost. This type of echinacea does not handle potato harvesters or other machinery well, because the roots are more tender.

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