How to Grow Echinacea Purpurea From Seed

Mix equal parts potting soil, peat moss and well-rotted compost in a bucket. Add water until the soil mix is evenly damp and crumbly.

Fill seed-starting trays, cell-packs or planting pots with the damp soil mix. Leave 1/2 inch between the top of the container and the top of the soil. Smooth out the top without compacting the material.

Place echinacea purpurea seeds on the soil 1 inch apart. Take a handful of the soil mix and scatter it over the surface to cover the seeds with 1/8 to 1/4 inch of material.

Place the seed trays in a greenhouse, indoors or on a covered porch where the seeds will get filtered light. Keep the air temperature at 70 degrees Fahrenheit for best germination results.

Mist the soil daily or every two days to keep the soil environment around the seed damp. Use a spray bottle with a gentle mist setting to avoid disturbing the seeds. Echinacea seeds germinate in one to three weeks.

Transplant echinacea purpurea into individual 4-inch pots when the seedlings grow 2 inches tall and produce at least one set of true leaves. Fill the transplant pots to 1/2 inch below the lip of the pot with damp potting soil.

Lift the seedlings out of the seed-starting tray or cell packs. Slide a butter knife under the soil and lift up. Separate the seedlings with your fingertips if the roots have grown together.

Plant one echinacea seedling in each pot with the base of the stem level with the soil line. Keep the seedlings in a greenhouse for the first year and transplant them into the garden the following spring.