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The Echinacea is a very versatile medicinal plant. It is known to treat a variety of illnesses such as colds, diphtheria, syphilis, scarlet fever, and blood poisoning. In addition, this plant has also been proven to boost the immune system. Native Americans are known to have extensively used Echinacea.
Buying supplements made of this plant (or even the plant itself) can be quite expensive, and so for practicality’s sake, it would be more advantageous for you to cultivate Echinacea seeds into maturity.
Not only is Echinacea useful but also beautiful and can brighten any yard or garden. You can use this plant to enhance garden borders or perennial beds.
Thankfully, Echinacea is very easy to grow and take care of. This plant also has a high tolerance for cold temperatures.
Echinacea seeds are widely available in nurseries and gardening stores. You can find Echinacea seeds for sale ads in the Internet and gardening magazines as well. When cultivating outdoors, it is best to plant Echinacea seeds in spring. Echinacea also loves the sun and so choose a planting area that gets direct sun exposure. Soil pH is also important when growing Echinacea. The ideal soil pH range for this plant is between 6 and 8.
When growing Echinacea first place seeds in a plastic bag with moist peat moss or vermiculite.
In the absence of either vermiculite or peat moss, you can use moist paper towels. When using these materials, place your Echinacea seeds between two towels and then put them inside a bag made of plastic.
Next, refrigerate the seeds for one to two weeks then sow them on the soil’s surface until they start germinating. Germination would normally take anywhere from 10 to 12 days. However, not all Echinacea seeds are created the same. When your Echinacea seed fails to germinate after 20 days, don’t right away throw in the towel. Some seeds are known to start germinating only after 6 weeks after they have been planted.
Next you would need to cover the germinated seeds with approximately 1/8 inch of soil. Space the Echinacea seeds at least 18 to 24 inches apart from each other. For Echinacea seeds, frequent watering is required. On the other hand, overwatering might cause them more harm than good. Be careful not to let the soil dry out as well when growing this plant. Also, be on the lookout for rabbits or hedgehogs in your garden as these animals are known to prey on Echinacea seeds. Flowering in Echinacea occurs normally from June to October.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about seeds and gardening information at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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