I have 5 coneflower plants in different locations and they are all affected by the same problem. I started noticing holes in all of the foliage with some of the plants' foliage disappearing almost completely. Some of the foliage is also withered and blackish gray. I have noticed many very small black catepillars, about a half inch long, on several of the plants. The plants range in age from several years to one year old.
The caterpillars are likely the cause, but which they are I cannot tell without a picture. However, all caterpillars are treated the same. This article will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/prevent-caterpillars.htm
My Echinacea Purpura flower heads were just opening and now they have all disappeared completely off the stems at the top. What could have caused this? There's no sign of them on the ground.
Deer. While deer are not normally fond of echinacea, they will eat the young flowers, especially if they are hungry. Over population of the deer in many areas have left them starving, even in the height of summer and when they are like this, they will start to eat plants they would not normally eat.
The good news is that echinacea responds to deadheading (which is what the deer has done), and you should see another round of flowers this year.
I have an echinacea plant that I potted. I live in NewYork and would like to know how to care for it over winter. It is in a 12 inch pot, and I thought to bring it indoors.
Bringing it indoors should assure that it will return in spring. Echinacea are herbaceous perennials, meaning they die back in winter and return in spring. Just water once in awhile and move back outside when spring arrives.
I have an echinacea plant in my back garden. It is in a nice shady place and it hasn't quite finished flowering. What do I do with it when it does finish? Will it grow again next season? It is about 3 to 4 feet high. Do I cut it down? I have harvested the dead heads of the flowers and put them away. When do I reset them, and is there anything I have to do to make them take?
It is up to you as far as cutting or leaving them. Either way is fine. Some people actually like to leave the plants and flower heads intact for the winter as the birds like to eat the seeds. It can provide some winter interest in the garden and then the plants can be cut back in the spring.
Yes, they do generally come back but you can still spread the seeds over the area you want them to grow in and cover slightly with soil (they don't need much). This can be done now or in early spring. The seeds will need water in the spring after winterizing (or following spring planting). In most cases, normal rainfall is enough but if you have a dry spring, you'll need to water the area.
I am more than usually plagued with slugs so that there are some plants that they just eat the tops off as they come through the ground in spring. Since other people can grow the same plants that I can't grow, I wonder if there is something that my plants are short of that causes them to be so susceptible? My biggest problem is Echinacea but that's not the only one. Thank you, Angela.
Thank you. I do work pretty hard to keep on top of the slugs. I've also several books about them. Years ago I used slug pellets but these days that's a 'no no'. I'm out most evenings with a bucket of soapy water and my rubber gloves but other than stand there all night I have to admit I'm losing the battle. I've just now bought a soil testing kit so will see where that gets me. One problem is that we've had hardly any frost this winter and the slugs have carried on breeding throughout.
Once slugs get started in your area, you have to make some special efforts to get rid of them. This article should give you some ideas: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/facts-about-slugs-and-how-to-kill-garden-slugs.htm
Just to be sure that the plants in your garden area are as healthy as possible (other than slugs,) you could have your soil tested by the Extension Service. This link will help you locate one near you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search/
Something is cutting the Echinachea off near bottom and eating the leaves near the bottom of the plant. Any idea what? Woodchuck? Rabbit?
Rabbits prefer tender new shoots and will eat coneflowers in spring. Stems and tough old leaves are woodchuck items. Your culprit could be a raccoon but I'm leaning toward woodchuck.
I'm in Ohio, this summer is the 1st yr, I grew Purple Coneflower's from seed. Since they where seeds, they are sprouts right now, Big sprouts thou. I didn't realize, after they grew from seed to small sprouts, I took em out of the pot straight to my yard. I have about 8-10 of em. Very big sprouts. I didn't know I should have spaced them out more. I'm worried that by Spring of 2017, they will be over crowded. My question is"should I leave em alone, then in Spring say April, dig some up and transplant or do it now?
You can leave them there until you start to see a crowding problem. Try not to disturb them much when they are little. In the wild they establish themselves in dense patches, so they are adapted to these close quarters. When they spread too much, you can move some elsewhere, and thin the heard.