You can learn how to transplant coneflowers in two simple steps. The beauty of coneflowers does not stop with the flowers themselves, but with how forgiving they are in terms of growing them. Gardeners should not feel intimidated in transplanting and changing the arrangements of coneflowers in the garden.
More so, those who use a greenhouse for growing coneflowers can have a headstart in transplanting. Remember that the key to transplanting successfully is growing vigorous plants that can handle the site transition. This is easy to achieve in the greenhouse because the stable conditions do not put the coneflowers at stress.
How To Transplant Coneflowers To Guarantee Success
Step #1. Site preparation
Before anything else, you want to prepare the location for your coneflower transplants. Do this before digging up the plants to prevent them from drying up. Coneflowers are not picky when it comes to the site, but it’s worth remembering their ideal growing environment.
Ideal location
Coneflowers thrive well in zones 3 to 9, which gives you an idea of the conditions best for these flowers. If your area experiences harsh winters, you will have a better chance of growing coneflowers successfully in the greenhouse. Remember that coneflowers prefer hot weather, especially for flower production.
In the garden, choose an area that receives full sun. You might also need to amend the ground with organic matter, but coneflowers should tolerate low fertility soils. However, you are transplanting plants in the new site, so it should be fertile.
Soil quality
Some gardeners till the soil with compost and slow-release fertilizer. The ground should also be well-draining, but once established, coneflowers can survive drought. It’s only essential to remember the conditions mentioned for a higher chance of survival of your transplants.
Step #2. Digging and planting
Pot removal and digging
The second and final step for transplanting coneflowers is digging the seedlings out and planting them onto the site. The emphasis is necessary here on gently taking the seedlings out of the container. A useful technique is holding the stem close to the soil and pulling it out from the pot.
You also don’t want to leave the coneflowers waiting for too long as they might dry up. Therefore, dig holes in the location with a space of three feet from each other. The depth could be twice the previous seedling container’s diameter to anticipate the roots of your plants
Planting and maintenance
You want the soil to be the same level as the part of the stem that connects to the roots. You must also loosen the dirt in the root ball before setting the plants in the hole. Then, stabilize your coneflowers by filling the gap with soil and patting it into place.
Upon planting, water the transplants thoroughly to help them get established and mulch around the plants for water retention. However, you don’t need to continually water the coneflowers because you don’t want to encourage rot. Check if the ground is dry before watering to avoid leaving the plants in standing water.
Dividing Coneflowers
According to Clemson University, you can divide coneflowers every three to four years. This technique is not only a useful propagation method for coneflowers, but you must also do it as part of maintenance. Knowing how to transplant coneflowers will also help divide them later on.
Spring vs fall
The best time to divide coneflowers is during the spring or fall. Coneflowers are prone to overgrowing and overcrowding in their location, especially in the spring. And what makes this period excellent for the division is that transplanting the newly divided coneflowers will have a quicker time establishing themselves.
On the other hand, dividing in fall is advantageous for digging the plants because of the clump’s leafy form. This also makes it more comfortable to remove the parts that haven’t survived the growing season. However, it would be best to never divide in the summer because they don’t have enough energy to put down roots due to flower production.
When should you not divide and transplant coneflowers?
More so, transplanting under the summer’s hot and dry conditions will put the plants at risk for stress. Unless the day is cloudy or you can provide protection from the sun’s heat, never divide or transplant coneflowers in the summer.
How To Transplant Divisions
Earlier, this article discussed how to transplant coneflowers, but it is about the seedlings you started in the greenhouse. You should also know how to transplant divisions correctly to ensure the survival of your coneflowers. To do so, start by digging around the plant deeply at a distance of 6 inches.
This will make it easier to lift out the plant without damaging the roots. Then, cut the clump into sections and remove the dead parts. Each section should be around 8 inches in diameter to ensure that they will thrive, and you can transplant them at 12 inches apart.
Conclusion
You can start coneflowers in the greenhouse or propagate them from divisions. However, you need to know how to transplant coneflowers correctly to ensure that they will put down roots and won’t get stressed. The method is simple, and you can simplify it into site preparation and digging and planting.
Choose a well-draining and fertile location that receives full sun, and be careful in removing the coneflowers from the pots or ground. Lastly, space them accordingly and water upon planting to help them get established.