Re: echinacea
- Subject: Re: echinacea
- From: G* K*
- Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 09:14:52 -0700
Barbara in Berkeley wrote:
> I have two echinacea in my garden: a dark pink and a white. The white one
> is in a sunnier spot and seems to need very little water. The pink one
gets
> a bit more shade and some of the flower stalks and leaves wilt when the
> weather gets warmer than usual. I was just gone for a week and the pink
one
> was all but gone, with the one stalk that has just started blooming fallen
> over. The white one is happy as can be with lots of flowers. I was under
> the impression that these are drought tolerant plants. By the way, my
> garden is mulched with lots of leaves and plant clippings.
>
> Any suggestions or information?
>
> Barbara - in Berkeley
>
Dear Barbara,
I grow several species of Echinacea in my garden in El Cerrito
(California), and have experienced the same problem you have cited. It is
not a lack of water which causes the problem. The problem is too much water
in the soil during warm weather. Water molds, likely Phytophera, attack
many plants in moist soil when the soil warms up. Echinacea seems prone to
this problem. It has never killed any of my plants, but it seems to strike
right when flowers are about to bloom, and then it takes out the entire
stalk. I try to manage the problem by watering less and cutting out the
affected parts. Hope this helps you.
Regards, Tim Kalman
