50 Strawberry & Cream Coneflower Echinacea and similar items

- BLOOM TIME: Summer ? Frost. - HARDINESS ZONE: 4 ? 10. - LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Sun - Part Shade. - SOIL WATER PREFERENCES: Average ? Dry. - QUANTITY: 50 Seeds. - Bright upright plants, coneflowers are a North American perennial in the Daisy family (Asteraceae). They grow 2 to 4 feet in height with dark green foliage. They are fast growers and self-sow their seed profusely. These midsummer bloomers can flower from midsummer through fall frost! Coneflowers have raised cone-like centers (hence, the name) which contain seeds that attract butterflies. Leave the seed heads after bloom and you?ll also attract songbirds!. - Trouble-free, coneflowers are drought-tolerant, once established. They can take the heat! As native plants with prickly stems, they are more deer-resistant than most flowering plants. - Dampen a Paper Towel. - Fold a paper towel in half. Sprinkle it with water until it's barely damp but not soggy. - Treat the Seeds. - Sprinkle the coneflower seeds on one-half of the paper towel. Fold the towel in half so the seeds are between two layers of moist towel. Seal the towel in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator for eight to 12 weeks. This cold treatment mimics winter conditions and helps the seeds break dormancy so they can germinate. - Prep the Pots. - Fill 8-inch-deep seedling pots with moistened potting soil. Coneflowers need extra-deep pots because they develop very long taproots. - Sow the Seeds. - Sow two coneflower seeds in each pot, covering them with only a thin sprinkling of soil, and allow the pots to drain. - Cover the Pots. - Cover the pots with clear plastic to retain moisture and keep the pots in a warm room to germinate. - Remove the Bag. - Remove the bag once the seeds sprout and provide the seedlings with full sunlight. Water the plants when the soil surface dries. - Transplant the Seedlings. - Move the coneflowers outside once they produce their second set of true leaves and after average nighttime temperatures are above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant them to a full-sun, well-drained perennial bed. - Water the Coneflowers. - Provide coneflowers with approximately 1 inch of water a week during the growing season. Apply up to 1 inch of compost around each plant in spring to replenish the nutrients in the soil.