Hi…I am hoping to plant some coneflower seed in order to establish a large batch of coneflowers. Could you tell me which variety does best planted by seed, and would grow the first year? Also, would I plant it into the mulch, or dig down into the ground? That may sound like a stupid question, but when I read about them being self sowers, it sounds like they just grow where they drop. Anyway, thanks for the help and I look forward to your answer.
Melanie

Doug says – several points. The main articles on perennial propagation are here

Having said that – do not plant seed on top of mulch or cover it with a deep mulch. Mulch prevents seeds from germinating for the most part – which is why we use it. :-)

Do not “bury” the seed either – that’s a death sentence for the most part.

The issue here is how many seeds you get to germinate. If you have several hundred from a plant, and you get two or three plants, you’re good because they didn’t cost you anything. On the other hand, if you pay for 20 seeds and you get none – it’s a bummer.

So start your coneflower perennial seeds using the recipes and methods on the propagation pages. Those work.

As for the specific variety – you grow what you like. If you do it properly, they’ll all grow. :-)

The better varieties bloom in their second year from seed.

Hope that helps.

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