Can you transplant echinacea in early June?
Question:
I’d like to move some of my echinacea to a new spot to help establish another pollinator garden. Is it too late to dig some up to transplant them. They’re about a foot tall.
Answer:
Liz Stanley, Horticulture Community Education Assistant
Echinacea is an especially durable plant and transplants easily in small or large clumps. When digging, get as much of the root system and soil as you can and have your new location ready.
Transplanting is best done on a cool, overcast day, but if that’s not possible, early morning will suffice. Water well but gently, but don’t keep the roots wet. Mulch can help with moisture loss and weed control.
Echinacea is a native, low-maintenance plant and doesn’t need much in the way of water or fertility once established. Here’s more about purple coneflower in the Cornell Growing Guides: http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene1d08.html
This fact sheet from UMN has more detailed information on How and When to Divide Perennials: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/dividing-perennials