Hey fellow gardeners! I’ve been growing black-eyed susans for years in my garden and I’m excited to share everything I know about keeping these cheerful flowers blooming their hearts out through deadheading. Trust me once you get the hang of it, it’s super easy!
Why Should You Deadhead Black-Eyed Susans?
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s talk about why deadheading matters:
- Keeps the blooms coming – Your plants will produce more flowers instead of wasting energy on seeds
- Prevents unwanted spreading – These enthusiastic self-seeders can take over if left unchecked
- Maintains neat appearance – No one likes looking at brown, crispy flowers
- Redirects plant energy – Forces growth into new blooms rather than seed production
- Helps control wildlife visitors – While birds love the seeds, you might want fewer critters near your patio
When’s the Right Time to Deadhead?
Timing is everything! Here’s when to grab those pruners:
- Wait for flowers to fully open and bloom completely
- Start snipping when petals begin fading or turning brown
- Deadhead throughout the growing season (usually late spring through early fall)
- Do it regularly – I check my plants every few days during peak bloom
Tools You’ll Need
Keep it simple! Here’s what I use:
- Clean, sharp pruning shears or scissors
- Garden gloves (optional but recommended)
- Container for collecting dead blooms
- Sanitizing solution for tools (helps prevent disease spread)
Step-by-Step Deadheading Guide
-
Identify Spent Blooms
- Look for flowers with drooping, brown, or crispy petals
- Check for flowers that have lost most of their petals
- Spot any seed heads starting to form
-
Make the Cut
- For single-stemmed flowers:
- Cut the stem back to the base of the plant
- Make cuts just above a set of healthy leaves
- For multi-flowered stems:
- Simply snip off individual spent blooms
- Leave the main stem intact if it has other buds
- For single-stemmed flowers:
-
Clean Up
- Collect all cut material
- Don’t leave dead flowers lying around
- Add to compost if disease-free
Pro Tips from My Garden
I’ve learned these tricks through trial and error:
- Deadhead in the morning when plants are fresh
- Keep your tools super clean to prevent disease spread
- Water after deadheading if it’s hot out
- Don’t remove green buds or partially opened flowers
- Leave some late-season blooms for winter interest and bird food
Common Mistakes to Avoid
We all make mistakes! Here’s what to watch out for:
- Cutting too far down the stem
- Removing buds accidentally
- Waiting too long between deadheading sessions
- Forgetting to sanitize tools
- Deadheading too early in the bloom cycle
Fall Care
When autumn rolls around:
- Cut plants back to about 4 inches tall
- Consider leaving some seed heads for birds
- Clean up all fallen debris
- Mark plant locations for spring
Troubleshooting Tips
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- If plants look stressed, ease up on deadheading
- Yellowing leaves? Check your watering schedule
- Not reblooming? Might need fertilizer
- Getting leggy? Try cutting back harder
Final Thoughts
It’s not hard to deadhead black-eyed susans, but you need to be careful and practice a bit. My garden looks great and has flowers all season long because I spend just a few minutes on it every couple of days.
Remember, these hardy plants are pretty forgiving, so don’t stress too much about getting everything perfect. Just grab those pruners and give it a try – your garden will thank you with waves of golden blooms!
Leave a comment below if you’d like me to give you more gardening tips. Happy gardening!
Why Prune Black-Eyed Susans
Black-Eyed Susans are a low-maintenance perennial with a naturally long blooming period. Annual maintenance involves regular deadheading and fall or early spring clean-up of spent plant material. Sometimes the weather is just right to encourage powdery mildew or rust on Black-Eyed Susans. Any parts of the plant that are sick should be taken off right away to stop the disease from spreading to other parts of the plant or to plants nearby.
Lack of proper air circulation is one of the reasons that mildews and rusts attack. If you see too much growth or damaged or dying leaves and flower stems after a period of high heat or drought, don’t be afraid to cut them back. Removing the damaged material will encourage new growth to fill in.
When to Prune Black-Eyed Susans
Herbaceous perennials go dormant to survive the winter months. Black-Eyed Susan foliage and flower stems will die back completely to the ground, starting in September in some parts of the country. By cutting back the old growth, you can help stop the spread of diseases or pests that could hurt your plant. Mulching around the plant crown and root base will help to insulate Black-Eyed Susans through the winter.
Alternatively, the last set of flower stems can be left to set seed for the birds to eat over the winter. Late in the winter or early in spring, you can clean up the previous seasons growth. Carefully cut off any dead parts to avoid damaging the new basal leaf growth.
Cutting back Black-Eyed Susans late in the spring, just as the first flush of flowers form, will result in many more flowers later in the summer and much bushier plants. Many herbaceous perennials can benefit from this early pinching back. Cut back the whole plant by about one-third, making sure to cut near a leaf or bud to hide unsightly bare stems. This early cutback will encourage sturdier stems that will not need staking or hoops to keep the flowers upright.
Deadhead For Black Eyed Susan September 10
FAQ
How to cut back black eyed susans?
To cut back black-eyed Susans, you can remove the spent flowers during the growing season to make the plant produce more flowers, and then cut back the whole plant in late fall or early spring. For deadheading, cut the stem just above a leaf or bud.
How do you keep brown-eyed susans blooming?
Key pruning techniques include deadheading spent blooms to encourage more flowering and cutting back stems to maintain shape and size. The best time to prune is early spring through late summer, aligning with brown-eyed susan’s active growth.
Do black-eyed susans bloom twice?
Do black eyed Susans come back every year? Black eyed Susans are perennial so they do flower every year. Jun 26, 2023.
What are the cons of black-eyed susans?
One of the problems with most black-eyed Susans is that by midsummer you may notice Septoria leaf spot on the foliage. It arrives in warm, wet, humid weather. Most gardeners just remove the foliage, but the plant may start to look bare.