All about rudbeckia hairy

Many summer residents like to diversify their garden with beautiful landscapes consisting of flowers. For such design solutions, you can use perennial and annual plants. But one of the most beloved flowers, which has definitely been in the gardens of flower growers, is rudbeckia.

The first mention of the flower dates back to the 18th century. Rudbeckia is mentioned in the poetry of American writers. The homeland of the plant is North America, where about 15 species of rudbeckia grow, including hairy rudbeckia. The plant owes its name to the American botanist Charles Linnaeus, who named the flower Rudbeckia in Latin. At the same time, he paid tribute to one of his professors - Olaf Rudbek.

When describing varieties in his works, Charles Linnaeus noted that the flower is resistant to cold, as well as temperature extremes. This is inherent only in perennial species. In his works, he also mentioned and described the size and shape of the plant. Namely, the height of rudbeckia reaches 50-60 cm. It is typical for a bush to be actively growing and lush. When fully ripe, the stems become rigid and branching.

Leaves vary in size. On the upper part of the bush, small leaves are formed with a slight pubescence and a ribbed edge, the surface is matte. Larger sheets are formed at the bottom. The pubescence and ribbing of the edges are more pronounced on them. The leaves are oblong and elongated in shape, have a sharp nose.

Flowers are collected in flower baskets with a diameter of 6 to 8 cm. All of them are formed at the top of the stems. The peculiarity of the basket is that it becomes unusually convex at the time of flowering.

Hairy rudbeckia is a subspecies of the large class of rudbeckia flowers. It is worth paying attention to when choosing a future plant. The species itself is divided into some subspecies, which differ in size, fruiting (annual and perennial), as well as flowering time.

• The most popular variety is considered miniature rudbeckia called "Toto". This also includes "Toto Mix" and "Toto Rustic". The height of the bush will be only 25-30 cm. The leaves are round, large, sloping towards the ground. This type is very well suited for growing in apartments on a balcony or on a windowsill. The pots take up little space, and the bouquets will delight you with their appearance.

• If you like unusual and bright buds, then you can stop your choice at variety "Cherry brandy"... The height of the bush will be no more than 50 cm. Its stems are thin, but strong. The buds are cherry-colored. In some places, a cherry hue will prevail, which, as it were, rolls down the petals to a dark rich purple center.

• "Black Eyed Susan" is a classic among varieties. It is quite popular with novice florists. The real name of the variety is "Goldsturm". The stem is 70 cm high. The buds are large, 10 to 15 cm in diameter. They are bright yellow in color, with a certain sheen of orange.

• The next species grown by summer residents is rudbeckia "Maya"... Like Toto, Maya is a dwarf bush. The height is 30-40 cm. The buds are 8-10 cm in diameter. The flowers are golden yellow in color, they are double and are very densely located on the bush.

• One of the most beautiful varieties of rudbeckia is considered variety "Moreno"... The plant is perennial. It has high and straight shoots, the height of which is 60-70 cm. Leaves are central, oval or ovoid, oblong. The buds have a diameter of 15-17 cm. The flowers are painted in 2 colors. The edges of the petals are most often yellow, orange or brown, but the second half, which is located closer to the center, has a darker color (purple-black, dark brown or tubular yellow).

Rudbeckia is not very demanding. It can grow on any land. But still it is worth giving preference to sandy-loamy soil with an acidity of 5-6.5 pH. The culture tolerates a short drought very well, but not at the time of bud ovary and the beginning of flowering. It is best to keep the soil moist during this growing season. Rudbeckia is easy to grow from seed. Sowing outdoors should be in May or June, depending on the growing region and weather conditions. But there is also another opinion of summer residents, who recommend first to germinate the culture in seedling boxes and only then plant bushes, the height of which has reached 10-15 cm.

Sowing should be carried out in late February - early March. The seeds are first soaked in water to determine if they are empty. And then they just sow it into the ground to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. You can also buy seedlings in special stores or nurseries. Germinated plants can be planted in the ground throughout the summer season, except for particularly hot days. The plant will take root well in a new place. The recommended distance between bushes should be between 30 and 50 cm, depending on the variety. This distance is necessary so that the root system develops well, actively, and the stems themselves do not interfere with each other.

Aftercare of the culture is not very difficult. It includes:

• watering;
• top dressing;
• removal of excess foliage and wilted buds;
• garter (if necessary).

Watering is carried out taking into account weather conditions, rainfall, mulch availability and soil quality. It is necessary to pay attention to all these factors, because with a strong excess of moisture, rudbeckia will gradually fade. Water is applied around the bush, directly into the soil, while it is important not to get on the leaves. In addition to useful components in the soil, the plant must be regularly fed with various liquid fertilizers. It is best to choose a mineral complex that will help the stems actively develop. Top dressing is applied every 2-3 weeks. The latter falls on the end of August.

Rudbeckia belongs to wild varieties, that is, invasive. They reproduce independently on the site. And, perhaps, they may begin to aggressively displace other varieties of flowers. Therefore, some gardeners do not face such a problem as crop propagation. On the contrary, some are looking for an opportunity to stop its growth. But sometimes it is necessary to move part of the flower garden to another place. It is at this moment that all available flowers should be propagated. Rudbeckia reproduce in 2 ways: by seed and by dividing the bush.

If everything is clear with the seeds, then we will focus a little on division. Division is carried out at the moment when the bush begins to lose leaves. This means that it is sturdy enough. It is best to carry out this procedure in early spring or autumn. And also some summer residents simply share the bush with a shovel, that is, they dig in and cut the plant with it. The resulting tuber will have many roots, which will give a large number of new shoots next year.