Plant Care

How to Grow Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia is a hardy treasure adorned with daisy-like flowers that enliven gardens with late-summer colour. These low-maintenance marvels boast perennial varieties predominantly in yellow, while the annuals, often grown from seeds, showcase a palette of oranges, dark reds, and browns. With a long flowering season, Rudbeckias are a wildlife haven. Join us as we explore how to grow Rudbeckia and cultivate this effulgent beauty, from planting to seed propagation, in your own garden.

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Seeds Needs Seasonal S.O.S.

Grow Rudbeckia From Seed

Sow rudbeckia seeds, including annual and biennial types, indoors in early spring using trays with moist seed compost. Sow sparsely and cover with vermiculite or compost, keeping them enclosed at around 20°C until seedlings emerge. After they grow, move to pots, harden off post-frost, and plant outside in May. Perennial rudbeckias can be planted any time - dig a generous hole, mix in compost or leaf mould, add fertiliser, water well, and mulch. This approach is ideal for R. hirta cultivars often grown as annuals.

Use vermiculite to help germination.

What Rudbeckia Needs

Feeding: Feed your Rudbeckia plants in spring when they start to come into growth. Watering: Water frequently during hot spells. Position: Rudbeckias flourish in full sun with copious blooms, but in shade, flowering wanes.

Growing Rudbeckia Across the Season

Spring

Sow Rudbeckia seeds undercover in early spring, keeping warm until seedlings emerge.

Summer

Sow outdoors in late spring (May) in a prepared bed, watch out for young plants with pests.

Autumn

Deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms, keep watering throughout them blooming.

Rudbeckia S.O.S.

Rudbeckias, cherished for easy cultivation, may face leaf spots, mildews, and pests. Leaf spots appear as red-brown or tiny dark spots; prevent by watering at the base and removing affected areas. Powdery mildew has a white coating on leaves, while downy mildew looks greyish-white underneath; remove and apply fungicides. Lastly, manage aphids, a potential pest, by introducing natural predators.

How to Grow Rudbeckia

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Watch for leaf-spot, mildew, and pests.