How to Grow Perennial Brown-Eyed Susans
Brown-eyed Susan is one of the many common names for Rudbeckia hirta, a flowering plant in the daisy family also known as black-eyed Susan. It grows wild throughout most of North America and is also a common garden flower. Brown-eyed Susans frequently grow as perennials, meaning they are winter-hardy and can reseed themselves. Gardeners typically propagate Brown-eyed Susans as perennials by dividing the mature plant. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select a planting site for brown-eyed Susans in full sun or partial shade. This plant is generally indifferent to soil composition and soil pH. Brown-eyed Susans are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 3 through 10, meaning it can grow as a perennial in areas where the lowest temperature is between minus 40 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Remove a mature brown-eyed Susan from the soil during the winter, and cut the top growth from the plant with pruning shears. Slice the root mass into equal divisions with a sharp knife, ensuring each division has at least one growth bud.
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Dig holes in the planting site large enough to hold a division of the brown-eyed Susan. Place a division in each hole so that the division is just below the surface of the soil and fill the hole with soil. Pat the soil down to remove air pockets from the soil.
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Water the soil with 1 to 2 inches of water per week starting after the last expected frost, to ensure the soil does not become completely dry. Brown-eyed Susans are drought-tolerant once they establish their root system after the first growing season, but they produce the best flowers with regular water.
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Prune the dead flower heads from the brown-eyed Susan to encourage additional blooming.
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Tips & Warnings
Brown-eyed Susans are extremely hardy plants except in deserts. They generally do not require fertilizer or special protection from insects.
