All About Home and Garden

Rudbeckia, popularly known as the Black-Eyed Susan, is a very colorful plant that comes with deep yellow petals with daisy-like flowers and other features including hairy-like leaves which come with a rough texture. It is truly one of the most common flowers on the planet and no wonder it has numerous species thronging gardens and yards all over the world. Even though different species thrive in different areas, these flowers generally survive well in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9. Different Rudbeckia species come in different sizes so while the maxima species can grow as high as 9 inches, others such as Becky and Toto only reach 1 foot high.

Rudbeckia plants are easy to grow and thrive in well drained fertile soils, even though they are able to survive in average soils as long as it drains well. The main mode of propagation for Rudbeckia is through its seeds and it is important you plant them in an area with direct access to sunlight as it allows it to grow very well and generate blooming flowers when matured. The best time to sow your seeds is at the beginning of the spring season and a great tip is to place some organic fertilizer in the hole before tucking in your Rudbeckia seed as well as some organic mulch around the hole after covering it. You can alternatively purchase young plants from certified growers in your area for transplanting in your garden or yard sometime in the spring.

It will be a great idea to water your plants regularly after planting and if possible, this should be done through its first season if you live in an area where droughts occur regularly. After its debut season, the flowers become highly resistant to long periods of dryness and thrive thereafter even if rainfall is not consistent. It is also important that you resort to only natural fertilizers and if that is impossible then artificial fertilizers should be applied in lower quantities as excessive quantities will resort in feeble plants, especially around its stems.

The flowers of Rudbeckia will start blooming in the summer to sometime in the fall in its first season if you planted it at the beginning of the spring. Otherwise you can only expect to see Rudbeckia flowers in your yard or garden in the summer of its second season.

If you desire to see your plants with attractive and large flowers that bloom for longer periods then you should make sure you deadhead flowers after they begin to wilt. If you need more seeds, you should just allow the last flowers of the Rudbeckia plant to grow until they develop into seeds.

Rudbeckia may develop bacterial infections from mildew during damp climates with high temperatures and this is why you need to plant them in an area where they get direct access to sunlight. You should also ensure proper planting spaces between Rudbeckia plants for proper aeration.

Rudbeckia flowers are very attractive and can therefore be used to improve the aesthetic qualities of the inner parts of a home or office when used as cut flowers.

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