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Just got my Tomato Soup and Mac and Cheese Echinacea!

15 years ago

I just received my echinacea from Green Thumbs Galore. Yay!

I have them soaking in some water for just a couple hours to rehydrate them well, before planting. What tips can anyone offer to assure good planting? I want them to do well. The place where they will be planted is a raised bed. It was prepared last spring with peat, top soil, sand and then some mushroom compost in the fall. I have other plants and bulbs growing in there, and have recently top dressed the bed with worm castings, a VERY light coating of green sand, and bone meal. Any other tips? How deep to plant plugs?

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Comments (5)

echinaceamaniac
15 years ago
I got my Tomato Soup and Pink Poodle in last week. I think the sand is a very good idea. I added sand to the soil I planted mine in too.

Make sure you don't plant them too deep. I have started making a mound and planting mine in that. This will help them stay drained in the winter and prevent crown rot. Make sure you don't plant any deeper than the crown already is in the pot.
alina_1
15 years ago
Got my TS, PP, and M&C last week too. Planted them in the mounds as well. I hope they will increase nicely this season. 'Tiki Torch' I received last fall from the same company survived this winter on the same bed.
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My Mac and Cheese made it, but I have yet to see a bloom on that one. I think TS did not make it. I doubt I will replace them either. I just don't have much luck with echinacea's, I guess they don't like me lol. Maybe, I'm thinking of just moving over my Tiki Torch (haven't seen a bloom on that one yet either), Mac and Cheese, and After Midnight, to give each more room anyways. I also hesitate to just replant because I don't really like the whole layout of the bed, and am thinking of redoing the entire thing lol! I think I get too much shade on that side of the house, and maybe I need to go with more shade lover plants.
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I just got my Mac N Cheese this year. So far, I'm not seeing any problems with it. Actually Mac N Cheese is about to bloom for me!! I amended the soil when I planted it with fresh potting soil, so I hope that helps. With my Tiki Torch, I've noticed that a lot of the stems (with flower buds) are flopping over. However, the buds were on the plant when I got them and they were already drooping. Do you think I should cut them off?? Anyways, I agree completely with echinaceamaniac, these plants aren't really that great. I think we should right letters to Terra Nova nurseries expressing our concerns. Maybe, if we're REALLY LUCKY, we might even get a refund. Also, a word of advice to echinaceamaniac, try buying larger plants with more established root systems. I know they're more expensive, but this may help them survive in the long run.
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OMG, I totally envy you! The cheapest I can find in my area is about $16 bucks!!! You will absolutely love the Tomato Soup. I have two of them and what I love about them the most is that the cones come out lime green! They stay that way for several days until they darken up and the contrast of the red (which doesn't come out as a tomato soup red, by the way) and the lime green is just beautiful. I'll see if I can snap a pic of mine tomorrow. The red coloring is much prettier than on the tag, just deeper--Oh, I can't describe it! OK, I think I've turned into a fanatic. These new varieties of echinacea are sending me over the edge.
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echinaceamaniac
15 years ago
I ordered mine from Territorial Seed. I have had good results with their echinaceas.
kentstar
Original Author
15 years ago
Mine didn't come as potted, they were "plugs". So pretty small but healthy looking anyway. I have planted Tiki Torch in the raised bed. Mac and Cheese and Tomato Soup are planted in my side garden. I did amend the soil some, with composted manure, sand, peat and the native soil. Nothing else. And, I made sure they are slightly raised up but still planted with crown level with soil surface. Hope that will do. Tomato Soup and Mac and Cheese look like they could be lovely if I don't kill them first. lol. I figure they have a better shot than the other plants I planted in the autumn.
alina_1
15 years ago
EM, what size plants do they ship? I also got mine from Green Thumb.

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