Echinacea seedlings overwinter

strelitzia32 · October 2020

I've got 20 or so white swan seedlings slowly growing away. What's the general consensus on overwintering them - do they need an unheated greenhouse or cold frame, or will they be ok outside? And can I get away with not potting up until next year?

Photo of a couple of them with a house brick for scale. Thanks!

pitter-patter · October 2020

Last year I had some mixed echinacea seedlings that were the same size as yours and I overwintered them in a corner of the garden without any protection and they were fine. This year they’ve grown into nice flowering plants. Just edited to say I’m in East Midlands, for some reason I’ve never been able to add my location.

Silver surfer · October 2020

pitter-patter said:

for some reason I’ve never been able to add my location.

I had same problem, but somehow managed to get it underneath

pitter-patter · October 2020

Ooo, very clever. Thank you, @Silver surfer.

strelitzia32 · October 2020

Thanks @pitter-patter..

Blue Onion · October 2020

FYI, I have six white swan.. and they are a bit more fussy than the standard purple. Mine came in flower from the GC and did great the first year.. the second year almost every bloom was a green fascination. The third year was a bit more wet and the early flowers were fine and the later ones were fascinations again. This year I tried to keep better on the watering, and had more blooms than fascinations. My purple ones have done just fine with less water, more shade, and poorer soil 10 yards away. I had to move one of the white swans last fall, and this year it came up with tiny fascinations and no blooms.

I love the color and shape of their blooms.. but they take more effort. At least, for me. Lack of water really isn't a common issue in an English spring and early summer. 😉

pitter-patter · October 2020

@strelitzia32 I’ve dug mine out from where they’ve self seeded in the garden and planted them in small pots in the autumn. I overwintered them as above and planted them out in spring. I have three different colours now: white, yellow and pink, so I don’t think they come true from seed. You might get some interesting variations.

@Blue Onion Did you grow them from seed? Do you have any photos of the fasciated flowers? It would be interesting to see.

Blue Onion · October 2020

It's end of season (we've had a few light frosts).. so excuse the poorly looking plants. The top photo is the one transplanted last fall. The others I had several years, purchased in bloom from the GC as potted plants. I did have one seedling I let mature.. and it was a lovely shade of light pink.. a genetic mix of the white and standard purple I assume.. but could have been a genetic reversion.

pitter-patter · October 2020

I have no idea what may have caused it; I hope they will do better for you next year.

Blue Onion · October 2020

@pitter-patter My white echinacea has more of a pronounced 'cone' than your white example in your picture. I thought mine were white swan.. but maybe not? They just came labeled as 'white echinacea'.. and some internet image searching lead me to think they were white swan.. but very possible they are not.

@strelitzia32 Here I am.. hijacking another thread, sorry!! And disregard all my previous unsolicited advice, if in fact I have a different variety!

pitter-patter · October 2020

@Blue Onion Mine is not white swan, it’s self sown from some pink echinacea I had in my previous garden. I was surprised by the colours. Now I grow different varieties, so it would be interesting to see if they self seed.

Echinacea seedlings overwinter

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