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Growing tips - Echinacea

alfharris8alfharris8 Posts: 513
in Problem solving
I have a border that I feel a white echinacea such as White Swan or Happy Star would look good in. Sadly I've lost the Happy Star I bought a while ago and have read that Echinacea are difficult to overwinter. I have also read they dislike disturbance so lifting in an attempt to protect in a pot doesn't sound like an option. 
Does anyone have any advice please ?
Thanks  

Posts

  • Janie BJanie B Posts: 963
    I always leave mine in the border, the Purpurea Magnus Superior come back stronger each year. White Swan and Delicious Candy aren't too bad, but Fatal Attraction is a weakly specimen ... in fact I may pull it out completely after this year, as it's been in about three years, and is really a bit pathetic now!
    Lincolnshire
  • alfharris8alfharris8 Posts: 513
    @Janie B
    Thanks for the reply. I wouldn't even mind replacing them after three years if I could just keep them alive. 
    We are in the West so perhaps they don't like our wet weather. 
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    They don't like my soggy clay. If I lift them I lose some but if I leave them I lose them all.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I think they are often eaten before they come through the soil in spring. I have E Pallida first time I have grown them in years. Normally year two nothing. I was looking at adisplay of them only yesterday they looked lovely lots of the brighter colours mixed.I was good and walked away!
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • CH1973CH1973 Posts: 73
    They sulk if disturbed in the growing season. My little first year plants that aren't seedlings anymore will be getting moved around once they are asleep for the winter. Hopefully get some flowers next year off them 🙂
  • CH1973CH1973 Posts: 73
    plenty of sand and grit and some compost into the soil where they are getting planted. They don't like wet feet. 
  • CH1973CH1973 Posts: 73
    Either do I. Nothing worse 😂
  • alfharris8alfharris8 Posts: 513
    Thank you all for the informative and amusing replies 😁
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Buy the biggest, most established plants you can so they have a decent root system to start with or grow them on first and snip off early flowers so they concentrate on developing decent roots. The little 9cm ones planted out often struggle and disappear for me even in well amended/well drained soil. The closer to the species they are the tougher they are but the fancier cultivars seem to benefit from some cosseting/growing on before being introduced into the wild west of the border. Wet feet are definitely the enemy!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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