Take the package and your receipt back. There should have been a firm root ball in there. Lowes will honor the receipt and give you the $$ back.

As said above, there should be a firm rootball for the plant to be viable.

To add abit:When buying plants this way, the roots should have a firmness to them, and this time of year, looking like they will sprout, with shoots looking for light, even in the bag.

Bare root plants also need more attention and care from the git go as opposed to well-rooted plants purchased in pots, when you plant them in the ground. They will need to be watered more often, and should have better soil (Not plopped into Southern clay) to begin with. Bare root plants have their basic roots, but not the elaborate network of feeder roots you will find in a well-rooted potted plant. With this in mind, you might want to put your bare root plants into a pot with potting soil and let them develop a bit before slamming them into the ground at this point.

As you can imagine, living in a little bag might get one a bit stressed out, so nurture the little plant a bit mo' betta extry.

Both of these plants are very easy to grow from seed, and you will have a lovely, flowering plant the first season. You will have a much larger choice of cultivars, as well.

Rhizo is right. These are extremely easy to start by seed. This was my first year to try them and I planted a whole lot hoping to get 15 -20 plants. Well.....every seed I planted sprouted and is healthy and happy in the greenhouse now. All 287 of them. LOL

Black eyed susans were the same. I have over 300 of them. I'll be having my first plant sale this spring I guess.

I also think you should take what you have back to Lowes.

Cindy

can coneflower be sown in situ now? or would you wait till last frost date?

they need cold, so go ahead and sow in situ. i get plenty of seedling from my established plants, so obviously, they sprout easily with no help. :) i have read they need some darkeness, where as most seeds need light. i'd cover some & leave some up on top of the soil. i can pop some in small 6 packs and bring to the swap, too. tam

Seeds should be covered with a light sprinkle of peat or perlite, kept moist.

The seeds don't actually need cold so they can be sown any time.

thanks for the sewing guidance :)

tammy - when i look at the lists of things that will be at the swap, i start twitching. i'll be on the look-out for your echinacea seedlings! (and winter honeysuckle, and ...)

good- i'll make sure to bring some. i spotted one who'd sprouted in a pathway the other day and made a mental note that it was headed for the swap. it's a second yr, so you may just get some bloom from it. i'll make sure i set aside a winter honeysuckle for you, too. guess i'd best start a list, eh? :) t