👋 Click the mic button to talk to Alfred, the Todd's Seeds Gardening/Sprouting Expert – Feel free to ask him anything!
Planting Instructions for Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Seeds
- Location: Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil. Purple coneflowers tolerate drought and poor soils once established.
- When to Plant:
- Outdoors: Sow Todd’s Seeds Purple Coneflowers seeds in late fall for natural cold stratification or in early spring after the last frost.
- Indoors: Start seeds 8–10 weeks before the last frost. Cold stratify seeds in the fridge for 3–4 weeks before sowing for better germination.
- Cold Stratification (Recommended): Place seeds in a damp paper towel inside a sealed plastic bag and refrigerate for 3–4 weeks before planting.
- Soil Prep: Loosen soil and amend with compost if needed. Ideal pH is 6.0–7.0.
- Sowing Depth: Sow seeds 1/8 inch deep. Cover lightly with soil.
- Spacing: Thin or transplant seedlings to 18–24 inches apart.
- Watering: Keep soil consistently moist during germination (10–20 days). Once established, water only during prolonged dry periods.
- Care: Deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms. Leave some seed heads in fall for birds and winter interest.
- Bloom Time: Mid-to-late summer. Purple coneflowers attract bees, butterflies, and birds, and make excellent cut flowers and pollinator garden additions.