- 1). Prepare the planting site in a sunny location. Mix in 2 to 4 inches of compost into the top 4 inches of soil with a hoe. This loose mixture ensures proper drainage.
- 2). Dig holes spaced 1 to 3 feet apart for each plant. If planting established coneflower plants, make each hole twice as wide and the same depth as the plant's root ball. If planting from seed, each hole must be no more than ½ inch deep.
- 3). Place the plants or seeds in the holes. If planting established coneflowers, make sure the top of the root ball is level with the surface of the ground and firmly pack soil around the sides. If planting seeds, drop two seeds in each hole and lightly cover each hole with soil.
- 4). Water the soil to a depth of 1 inch. Once planted, the coneflowers only need 1 inch of soil per week, so you only need to manually water them if you don't get 1 inch of rainfall each week. If the soil completely dries out and rain isn't in the forecast, then water the soil to a depth of 1 inch.
- 5). Cover the soil with 1 inch of compost and 2 inches of mulch each spring, once the plants are well-established. The mulch helps the soil retain moisture and prevent weeds.
- 6). Snap off any flowers that appear to be dead or diseased whenever you see them.
- 7). Dig the plants out of the ground every four years. Carefully dig around the root systems with a shovel, but be cautious to ensure you do not damage them. Pull the root clusters apart and plant each portion of the cluster in different spots.
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