How to Plant Black Eyed Susan Seeds

Black-eyed Susans have black center cones surrounded by yellow petals. The center turns toward the sky, like a black eye. Black-eyed Susan is a member of the Rudbeckia family of daisies and is a wildflower native to the prairies of the plains area of the United States. While occasionally transplants are available at nurseries, starting from seed is more common and also more cost effective. Plant black-eyed Susan seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before the last expected spring frost in your area.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Pots
• Potting mix
• Spray bottle
• Grow lights

1. Fill 3-inch seed pots with a soil-less potting mixture. Water the mixture until it is evenly moist throughout.
2. Sow two to three seeds per pot. Press them against the soil with your fingertips so they make contact with the soil, but do not cover them with soil. Black-eyed Susan requires light in order to germinate.
3. Place the pots in a 68 to 75 degree Fahrenheit room to germinate. Place in a sunny window or under grow lights for 16 hours a day to provide the needed light for germination.
4. Check soil moisture daily and mist the soil surface with a spray bottle if it appears dry. Seeds germinate within 10 to 21 days. Continue providing moisture and light once germination occurs until planting them outside.
5. Harden-off the seedlings once all danger of frost is past in spring. To harden-off, set the pots outdoors in a sheltered spot for two hours one day, then gradually increase the time over a period of one week until they spend the entire day outside. They are then ready for transplanting.

Tips & Warnings

• Black-eyed Susan is a prolific self-seeder. Allow flowers to go to seed in autumn to replenish the garden with new plants next year.

• The dried flower cones of the plant are attractive in flower arrangements.

• Rabbits will eat black-eyed Susan. Use rabbit fencing if you have issues with the pests.