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I planted black eyed susans this spring, and they grew nicely for a while. But now the leaves are turning brown, and the flowers are not real healthy looking. Upon exmaination, we discovered the roots are not really taking hold, and the plants seem to tilt in the wind. Any suggestions? Are we over watering? Under watering? We don't see any bugs.....
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some die back about now.when seed head dries just go on and crumble where ya want them to be & will grow some now then come spring will thaw out and finish growing and go on and bloom.I've moved some for a few years from lake lot to home lot and do poor 1st year then fine after that.once they get established don't need much water are pretty drought tolerant plants I have one spot in yard thats pretty invasive spot guess let to many seed heads be there but looks nice.
bbbbbbbbb I will age ungracefully until I become an old woman in a small garden..doing whatever the Hell I want!
There are several varieties of Black-eyed Susans. I have two varieties that i grow in my garden... Rudbeckia fulgida andRudbeckia hirta. Do u know which variety u r growing? If it's the R. hirta u can expect them to diminish or "die down" once they have done their flowering. The root system of these plants aren't very extensive. The R.hirta is actually a short lived perennial or biennial. No need to worry... the seeds they produce will continue their legacy... Matter of fact, when spring comes, u may need to thin them out because they will be so thick!
R. fulgida flowers profusely and the vegetation stays green till cold weather zaps it! Now, occasionally i have seen a few stems from the main plant die back suddenly. Upon close examination i notice some sort of white mold or fungus at the base of the plant... I have noticed that this will not kill the entire plant, but just a stem or two;so, i don't worry about it anymore. Also, in the past, i have noticed spider mites on my black-eyed susans. They also did some damage to the top growth of the plant. No permanent damage though. This plant is more aggressive than the R. hirta and tends to spread from the roots as well as from seed. Hope we were able to help u with this information!
bbbbbbbbb Bob
From: in my garden | Registered: Jan 2003
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