How to Get Your Echinacea to Bloom the First Year of Planting

Dig around existing coneflower clumps in early fall while the plants are still actively growing. Lift the roots out of the ground, taking care not to damage them. Tease the roots apart into two separate plants, using your fingertips. Each plant division must contain both stems and roots.

Spread 1 inch of compost and 1/4 pound of 12-6-6 fertilizer over every 25 square feet of garden bed before planting transplants or replanting divisions. Plant in an area that receives full, all-day sunlight. Turn the compost and fertilizer into the top 6 inches of soil.

Dig a planting hole the same depth as the coneflower roots or nursery pot, spacing the holes 12 inches apart in all directions. Make the hole 1/2 inch deeper than the pot if the coneflower is growing in a peat pot, which isn't removed before planting.

Slide the coneflower out of the pot, if applicable. Set the plant in the hole so it is at the same depth it was growing at previously, or 1/2 inch deeper if growing in a peat pot. Fill the hole with the removed soil, and firm it gently over the roots.

Water the coneflowers immediately after transplanting so the top 6 inches of soil feels moist. Continue to water about once weekly, moistening the top 6 inches of soil, until the coneflowers go dormant in late fall or early winter. Resume watering when new growth emerges in spring.

Monitor the coneflowers for pests so early pest damage doesn't stress the plants and delay first-year flowering. Avoid wetting the foliage to minimize mildew and fungal problems. Spray the coneflowers with a premixed insecticidal soap to combat aphids. Apply the spray three times, with a seven-day interval between each of the three applications.