I don't deadhead mine because the Goldfinches love the seed. Even though they look pretty ratty by the end of the Summer, I have beautiful little birds flitting all over my garden. Don't expect your hybrid Echinacea to reseed, but the Magnus will. I'm waiting to see if my White Swan seedlings will be white. I've got my fingers crossed! Kathy

Yes i have read the birds love them. So the only one that i have that can reseed is the magnus? or white swan? If i deadhead the Magnus after the dying blooms this month will i get more late summer? Where should i cut them?

If you deadhead they wont set seed.

Yes, if you deadhead they will bloom more.

I usually deadhead right underneath the bloom or at a joint, up to you on that one. The more of the plant that is there the more of that plants energy to support that part. If you eleminate part then the energy of the plant will be used elsewhere. Does that make sense??

So are all of you agreeing that if i WANT to keep the seed for sowing in the late fall NOT to deadhead now?

Why not deadhead some, and leave some for the goldfinches? That's what I'm doing with my coreopsis.

Deanna

I deadhead right above the 1st set of lower leaves. I don't know if that is the right way, but it seems to work. Sometimes I get reblooms in the fall.

Wow! I never saw goldfinches around my house. This morning 2 of them were climbing on my Magnus plant. But they're not even close to seeding?

There's no need to deadhead your Echinaceas. They will still get a few blooms in the fall even without deadheading. Some people don't like the way the dead blooms look, but I actually enjoy them. I don't cut my plants back until the following spring when they start to grow. This actually helps them overwinter better.

This is simple Biology. Your echinacea have a certain amount of energy; they divide that energy between growing roots, making flowers and making seeds. If you dead-head the flowers then the plant has more energy for making flowers and growing roots. Likewise, If you cut off the buds before the open the plant will put all its energy into making roots and you'll have a fuller plant next season, but what fun is that :).

After the flower blooms, how long do i have to keep the head on til the seeds form? I don't want the finches eating all my seeds. I want them for sowing.

I always keep the head on till the stem underneath the bloom starts to turn brown.

If you watch the seedheads, they will turn brown and you will know that the seeds are ripening when the Goldfinches cling to the heads and start picking off seeds. They eat them in tidy little rows. I try to harvest some of the seedheads before the finches get them all, and store them in the garage. Then I tape up a bunch of them to one of the bird-feeding poles for the Finches to eat during the winter (they love 'em).

Despite the finches eating most of the seed, the Echinacea still self-sows abundantly in the gardens, too much even.

{{gwi:233016}}

terrene - I love that photo!

Goldfinches love Verbena Bonariensis - there are at least 15 or 20 in my yard on the verbenas, but I have yet to see them on my Echinaceas...

I'll have to take a good look tomorrow - love those birds!

Carrie

thanks terrene, that photo is awsome!