Echinacea advice please?

[marialittlebzz]

I would like to plant some echinacea from seed : all advice needed !!
Time, exposition and soil needs...most of all, success tips from my fellow growers !
Are they good for bees and flying things?
Thanks!

[Ethansmum]

Oh I've got some seeds to sow too- double deckers. I'm wanting to hear from fellow growers as I'm a newbie

[smallblueplanet]

Lidl had some echinacea in their perennials offer yesterday - 49p. I've grown echinacea pallida from seed, not too difficult. They love sun and will do better in a sunny spot. They'll multiply up quite easily for you to split them and plant them elsewhere, give some away.

Good for the insects and stuff. Another one easy to grow from seed, which you can use as a tea - bergamot.

[Ethansmum]

I'm making a determined effort this year to make my garden more attractive to insects and all manner of creepy crawly. I watched a programme about how the honey bees are dying out and that really got me thinking.

We live on a new estate where virtually nobody has flowers or even trees. They choose low mainentence gardens with just grass. I feel so sad when I look at their boring gardens- devoid of birds or any wildlife. So I'm devoting my garden to them

[marialittlebzz]

Manda you are a star!
you gave me a great idea, I love bergamot in the tea and never thought of it !
thanksss!

[marialittlebzz]

I feel so sad when I look at their boring gardens- devoid of birds or any wildlife. So I'm devoting my garden to them

I found a twin!
Where do you live? i am in north London...

[Ethansmum]

Yorkshire! I think the disease is spreading everywhere though

Have you applied for the Gardeners world cosmos trial? Look here at the bottom of the page: BBC - Gardening - TV and radio - TV and radio

I think they should be nice for butterflies

[greenlung]

I find echinacea difficult to grow from seed, but if you've got somewhere warm to mollycoddle them to start off, once they're away, they'll do fine. They like it sunny and warm but can handle cold desert temperatures at night too. Their leathery, bristly leaves are good at deterring beasties.

[Two_Sheds]

I too, can't grow echinacea from seed, but it works well from root cuttings/division.
If you're in London, try to visit the Chelsea Physic Garden (in summer) and see their amazing collection of medicinal plants.
Chelsea Physic Garden

[redadmiral]

i have some echinacea seeds i hope to plant this year too, i guess i'll follow the advice here and just try and keep them warm at first. though i'm a little confused as to why some people have found them fine to grow and others impossible?

re: chelsea physic garden, two sheds i've been wanting to go for the last couple of years and never got around to it. thanks for reminding me!

[Ethansmum]

Last year I bought a packet of echinacea seeds from the poundshop. I was lazy in those days and just threw them in a flower pot outside and forgot about them. Well they all germinated and grew in to lovely little seedlings till we had the floods in June They all washed away. Those ones were very neglected though, but still grew very well.

[nick the grief]

I got some of these from Parkers ( along with the free bulbs) and there were 10 root cuttings/division so they are all potted up now and will go out in the garden and/or the lottie later on.

[srodders]

I find them quite easy to grow from seed and they flower in their first year. Last years are just showing new growth above ground now, and seeds put in last Tuesday are just starting to germinate.