Yes, echinacea grow in pots just fine as long as you pick the right size container. Your pot needs to be at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep to give the taproot enough room. Use a container with good drainage holes at the bottom. Get those basics right and your potted echinacea will bloom just as well as plants in the ground.
The first key to echinacea container gardening is choosing the right pot. Go for a wide, deep container made of clay, ceramic, or thick plastic. I grow echinacea in large terracotta pots on my back patio and the results have been great. The terracotta breathes well and keeps the roots from sitting in wet soil. Just make sure your pot has at least two drainage holes so water flows out fast after rain or watering.
The biggest challenge you'll face is the taproot. Your echinacea sends a long root straight down into the soil, and it needs room to stretch. In a pot that's too short, that root hits the bottom and starts to circle around the base. This causes root binding that chokes your plant over time. I learned this the hard way when I tried a 10-inch pot my first year. The plant looked weak all summer and barely bloomed at all. When I moved it to a deeper pot the next spring, it took off and gave me twice as many flowers.
Your potted echinacea care routine needs to be a bit different from what you'd do for plants in the ground. Pots dry out much faster than garden soil, so you need to water more often during the warm months. Check your soil every two to three days during hot summer weeks and water when the top inch feels dry. Use a well-draining potting mix from the store, not heavy garden soil from your yard. Feed your echinacea once in early spring with a slow-release food and again in mid-summer for the best blooms.
Winter is the trickiest time for your potted echinacea. Roots in pots freeze faster than roots in the ground because they don't have the earth around them for warmth. In USDA Zones 5 and below, move your pots into a garage or shed that stays cold but won't freeze hard. You can also wrap your pots in burlap or bubble wrap if you can't move them. I lost two pots of echinacea my second winter because I left them out on the patio in zone 5. Don't make my same mistake.
You can enjoy bold color on your patio, deck, or balcony with potted echinacea. Pick a deep pot, use the right soil mix, and water more often than you would in the ground. Your echinacea will reward you with blooms from June through September. It will come back the next year if you protect it through winter. The effort is worth it for the show you get all summer long.
Read the full article: Echinacea Plant: How to Grow and Care
