Primarily Late Spring through Summer Finish, however, they can be finished for Fall with early Summer planting. Standard PPP.
None needed for most varieties. B-nine/Cycocel tank mix at 2500/1000 ppm or Sumagic at 5 ppm will help keep leaf internodes shorter in Big Sky varieties. Applications of Configure at 150-300 ppm is effective at increasing branching during the bulking stage.
General pest and disease practices as listed in notes. Aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites and whiteflies can be problematic. Aster yellows (usually only problematic when leafhoppers aren't controlled), fungal leaf spots, fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, and root rots (Pythium and Rhizoctonia).
'Little Annie' is naturally compact and freely branching and should not need either chemical application.
Echinacea does not tolerate wet soil, do not allow to stay wet for long periods of time.
Provide 24 hour lighting to bulk up plants, if necessary. It is best to bulk plants until 3 to 4 shoots are present for the highest quality plants.
Provide long days, 13 to 16 hours a day, for flower production. Night interruption lighting is also effective.
Once established use cool temperatures to keep compact. Echinacea is a long day plant and will not flower until the day length is correct.
The primary benefit of vernalization in Echinacea is that the plants will bloom faster.
