How to sow your free echinacea seeds - Six Months of Seeds

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Sow
Plant
Flowers

Your February 2021 subscriber edition of BBC Gardeners' World Magazine comes with a free pack of Echinacea 'Large Flowered', a pink variety that produces gorgeous flowers from early summer right through to autumn. Sow your seeds from February onwards and in summer your garden will be a magnet for pollinating bees, butterflies and moths. Then, later in the season, birds will feast on the abundant supply of seeds.

Your February issue also comes with free dahlia seeds - find out how to sow them in our video guide.

More advice on growing echinaceas

You'll find out more about growing echinaceas and other members of the daisy family in our subscriber-only collection of February extras.

Six Months of Seeds - February extras

Sow your echinacea seeds by following our practical guide, below.

You Will Need

Echinacea seeds
Pots
Multi-purpose compost
Sieve
Dibber
Pencil
Plant label
Watering can with rose attachment

Step 1

Pour multi-purpose compost into a small pot. Gently tamp it level to about 1cm below the rim, to leave room for watering.

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Step 2

Place the seeds about 1cm apart on the surface. Cover lightly with more compost, ideally using a sieve to remove any lumps. Label your pot.

Step 3

Water using a small watering can with a rose, so the seeds are not dislodged. Place in a warm spot and keep the compost moist.

Step 4 - Pricking out

When your seedlings have germinated, take a slightly larger pot, fresh multi-purpose compost and a dibber. Fill the pot with compost.

Step 5

Holding a seedling by a leaf, use the dibber to lever it out of the compost, taking care to bring all of the roots with it.

Step 6

Make a hole for each seedling, several centimetres apart, then lower in the seedlings.

Step 7

Firm in gently and water using a watering can with a rose attachment. Remember to label your pot.

Coming up - more free seeds

March: Pollinator mix and sunflower

March: Pollinator mix and Sunflower - Six Months of Seeds — March: Pollinator mix and sunflower - Six Months of Seeds

Perfect for pollinators, our March packs are worth £5.50

Pollinator Mix - a wildlife-friendly mix of beautiful flowers, rich in nectar and pollen
Sunflower Sunburst Mix - super-easy to grow, the cheery large flowerheads are a magnet for pollinators and the seeds are a great source of food for birds later in the year

April: Tomato and basil

April: Tomato and Basil - Six Months of Seeds — April: Tomato and basil - Six Months of Seeds

The taste of summer. Packs worth £4.80

Tomato 'Red Cherry' - heavy crops of small fruits with delicious, sweet fruits flavour. Can be grown outside or in an unheated greenhouse
Basil 'Lettuce Leaf' - this unusual basil bears enormous, frilly-edged leaves, which have a sweet aromatic flavour you can enjoy all summer long

May: Cosmos and carrot

May: Cosmos and Carrot - Six Months of Seeds — May: Cosmos and carrot - Six Months of Seeds

A couple of classics in this double pack worth £5

Cosmos 'Purity' - this much-loved favourite will give you a dazzling display of large white flowers right through summer. Also great for cut flowers
Carrot 'Royal Chantenay 3' - sow direct in the ground, or in containers. Kids will love growing and eating this fast-growing variety and the small, sweet roots are delicious cooked whole

June: Zinnia and cornflower

June: Zinnia and Cornflower - Six Months of Seeds

Get speedy results with this colourful couple, worth £4.80

Zinnia 'Early Wonder' – large dahlia-like blooms in a mix of showy, vibrant colours
Cornflower 'Blue Ball' - easy to grow, with masses of bee-friendly blooms, cornflowers are the perfect cottage garden flower