Final 4 coneflowers, garden one....

Secret love, Double decker, Ruby star and a combo that I split in April, then planted together ....White Swan and Prarie splendor....So, actually 5 of them....Will send pic of entire Garden One next.....Happy gardening!!!!

Pretty - Pretty coneflowers. I'm assuming you are a long time coneflower grower with such pretties. I could use some pointers and maybe you are the person to ask. Mine are pretty standards - purple/light pink. Nothing fancy like yours. Mine were much prettier a month or so back. Now mine look pretty ratty. I know it is suggested to leave their spent blossoms for winter beauty and for the birds. What do you do with your after the blooms go ugly? Do you cut them back, or just leave them or ?

Thanks!

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...

Yes - Thank you for the info. Very informative. It made me stop and think about where all I had coneflowers and the conditions in which I have them. So - I think I need to be deadheading a few of mine now, according to what you said. I was not familiar with splitting them, but come spring I must do some of that, as well. I made me a note in my "2015 To do's". It is interesting how the blooms are so flat from the get go, then as the bloom remains on the stem, they take on the shape of a badmitten birdie. My main garden with coneflowers, at this point, look like birdies. I had planted the Hot Papaya last year and it did fine in 13'. It was up in the spring of 14' and bloomed a bloom. Then, it became hidden behind some yellow daisies as the season progressed and the other day when I pulled out the daisies, there was no sign of Hot Papaya. It is not wet there, and I was caucious when pulling the daisies, but it has disappeared from sight. I thought I had babied it, but probably not enough. Will keep my fingers crossed and just maybe it will resurface. I do make my own compost, so when I bust up and replant next spring, I'll be sure to add some compost (gold) at time of planting into a new spot. I'll look forward to your pictures of entire garden. Thanks again!