Well, when it comes to them black-eyed Susans, you might be wonderin’ if you should cut ’em back in the fall, right? Now let me tell ya, them plants, they’re tough. You ain’t gotta worry too much about ’em dyin’ off if you go snippin’ here or there. But lemme explain a bit more plain and simple.
Fall comes, and them black-eyed Susans start lookin’ a little sad. The flowers turn brown, and the petals fall off. By then, it’s about time to cut ’em back some. But hold your horses, don’t go choppin’ ’em all the way to the ground. Nope, ya don’t wanna cut ’em too deep. If you cut ’em too close to the soil, you might mess ’em up a bit. Best to cut at the base of the plant, where the stems start getting a little woody. That way, you let the plant rest through winter, and come spring, it’ll be ready to bloom again.
Now, here’s somethin’ important — you don’t gotta do this right at the start of fall. Nah, some folks wait until the plant’s really done with for the season, like late fall or even early winter. The stems might look all dried up by then, but that’s normal. You can leave ’em be for a bit, especially if you like the look of ’em standin’ there. Some folks even say leavin’ ’em helps protect the plant’s roots in colder weather. So, you see, you got options.
But when to cut ’em back? Well, it’s best to do it after the flowers are all gone, and the plant starts to brown. Maybe in late summer, but most folks wait till fall. If you’re too early, it won’t hurt none, but the flowers might not come back as strong next season. Cut it at the base, not too deep, like I said. Them roots are tough, and you’ll see new growth next spring for sure.
Another thing, some people deadhead ’em, which means just snippin’ off the spent flowers. This can be done anytime really, even through summer. It helps new flowers grow. But cuttin’ the whole plant back? That’s for fall, after them blooms are gone and the stems lookin’ tired.
There’s also different kinds of black-eyed Susans. You got the regular ones, then you got fancy types like the Goldstrum or the Sweet Black-eyed Susans. They’re all hardy, though, so it don’t much matter which kind you got. They’ll keep comin’ back year after year if you treat ’em right.
- Don’t cut ’em down to the ground, just trim at the base.
- Wait till fall when the flowers are gone and stems are brown.
- If you like, deadhead ’em through summer to keep flowers comin’.
- Different kinds of black-eyed Susans are all pretty tough, they’ll grow back.
So, in a nutshell, cuttin’ back them black-eyed Susans in the fall is a good idea. You ain’t gotta do it too early, and don’t go all the way to the dirt with them clippers. Leave some of the base, and the plant’ll be just fine. Next spring, you’ll have fresh blooms again, lookin’ as good as ever. Easy peasy, just like takin’ care of the garden back home.
Tags:[cut black-eyed susans, fall garden care, pruning black-eyed susans, black-eyed susans blooming]