Coneflower ∗ The 10 best care and planting tips (Echinacea)

Plant the sun hat correctly

In order for the perennial with golden-yellow ray flowers and brown heart to keep what the name promises, this procedure is important when planting:

Weed thoroughly in a sunny location with nutrient-rich, well-drained and freshly moist soil
Meanwhile, place the young plant with the root ball in a bucket of water
The planting pit has 1-5 times the volume of the root ball
For tall species and varieties, drill a support rod in the ground

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How to properly plant coneflower - the best tips

Enrich the excavation with compost and horn shavings, (€ 6.39 at Amazon *) to insert the potted plant down to the lower pair of leaves. The current height determines whether the coneflower is tied now or at a later point in time. After you've pressed and watered the substrate, the perennial will be grateful for a mulch layer of leaves or grass.

Care tips

If you give the sun hat the following care, the perennial will prove to be a loyal and flower-rich companion through the summer:

Water the bed and the tub regularly when the soil has dried
Start fertilization in April / May and refreshment in June with compost, horn shavings or liquid fertilizer
Clean up withered flowers for a rich second bloom
Cut back close to the ground, either in autumn or early spring

Light winter protection is only recommended outdoors in the year of planting, by covering the coneflower with leaves or coniferous branches. Planters are wrapped in foil and placed on wood so that the root ball does not freeze through. If it is freezing cold, you should water a little every now and then on mild days.

Which location is suitable?

A sun hat is there with floral splendor wherever it is full sun to sunny. In combination with nutrient-rich and freshly moist soil, the perennial gives its best. In partially shaded locations, however, the abundance of flowers falls far short of expectations.

The correct planting distance

So that a sun hat can show what summery beauty is in it, an airy and at the same time gapless plant spacing should be chosen. With an average height of the genus Echinacea of 80-100 cm, a distance to the neighboring plant of 35 cm is considered ideal. To green a larger area with Echinacea, place 8 specimens per square meter. If you settle an imposing Rudbeckia with a stature height of up to 200 cm, a planting distance of 90 cm is considered appropriate.

What soil does the plant need?

Coneflower develops into a splendid highlight in the perennial bed when the soil is structured in a nutritious, humic and slightly moist manner. For a plant in the tub, we therefore recommend using high-quality compost-based potting soil. It is advantageous to add perlite or lava granulate (€ 13.76 at Amazon *) to ensure good permeability.

What is the best time to plant?

They provide sun hats in an excellent starting position in the herbaceous bed if you choose the autumn months of September or October as the planting time. In the deeply warmed-up soil, the tender roots immediately set to work to be well established by the first frost. As a result, the plants start in spring with a vital growth advantage compared to sun hats that are only planted in April or May.

When is the flowering time?

A sun hat pampers us with its eye-catching flower heads all through summer and into autumn. The starting shot for the brightly colored flower festival is given in July and will last until October. If you clean out faded specimens to make room for a second bloom, it is advantageous to ensure that the flowers remain uninterrupted.

Cut the sun hat correctly

If you have a look at the flower bed during the flowering period, the scissors should always be close at hand. Cut off withered flower stalks immediately, motivate the flower to sprout again. At the end of this year's flowering period, it is up to you to decide whether the perennial can reproduce in the garden by self-sowing. In this case, leave the flower stalks in the bed until next spring, where they also act as winter decorations with their hedgehog heads. Only cut the foliage when it is completely withered, because the remaining nutrients will be assimilated by the roots by then.

Various premium varieties are recommended as vase jewelry, such as Rudbeckia Goldsturm or the robust Toto sun hat. Cut the prettiest flower stalks close to the ground early in the morning when their buds opened shortly before.

Watering the sun hat

As a prairie flower, coneflower can withstand brief drought in exceptional cases without any problems. A lush abundance of flowers, on the other hand, is more conducive to a constantly slightly moist substrate that dries up in the meantime. Ideally, you should water the perennial directly on the roots and avoid watering from above.

Fertilize the sun hat properly

Coneflower is not a food lover and is happy about an organic starting fertilization in spring, which is refreshed during the flowering period. Therefore give a generous portion of compost and horn shavings (€ 6.39 on Amazon *) to the flower in April / May and repeat the nutrient supply in June. If you cultivate the hedgehog's heads in a bucket, the application of liquid fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks is advisable due to the limited substrate volume. At the end of August, the application of fertilizer ends so that the perennial prepares for winter.

Diseases

If the fungal disease powdery mildew rages in the garden, the coneflower is rarely spared it. Check the leaves every few days to act as soon as the first symptoms appear. If a floury-white patina spreads on the leaves, fresh milk should be kept in the refrigerator. Milk water in a ratio of 1: 9 is able to stop the fungal infection in the early stages of infestation. Spray the mixture on the top and bottom of the leaves every 2 days.

Overwinter

Since both Rudbeckia and Echinacea coneflowers can withstand temperatures down to -35 degrees Celsius, no winter protection measures are required for well-established plants. In the year of planting as well as in the tub, we recommend the following precautions:

Cover the coneflower with leaves or needles in the first winter
Place the bucket on wood, wrap it with foil and place it in front of the south wall of the house

If winter lacks moisture in the form of rain or snow, water the perennial every now and then on a mild day.

Propagate sun hat

The propagation of the coneflower is just as uncomplicated as the entire cultivation of this magnificent perennial. Simply choose the one that suits you from the following methods:

Division of the root ball in spring or autumn
Sowing the seeds behind glass

While the division is not a challenge even for beginners among the hobby gardener, sowing requires a little experience. Since the seeds are cold germs, a stratification - i.e. cold treatment - is necessary in advance in order to wake up the germination mood.

How do I transplant properly?

Every 5 years, the coneflower receives a makeover by dividing and replanting the perennial. You will be amazed what effect this uncomplicated measure has on the willingness to flower and the vitality of the plant:

In spring or autumn, cut off the root ball in the radius of the growth height
Loosen the soil well with the digging fork to lift the plant out of the ground
Divide the root ball into two or more segments that have at least 2 buds

Take this opportunity to take a close look at the roots to cut off and dispose of balding, poor areas. Then plant each bale piece in fresh, compost-enriched soil and water generously.

Is coneflower poisonous?

The ingredients of coneflower have been important in folk medicine for generations. It is the essential oils, bitter substances and echinacin that have a beneficial effect on diseases of the respiratory tract or excel in wound treatment. Medicines based on red coneflower are also used for psoriasis. Prepared as a tea, the sun hat also strengthens the body's defenses against colds and flu-like infections. A property that does not apply to sun hats is therefore toxic.

Coneflower does not bloom

If the coneflower does not want to bloom, you cannot avoid a dedicated search for the cause. We have compiled the most common triggers for a failure to bloom for you with tips on how to fix them:

Lack of light: move the coneflower to a sunny location
Drought stress: Water the perennial regularly as soon as the soil has dried on the surface
Nutrient deficiency: Provide the flower with compost or liquid fertilizer in April / May as well as in June

Also keep in mind that perennials propagated from seedlings take a few years to flower. If your coneflower is the result of sowing seeds, you should therefore wait 2-3 years until the first flowering.

Nice varieties

Summer Sun: two-tone hybrid in red-orange and gold-orange with a wonderful scent; Height 80-90 cm
Sunrise: The variety has light yellow flowers and a compact habit; Growth height 70-80 cm
Hula Dancer: The white ray-flowers are tinged with pink and hang elegantly; Growth height 80 cm
August Queen: Magnificent sun hat with purple-pink flowers on the dark stem; Height 80-90 cm
Fatal Attraction: Impressive, deep red flowers on tightly upright stems; Growth height 60-70 cm
Razzmatazz: Premium variety with lush, double pom pom blossoms in purple-pink; Height 80-90 cm
Goldball: Majestic onlookers of the Rudbeckia genus with golden yellow, bulging flowers; Height of growth 180-200 cm
Autumn gold: One of the most beautiful varieties for vase cutting with yellow-reddish-brown flamed flowers; Height 80-100 cm