Coneflowers: Final 4 coneflowers, garden one...., 1 by kingconeflower

kingconeflower wrote:
Hi Brenda....First, thank you!...Coneflowers are my favorites,as I have 2 gardens of them, but also love doing hanging baskets, container gardening, shrubs, small trees etc. of which I have 2 more beds....I like coneflowers because sometimes they can tolerate soil conditions that are not so great, and after established, can really take on the drought, and they can really bring on the color.......Now, after my first flowers are spent, I go down the stem to the next little bud I see and make the cut just a bit above there ...If you don't, you'll only get one flower....Certainly, each coneflower will be different in regards to when....Just watch for a fading, spent flower.....Coneflower growers are a unique group, and many have different opinions on their care, soil etc....One fact we all agree on is that they don't like "wet feet," and some even make raised beds to avoid this....Thus they prefer a soil that is well drained and mixed with plenty of organic things....There are some people I know that buy compost, or make their own, to mix in with their soil....You didn't say if you did....Of course their location is important as they love the sun and can tolerate some shade....When planting a new coneflower, I always buy the bigger size pots....Also, I usually only water them for the first few weeks after planting as needed..Only in their first year, I might use an extended release low nitrogen like a 5-10-5 mix once..As I've said, I like to make them "stand on their own!"....However, if I have an extended dry spell, I will water them around the base good..The plants usually tell me themselves as to their appearance....This year here, we have had "mucho" rain, so I really haven't done anything but cut them back where needed....As far as the winter, I leave them alone and watch the birds feast...In the Spring, I cut them way back, and with some that are older, I take them out of the ground, and split them....If you look at the pics, this year I split 4 different coneflowers in half and made 2 double colored ones...I hope somewhere in here I helped you....Let me know!!....Happy Gardening!!....Will post pics of entire garden two here shortly...