Many summer residents grow not only vegetables and fruits, but also various ornamental crops in their suburban areas. One of the most popular varieties of flowers in this case is rudbeckia - a very spectacular and also unpretentious plant.
General Description
In the wild, this plant, belonging to the Asteraceae family, grows in North America. There are both annual and perennial species. Rudbeckia flowers are very beautiful, shaped like large daisies. Their petals are just as narrow and long, slightly bending down, and the middle is velvety and massive. There are varieties of this plant with flowers and a slightly different, more lush form. They have much more petals, and the middle is almost invisible. These types of rudbeckia include, for example, the “golden ball”, well known to all lovers of ornamental plants.
One of the main signs of rudbeckia is the rich yellow color of the petals (of different shades). The center of the corollas of most varieties is very dark. It is thanks to this contrast that the plant looks very impressive.
What existvarieties
Most often, gardeners grow rudbeckia in suburban areas:
- hybrid. This variety forms a tall (up to 70 cm) lush bush with numerous "chamomile" flowers;
- shiny. Very similar to Rudbeckia hybrid. It differs from it only in that it has oblong shiny leaves;
- dissected. Another name for this variety is "golden ball". Rudbeckia dissected can reach a height of two meters. Her inflorescences are terry spherical, have a bright yellow color.
Breeding methods
Shop-bought seeds are what these showy flowers are most often grown from. Annual rudbeckia can be planted both for seedlings in boxes, and immediately in open ground. The first method of cultivation allows you to get lush flowering bushes in early June. Seeds or seedlings should be planted in open ground no earlier than late May or early June. The fact is that young rudbeckia do not tolerate frost.
Seeds of perennial varieties can be planted directly in flower beds not only in late spring, but also in mid-summer. In any case, such rudbeckia will not bloom in the year of planting. The first buds on the bushes will bloom only next summer.
In the second or third year of cultivation, perennial rudbeckia can already be propagated by dividing the rhizome. It is allowed to perform this procedure both in spring before growth begins, and in autumn after flowering.
Where to plant
Placeunder rudbeckia, they usually choose sublime, sunny. The fact is that this plant does not tolerate waterlogging and shading too well. The composition of the earth in the flower bed can be absolutely anything. But this ornamental culture feels best on medium-heavy humus soils.
Rudbeckia: planting seeds
Growing seedlings of this flower crop is a simple matter. In mid-April, the seeds are sown in boxes almost filled to the top with soil. Next, the soil is moistened and planting material is laid out on its surface. Then the seeds are lightly sprinkled with soil, sprayed with water from a spray bottle and covered with a film. In the future, you should try to prevent the soil from drying out in the greenhouse.
Approximately according to the same technology, such an ornamental crop as rudbeckia is grown in open ground. Seeds in this case are scattered on the surface of a watered flower bed. Then they are covered with a small amount of earth and sprayed. Then you need to cover the flower bed with a film until shoots appear.
Dividing the bush
This is also a good way to propagate a plant like rudbeckia. Growing it from rhizomes can be even more successful than from seeds. In order to propagate the plant in this way, a he althy adult, well-grown bush should be dug out of the ground. Next, divide the rudbeckia into several fragments so that each remains with a renewal kidney.
Of course, a flower bed for planting parts of the bush shouldprepare in advance: loosen the soil and add humus or well-rotted compost to it. A small hole is made under each fragment of rudbeckia. After planting the plants, the soil around them needs to be slightly compacted.
Features of care: top dressing
Effective appearance - this is what rudbeckia gardeners are primarily valued for. The photos presented on the page clearly demonstrate the high decorative qualities of this plant. However, rudbeckia has another important advantage. This plant, among other things, is also very unpretentious.
Many varieties of rudbeckia feel good even completely without any care whatsoever. However, in order to get the most spectacular flowering, rudbeckia, of course, needs to be fertilized and watered. Beds with newly planted plants should also be weeded from time to time.
Periodic top dressing is what the perennial rudbeckia requires first of all. Caring for plants in this group also includes fertilizing in the spring, after the start of green mass growth, and in the summer, during the budding period. In this case, simple manure can also be used as top dressing. But it is better to buy a complex fertilizer intended for ornamental crops in a specialized store. It is also a good idea to mulch the rudbeckia bed with dry horse manure or compost.
Annual varieties usually do not need to be fed. But only when, before planting seeds or seedlings, manure was introduced into the soil orhumus.
How to water
Rudbeckia, planting and care in the open field for which - the procedures are completely simple, watering requires mainly only in dry seasons. In rainy summers, the soil under this plant should not be moistened. And even in a drought, rudbeckia should not be watered too often and plentifully. This plant does not like waterlogging. When overflowing, rudbeckia can even become sick with powdery mildew.
How to trim
Perennial varieties of this ornamental crop are usually very heavily thickened. Overgrown rudbeckia of this group give just a huge amount. Therefore, its planting should be periodically thinned out. In this case, the flower beds will look much neater and more attractive.
Unfortunately, even perennial rudbeckia is not particularly durable. Bushes can die already in the 3-5th year. Leaving them to rot in a flower bed, of course, is not worth it. Moreover, it is easy to remove them. You can simply sprinkle some seeds on the vacated place. But in most cases, this procedure is redundant. One of the features of rudbeckia is the ability to reproduce by self-sowing.
Annual varieties are usually not pruned. In autumn, dead plants are simply removed from the flower bed and burned or placed in a compost heap. In annuals, be sure to cut or pinch off dried flowers. Rudbeckia in this case will “release” new corollas faster, and in very large quantities.
Diseases and pests
To the benefits of rudbeckia, among other things,also increased resistance to various infections. Powdery mildew is practically the only disease that this plant can infect. Of the pests, rudbeckia is mainly affected only by leaf-eating caterpillars and beetles. Such insects cannot cause much harm to adult plants. Young plantings for prevention should be sprayed, for example, with a weak aqueous solution of dichlorvos. This inexpensive tool can handle both annual and perennial rudbeckia.
Sometimes the ubiquitous spider mite attacks the bushes of this ornamental culture. You can also try to get rid of it with a solution of dichlorvos or buy some special insecticide in the store. Spraying should be done in the morning or evening in dry weather.
Preparing for winter
Pretty high resistance to cold is also what distinguishes these beautiful unpretentious flowers. Rudbeckia does not need special protection from frost. But in order for the flower bed to look beautiful next year, in late autumn the bushes of perennial varieties should be cut off at the root. Some gardeners then cover the flower bed with foil and hay. But this procedure is optional.
Landscape use
One of the features of rudbeckia is that it combines very effectively with almost any other ornamental plants. This plant blooms from June to August. Since most types of rudbeckia grow very tall, they are most often used inas a background plant, planting lawns in the background. This culture looks very beautiful in single plantings. In this case, several varieties of rudbeckia with flowers of different shades of yellow should be placed on one large flower bed.
This is how such an ornamental culture as rudbeckia is cared for. You can see photos of these flowers decorating the yards and gardens of summer residents above. Agree, the plant is really very spectacular. Planting it in your area is a must. Too much time caring for rudbeckia in the summer will not take away.
