Black eyed susan spacing?
Question:I started a xeriscape with seeds this spring; now that my black eyed susans have germinated (rudbeckia hirta) they are very close together (1 inch). I hate to pull any unless it's necessary. Can I just leave them alone? Will they bloom this year? I'm in zone 5.
Answers:
1" apart is an extremely tight spacing for Black Eyed Susan. This is going to affect the size and quality of your Black Eyed Susan's (BES). In fact there are a couple of serious diseases (Septoria & angular leaf spot) that are infecting stands of BES. One of the cultural recommendations to minimize the risk of these diseases is to insure that you space BES appropriately (18-24") as this increases the air flow & reduces humidity around the plants. A 1" spacing will put your stand of BES at risk of these serious infectious diseases. It would be wise to thin them out.
I'd leave them alone and let them reseed by themselves.
They are pretty hardy and they should bloom. They reseed really good. I live in zone 6.
Black eyed susans--transplanting
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Black-eyed Susans HGTV
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I think the recommended spacing is 1 1/2' to 2'. But I plant mine 10" to 12" apart because I like the effect. In the wild you'll see them surviving at 1/2" apart - a glorious effect. I don't know just how you are achieving your xeriscape (water conservation), but, If the plants are getting sufficient water and food they should do OK at 1" apart. They will, however, do better if thinned. If you have the space you can transplant the seedlings after the 1st set of true leaves are established - I like to wait until the 2nd set are established. When transplanting insure you dig enough dirt to get the whole root system. Do not handle the seedlings by their stems, even light pressure can bruise the vascular system. Handle them by the root ball or, if you must, gently by the true leaves. Thoroughly water in the transplants. It's best to transplant in the early morn, before I gets hot. Second choice is late afternoon or very early evening. Transplanting in the heat of the day reduces the chances of the seedlings surviving.
If I remember correctly, zone 5 is a band thru the central plains states between the Rockies and the Appalachians. If that's correct you should see blooms this year.
I wish you success.
We have a stand of Black Eyed Susan's that started as volunteers and we just left them alone. They have spaced themselves at 4-6 inches.. We live in zone 5-6 and the plants are about 12 inches tall right now, but they are mostly in the shade.
Since you have them spaced closely, you can either thin them out or leave them alone and let them space themselves naturally.
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Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!
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