01-04-2004, 10:09 AM
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blackeye susan trimming?
From: (Stew Corman)
Date: Tue, Mar 30, 2004 9:08 PM
Message-id:
last year my 2 foot diameter bunch of blackeye susans grew tall and
"leggy"
was wondering if, when it gets 18 inches high, but before setting any
flower buds, if it is a common practice to cut it back ala mums to get
it to branch out more?
BTW, what is the proper procedure for mums?
TIA,
Stew Corman from sunny Endicott
I'm going to assume you're asking about a species of Rudbeckia, many of which
go by the common name of black-eyed susan. Yes, it's a good idea to cut these
back a couple of times in late spring/early summer to keep them sturdier and
promote more bloom. In fact, you should start before they reach 18 inches, and
you can continue well into the summer if you don't mind delaying bloom. I do
this every year with mine and I get heavy blooming over a long period from July
until fall.
With garden mums, folks normally will cut these back early and then keep
pinching them back until about a month or so before blooming is desired. (You
can easily root the cuttings for lots more plants that often bloom the same
year.) The timing of this depends on your location (dunno where Endicott
is....).
Best,
Tyra
nNJ usa z7
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