If you’re interested to learn how to divide black eyed susans, you’ll be pleased that it only takes three steps. While these plants easily tolerate challenging conditions, it’s always advantageous to know how to divide them. You can use this technique not only for propagation but also for maintaining mature black-eyed susans.
You can then transplant your black-eyed susans in the greenhouse if the outdoor conditions are too risky for growing newly divided plants. Remember that while division itself is easy, you want to guarantee the establishment of the sections. Therefore, it’s better to grow them in the greenhouse until the outdoor conditions are stable.
Propagating Black-Eyed Susans By Division
Step #1. Preparation
The first step in dividing black-eyed susans is preparing the plant and site. Remember that it should be at its optimal health, and the site is ready for the divisions when separating any plant. You don’t want to make the plants wait for too long, or their roots will dry up.
The plant itself should also be free of any diseases and damages. Therefore, you can consider the greenhouse not just for transplanting the divisions but also for growing the black-eyed susans for the division. After you have secured healthy parent plants, you can consider dividing them at the beginning of spring or fall when they are around three years old for maintenance and propagation.
Water your plants thoroughly on the day you intend to divide them and prepare the site before digging them out. You can grow the divisions indoors or in the garden as long as the site is free of weeds and debris. Loosen the soil and make the necessary amendments, if any.
Step #2. Digging and dividing
To make the lifting of your mature black-eyed susan more comfortable, trim its foliage so that it’s 6 inches from the ground. This will make it easier to see where to dig around and lift the plant without damaging its roots. Allocate a distance of six inches from the plant when digging and lift the entire clump.
If you are dealing with an overgrown clump, you can divide and lift it per section. Otherwise, shake off the root system to get rid of the soil or hose it down to see the roots. Divide the clump so that each section has at least three shoots using a sterilized knife or by hand.
Step #3. Transplanting
Once you have divided the plant into sections, you must plant them immediately to prevent the roots from drying out. You can grow them in the greenhouse or directly in the ground as long as they’ll be at the same depth they were growing. More so, be mindful that you’re not burying the divisions too deeply as this can be problematic for their establishment.
Firm the plant into place and water them to help with faster recovery. If you’re not planting indoors, remember to mulch them as well to protect from the temperatures. You can then fertilize in spring when they develop new growth to boost the plants.
Other Ways To Propagate Black-Eyed Susans
If you don’t have mature enough plants for division, you can propagate black-eyed susans from seeds and cuttings. The best time to plant your black-eyed susans, regardless of the propagation technique, would be in spring or at the beginning of fall. This way, you can assure that they have established their roots before the weather gets challenging.
More so, the plants will benefit if you start in the greenhouse until they are vigorous enough for transplanting. Afterward, allow your plants to thrive somewhere with good water retention and full sun. Depending on the variety you’re growing, you will need to do additional practices such as staking.
Seeds
You can grow black-eyed susans from seeds without much hassle. You can get them from centers, but remember that this plant self-seeds readily, so you can just let them drop the seeds themselves after the flowering season. Otherwise, sow the seeds in the greenhouse before the temperatures warm up to make germination easier.
Cuttings
You can also grow black-eyed susans from cuttings of a healthy plant. Take six-inch sections below a node and stick them in containers with moist soil. You can also root indoors to protect the cuttings from harsh weather as they are developing roots.
Conclusion
Division is an excellent way to maintain mature black-eyed susans and also propagate new plants. It only takes three steps to learn how to divide black eyed susans, and the process itself is relatively straightforward. The best time to do this is in fall or the beginning of spring when your plants are around three years old.
Cut back the plant to make it easier to dig around and lift it. You can also divide the clump if it is overgrown, then wash the roots to make sectioning easier. Each division should have about three shoots, and remember to plant them immediately to keep the roots from drying.
Finally, water thoroughly and fertilize in spring when you notice new growth. If you can’t divide your plants yet, you can also consider growing black-eyed susans via seeds or cuttings. Start them indoors and then transplant somewhere with full sun for optimal health.