Re: echinacea

**D* G* <g*@gmail.com>**

I learned the trick quite a few years ago when they first brought out the
colored ones when I talked to one of the Dutch breeders.  You have to stop
the plant blooming in its first year. Period.  Otherwise it will go into
decline.  If you stop it from blooming, it will develop a stronger root
system and be fine.  Some gardeners allow a small bloom the second year -
I've never found that necessary.  After year one, I let 'em rip here in my
USDA 4 garden and don't lose them.

Mind you, having moved them 4-5 times in 4 years, I did find that fall
planting in my gardens isn't as effective as spring planting. Any I lost
were planted in the fall - even early fall is not as good as spring.  I
don't transplant any perennials after September - a lesson learned in the
nursery - spring transplanting is ever so much more effective - and when
you're talking thousands of plant (my old nursery experience) then you get
to to the testing pretty quickly.   Your results may vary but when I was
dealing with a ton of plants, you could tell the differences at the cash
register.

Doug Green
Editor-in-Chief, SGF Publishing
One million readers a month can't all be wrong
http://www.douggreensgarden.com/about.html <http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com>
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