How to sow echinacea

time

Echinacea can be sown in spring, summer or autumn.

Matrix

Choose soil with good drainage and breathability, and apply enough base fertilizer to the soil. Generally, 1500-2000 kg of decomposed chicken manure, cow manure and manure are applied per mu.

Seed treatment

Before sowing, the seeds should be soaked, germinated and disinfected.

Put the seeds in a basin, add warm water at 35℃-40℃, stir gently to soak all the seeds in the water. After 2-3 hours, put the seeds in 800-1000 times potassium permanganate solution and disinfect them for about 15 minutes.

Next, take out the seeds, place them evenly on newspapers, and then place them in a sunny and ventilated place to dry for 1-2 hours before sowing.

Sowing steps

Echinacea is usually sown by broadcasting.

When sowing, first put some fine soil in the pot, then mix the seeds and the fine soil with your hands, then sprinkle the seeds evenly in the substrate, then cover it with another layer of substrate and water it thoroughly.

When watering, use small amounts of water to flood the soil to avoid mixing the seeds together and causing uneven germination.

Generally, the seedlings will break through the soil in about 8 days, and all the seedlings will emerge in about 15 days.

Management after sowing

Echinacea seedlings require relatively little water in the early stages and generally do not need to be watered, just keep the soil moist. When the seedlings grow 2-3 true leaves, start watering. Generally, water them once every 15-20 days. If it is rainy, be sure to drain the water in time.

As the echinacea seedlings grow, weeds will gradually appear. In order to prevent the weeds from competing with the seedlings for water and nutrients, weeding should be done in a timely manner, preferably by hand.

If sowing in autumn, water with antifreeze water once before winter. Cover the seedlings with plastic sheeting to keep them warm within 2-3 days after watering. When the temperature rises in spring, you can remove the covering in early April.