Tips on How to Grow Echinacea (Coneflower)

When to start outside:

• Sow in early spring, cover seed with 1/8" soil 3-4 weeks before average last frost. Germination 10-20 days.
• Maintain a temperature of 70-75° F during germination
• Can plant as late as 2 months before first fall frost. 
• If started early, Echinacea will bloom the first year.

When to start inside:

• Sow 8 weeks before average last frost.It may take up to 2 months to germinate (May bloom 1st year if started indoors.)
• Sow outdoors anytime in spring or summer, up to two months before first fall frost
• Photoperiod response: intermediate-day plant will flower most rapidly and uniformly at 13-14 hours daylength.
• Vernalization: not required but beneficial as flowering will occur two to three weeks earlier following a minimum of ten weeks cold treatment.
• Flower timing: Sown in January as Spring production will flower naturally in middle to late June. Sown from July to early September for overwinter production; will flower late May to early June of the following year