Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: viettaclark on October 07, 2009, 23:38

Title: echinacea
Post by: viettaclark on October 07, 2009, 23:38: Hi all! I'm usually on the veg and chicken sites but have a prob with my echinacea.
I sowed seed in spring and planted out the plants in May. The slugs had a party >:(and I don't think the poor plants liked where I put them...semi-shade in pretty acid soil (under apple and holly trees) Then I got the chickens and the plants were being scratched and pecked so I dug them up and potted them up again. With care 13 have survived and are flourishing outside.
I think they are perennials so should I plant out now (in the front garden!!) and hope they pull through the winter or should I leave them in their pots and plant out next spring? I haven't got a greenhouse but I could set up a cloche or something or just tuck them round the side where we never get frost?
Would I need to water or will they hibernate?
It would be great to have some flowers next year!
Title: Re: echinacea
Post by: Paul Plots on October 08, 2009, 00:20: I know nothing about echinacea (coneflower) but there seems to be a fair amount of info and advice on the internet.

Maybe a search would help with answers to your questions? ;)

Just a thought.
Title: Re: echinacea
Post by: viettaclark on October 08, 2009, 09:07: Thanks Lerner!
The BBC reckon you can divide between Sept. and May so I assume I can just plant out soon....might even manage to split some while I'm at it!!!
All is not lost, then. :D
Title: Re: echinacea
Post by: Goosegirl on October 08, 2009, 17:23: They are perennials and I have two given to me by a friend which I potted up and, yes, the snails liked them - oh goody! I'm leaving mine in their pots and will plant them out next year when they have made decent sized plants so they have a better chance of surviving the pesky snails. If you have no greenhouse, you could plunge them into the ground in their pots to help them survive any winter frosts and you could cover them with fleece if it gets too cold, but they should be ok if the pots are of a good size.
Title: Re: echinacea
Post by: viettaclark on October 08, 2009, 22:43: They're in 5" pots at the moment but there's plenty of new growth coming. I'd hate to lose them after all the effort so I'm going to try and overwinter as you suggest and plant out next Spring. Should I feed and water them when eventually covering for the frost or will they rot?
Title: Re: echinacea
Post by: viettaclark on October 08, 2009, 22:50: Omg Learner! I've done it again! I'm really sorry I keep spelling it wrong....it's a mental block because you're obviously NOT a learner....... ::)