Echinacea perennial: planting and care, top 10 varieties, preparation for winter, cultivation

Perennial echinacea is loved by flower growers because it has a lot of useful properties. Herbal decoctions and tinctures have long been used in folk medicine to protect against infections and strengthen the immune system. However, echinacea is a good honey plant. Its flowers are diverse in shape, shades, stem height. A flowering plant will decorate any flower bed or garden plot. A flowering plant will decorate any flower bed or garden plot. Planting and caring for perennial echinacea is simple and does not require much experience. She is unpretentious, and even a novice gardener can breed her on the site.

Popular types and varieties of echinacea

The genus Echinacea includes 9 species, each of which has a variety of varieties. All of them have excellent decorative qualities, bloom in large, bright inflorescences that compete with each other in beauty. Echinacea is actively used in the preparation of garden compositions, as it gets along well with any flowering plants.

The most common 2 types of plants - Echinacea purpurea (the ancestor of the mass of modern varieties) and Echinacea strange (a species that does not have varieties).

Strange (Echinacea Britton paradoxa)

Echinacea strange - a plant with rich decorative properties. Only this species has flowers with sun-colored petals.

Purple (Echinacea purpurea)

It has large inflorescences, with an average diameter of up to 15 centimeters, elongated graceful petals. The core rises above the petals and has the shape of a cone.Often it creates a contrast in relation to the petals, and then the flower looks even more impressive. The stem is rough, it can reach one meter in length.

Many varieties of Echinacea purpurea are expressive, have a variety of shapes and colors.

Cranberry Cupcake

Cranberry Cupcake Echinacea flowers have a double heart and rich pink petals. This variety is highly valued by and often used by horticulturalists.

The King

The King flower has a tall stem. It resembles a large chamomile with red-pink petals. In diameter, flowers can reach 15-16 centimeters.

White Swan

Echinacea White Swan (translated as White Swan) blooms with beautiful snow-white flowers, similar to huge daisies.

Indiaca

Tall plant (stem can reach 75 centimeters). Flowers have long petals of pink and orange hues, the core is double, fluffy. The flowering period is very long and lasts all summer.

Magnus

The plant has a hard long stem. The flowers are large, the core and petals can be colored in different ways: the petals are dark red with splashes of purple, and the middle is light brown. The plant is characterized by late flowering (ends in October, with the onset of cold weather).

Sunset (Echinacea x sunset)

This variety includes several varieties obtained by crossing Echinacea purpurea and paradoxical. In hybrids, breeders have tried to combine the best qualities of these plants. Their flowers have large baskets on branching shoots, gracefully curved petals, and a pleasant smell.

Eccentric

Representatives of this variety are distinguished by a low stem (no more than 60 centimeters). The plant has very showy large flowers. Its petals are modestly lowered, and the fluffy middle is shaped like a ball. It has one interesting property: in buds, the inflorescences are orange, and after flowering they turn scarlet.

Terry cloth

Echinacea terry is a species that includes several varieties with double flowers. All of them have a fluffy center, framed by delicate petals. There are white, purple, crimson, orange, green shades.

Rudbeckia purpurea

Rudbeckia and Echinacea are two plants belonging to different genera, although very similar in appearance. Their flowers are the same in shape, although they differ in color (in rudbeckia they are yellow, and in echinacea they are red). Due to this similarity, Echinacea purpurea was described by the naturalist Carl Linnaeus.He named it Rudbeckia purpurea.

Later, German botanists concluded that the difference between the two plants is more significant. These are not only the shades of the petals, but also the structure of the bracts.

Thus, Rudbeckia purpurea is a misnomer for Echinacea purpurea. For rudbeckia, there is a name given to the plant in its homeland, in North America - Black Eyed Susan (black-eyed Susanna) because of the dark color inflorescences.

How to plant a perennial plant

Echinacea has a lifespan of about 5 years. For cultivation, you need to choose open sunny areas. Suitable slightly alkaline fertile soil. The plant can be propagated by seeds or seedlings.

Landing is done in autumn or early spring. In nature, Echinacea reproduces by self-sowing, dropping seeds into the ground in autumn so that sprouts appear in spring.

Choosing a seed planting path for a plant, you should do the same. This method is not reliable as some seeds may be of poor quality. Therefore, it is much more reliable to plant with seedlings previously grown in containers with a nutrient mixture.

Flowers appear in the second year after planting and bloom for about 60 days. It is important to strive to ensure that the plant is strong and he althy. Then it can serve as a good honey plant for bees, and its medicinal properties will manifest themselves most clearly.

Seed preparation

In order to get strong seedlings, the seeds must first be prepared. The grains are placed in cotton wool or a thin cloth and filled with water so that it completely covers the cloth. After some time, the seeds will germinate, after which they can be planted.

Terms and technology of sowing

Before growing in open ground, hatched seeds must be planted in individual containers with a nutrient medium. You should fill the cups with earth, make indentations in them and place the germinated seeds there. Immediately after planting, future seedlings should be watered abundantly. The process of seed germination can take a long time - up to 1.5 months.

Transplanting seedlings in open ground

Seedlings are transplanted into open ground in May-June. In the chosen place, holes are dug according to the number of sprouts at a distance of 25-30 centimeters. Before planting, fertilize the soil by placing a mixture of garden soil and compost on the bottom of the hole, and after planting, carefully water the seedlings.

In the future, it will be necessary to maintain moderate humidity, constantly weed and loosen the ground.

How to take care of your favorite plant in the garden

Caring for the plant is simple, but the preservation of the valuable qualities of echinacea depends on the right actions. It is important that the flower has enough sunlight, and the earth is well loosened, cleared of weeds and watered. If the plant is to be used for the preparation of herbal medicines, the use of chemicals for fertilization or treatment should be avoided. In this case, only organic compounds will do.

Water frequency

Echinacea is a moisture-loving plant. The soil around it must be constantly moistened. Watering is recommended to do frequent, but not too plentiful. In the hot summer, they are watered daily, but only in the evening. When coolness sets in, monitor the condition of the soil, and water as needed. Plants benefit from root watering.

What and how to feed a flower

You need to feed the plant only if the land is not fertile enough.It is better to use organic fertilizer by mixing compost and wood ash. You can also use a complex fertilizer containing nitrogen or potassium phosphate. Spring time should be used for fertilization.

Top dressing is carried out to achieve bright and lush flowering. If you plan to use echinacea as a medicinal plant, then it is better not to feed it.

Echinacea bloom

Echinacea blooms only in the second year after planting. The young plant has dense foliage, and flower stalks are still poorly developed. You can admire abundant flowering from mid-July to early October.

How to harvest Echinacea seeds

Seeds for future plantings are harvested at the very end of the season - these are the last days of October. Seed boxes at this time look like blackened prickly balls. They are cut with short stems and cleaned in a dark, dry place so that they dry out over the winter.You can, wrapping the boxes with a plastic bag, hang them by the stem. Then, as it dries, the seeds will fall onto the polyethylene. They are collected, dried for some more time and placed in the refrigerator. This method of storage is reliable, it provides the seeds with high germination.

Echinacea pruning

In order to preserve the beauty of plants longer, it is necessary to cut off dried inflorescences. New buds will appear in their place. They also do pre-winter pruning. The foliage and all stems are cut off at a distance of 5 centimeters from the surface of the earth. Roots sheltered for the winter will survive the winter cold more easily.

Transfer

It is recommended to transplant the plant in late spring or early autumn. This should be done with a clod of earth. After transplanting, it is important that the soil is constantly moistened - so the plant will be easier to accept in a new place. It is also important to cut the inflorescences before transplanting.

Preparing the plant for the winter period

Echinacea is a winter-hardy plant. But in the climatic conditions of the northern regions and Siberia, it is necessary to properly prepare the plants for winter. Left in severe frosts without shelter, they can freeze. After pre-winter pruning and mulching with compost, you should cover the remaining necks of the roots with fallen leaves. The fallen snow will reliably protect them from severe frosts. This is especially necessary for young one-year-old plants.

Echinacea Diseases and Pests: Prevention and Control

The plant has a high disease resistance. But there are a number of infectious pathologies and parasites that are dangerous for the flower. Control methods - removal of diseased plants and treatment with modern preparations - insecticides.

The following diseases are common:

Fusariosis is a fungal disease that causes root rot. For the fight, the drug Fundazol is used.
Powdery mildew is a white coating caused by a fungus that lives in damp soil. Treatment method - treatment with Bordeaux mixture.
Cercosporosis is a fungal pathology that manifests itself as white spots on the leaves. In the initial stages, it is enough to cut off diseased leaves. With a strong infection, insecticides cannot be dispensed with.

The following parasites are dangerous for Echinacea:

Whitefly is a pest butterfly that eats the leaves of plants. For the fight, insecticides Aktara, Konfidor are used.
Slugs - also destroy leaves, live in waterlogged soil. It is recommended to reduce watering, sprinkle the ground with superphosphates.
Slobber pennitsa - damages the leaves and stems of plants. To fight, they spray it with infusions of tobacco dust, garlic, and laundry soap.

Crop propagation

Echinacea is propagated in three ways:

Seeds. They are used in two cases - obtaining seedlings at home and sowing directly into the ground. This method is not convenient. Some seeds do not germinate because they are not viable.
Dividing the bush. A common method, but applicable only for adult plants (4-5 year olds). Used in spring time.
Cuttings. The method is complicated, so sometimes it ends in failure.

Seeds

The decision to propagate echinacea from seeds is made if they want to grow new varieties of plants that are not yet on the site. It is advisable to germinate seeds in greenhouses for subsequent planting, but it is possible to sow directly in open ground. Plantings are regularly watered, loosen the ground, maintain a comfortable temperature - about +15 degrees Celsius. Shoots will appear in about a month.

Sown in open ground in October-November, leaving for the winter. In the spring shoots will give viable seeds.

Dividing the bush

The procedure is carried out in April-May. Carefully dig a bush with strong roots and make a division. The best option is 2-3 fragments that have good roots with renewal points.

Propagated by cuttings

This method is applied at the end of May-June. In he althy stems, cuttings with two leaves are cut. Sections are treated with a growth stimulator and planted in fertilized soil at a temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius.

The appearance of new leaves means that the cuttings are rooted. Two months later, they are planted in open ground in a permanent place.

There are three known conditions for good echinacea growth: plenty of sunlight, soil with a pH level greater than 6 but less than 8, well-drained soil.If they are completed, then you can safely start breeding the plant. Caring for its cultivation will generously pay off with the joy of communicating with bright, positive flowers throughout the warm period of time.