Pretreatment of seed: Store at 40F for 4 weeks, Scarification also helps.
Lightly cover seed soil temperature for germination 70-75F Number of days to germination 10-12 days.. germination to transplant 4-8 weeks. Time to set out in yard 10-12 weeks.
above for starting inside.
Ideal pH 5.8-6.8...... A long day plant to flower.

I like the lazy way and it works for me. In December or January, I go out and scatter the seed where I want it to grow. I might cover them lightly with soil and tamp them down. If I think there's enough birds around that might eat the seed, then I will throw a curtain sheer over it and weigh down the corners with bricks, but I will only leave this on for a couple of weeks. Then just wait. In the spring, when we start getting those first warm days, kind of keep an eye on things to make sure it doesn't get too dry there. Before you know it you'll have little green shoots. Echinacea is a wild plant that grows in fields here in Oklahoma. DH spent part of his childhood digging the root and selling it to a local drugstore for so much a pound, back in the 1950's. Farmers hate to have people digging in their fields because removing the root leaves a hole that a cow or a horse can come along and step in. Not a good thing. I think some people around here still dig the root, but these days you must be careful to get permission, and in order to get permission, you must promise to be responsible and fill in the holes you make.

But anyway, this is how the plant propagates in the wild, and it works for lots of things that need to be winter treated, and even for some things that don't. Good luck!

I winter-sowed them (in a container outdoors) in December.

Winter sow them. Works great.

This was my first try and I'm happy with the number of plants.

I'm in zone 7 and direct sowed mine in the early winter (after the larkspur was sown in late October) when the ground was wet. I have lots and lots of seedlings that are about 8 inches high, but no blooms yet. I sowed 'Prairie Splendor' seeds that I collected and 'Ruby Star' seeds that I bought and also collected. I have just started 'White Swan' directly in the garden since we're having a lot of rain. They have already germinated and I hope they'll be a good size before our first frosts in October so that they can be established before winter.

I have to watch the rabbits and just tonight, I sprayed all of the young seedlings with "I Must Garden Rabbit Repellent" since these coneflowers aren't behind any fences.

Cameron

I wintersowed echinacia (tenneseenis) in February and now have nearly 4 dozen plants getting nicely established in the garden. This worked so well (and so easy) that I will be WSing other ech. varieties this coming winter.
Kris

I would like to do the same, but I'm not seeing seeds yet? The flowers are done, what do I do to locate and save the seed? Do you plant the whole spent bud? Thanks for your help! Kim

I grew white ecinacea. The seed company said to soak them in water overnight. I did and it worked!

thanks for all the advice. I think i will winter sow some and try to grow some indoors during the winter. I want lots and lots of them.

For kimmeed, the flower should be completely dried up, with even the top of the stem turning brown, before you try to collect the seed. Once it is ready, the seed will fall right out. If you plant the entire flowerhead, you will get a lot of plants close together!

Becky

Thanks for the help, the flower stems are just starting to turn brown so it looks like I need to get out there and pick the heads off soon. Wasn't sure if that was when or not. They don't really like our hot humid weather but so far two have bloomed this year and seem to still look well even in this drought. I do water them but not that much as I want to see how well they will handle our weather. The worst summer in 30 years.

Cameron, my problem is deer. I have 2 cats, and I havent seen a mouse or rabbits here for many years. At least not around the house.
Tammy

Will white echinacea grow true from seed? I would like to try growing it.