Category Title Author Email author Header With such a new plant on the market, we'll need all the help we can get, thankfully, Arie Blom is here to tell us how to make a success of E. Razzmatazz in the garden. Body <P align=justify><STRONG>Positioning<BR></STRONG><EM>Echinacea purpurea</EM> is a native of prairies and open woods and therefore will do best in full sun or partial shade. Too much shade will result in significantly fewer flowers, and weaker stems, which isn't what you want for E. 'Razzmatazz's heavy flowers!</P> <P align=justify><STRONG>Soil <BR></STRONG>A well-drained fertile soil is favoured. This can be neutral to alkaline. <EM>Echinacea purpurea </EM>has very good drought tolerance, but it is important to keep the soil moist after planting until the plants are established.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" align=justify>A good amount of organic fertilizer applied in spring will encourage better growth and development. In poor soils an extra amount in summer might help to prolong flowering. If you are not using liquid fertilizer, make sure that it gets washed in, so that the roots can absorb it.  </P> <P align=justify><STRONG>Continuous flowering</STRONG><BR>Deadheading will prolong the flowering period for normal E. purpurea, but as this fully double flowering mutant does not set seed, it will keep on flowering continuously.  The <EM>E. Razzmatazz</EM> in our display garden is surrounded by several other <EM>E. purpurea</EM> cultivars and did not produce seeds at all. On the other hand it will still look better in the garden if you remove the dead flowers.</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" align=justify><STRONG>Diseases <BR></STRONG><EM>Echinacea purpurea</EM> has very little in the way of disease problems. Some leaf spots may occur, but these will not be lethal, and after dormancy the plant will emerge again with healthy leaves. <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" align=justify>  <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" align=justify><STRONG>Links</STRONG><BR>Another website you might like to check for information on growing Echinacea is <A onclick='window.open("http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/coneflower.html", "CNV", "width=800, height=400, resizable=yes, menubar=yes, toolbar=yes, scrollbars=yes");return false;' href="#" inpURLType>Perennial Flower Gardening.</A> Related title Related body Publicationdate When no publicationdate is entered, the item will be immediately visible. When you do enter a publicationdate, you should also enter the time. Visible Check when you want the item to be visible for normal visitors (when unchecked only the contentmanagers will see the item). Archive Check when the item should be archived on the archivedate. Archivedate The date on which the item should be archived (only when the archive-checkbox is checked). Discussion Check when you want to enable visitors to react to this item. Photo   Choose photo Upload attachments