Why Do My Black-Eyed Susans flop over?

13 years ago

My Black eyed Susans are always growing fine until the mid summers. They get really tall about 3-4 feet high. Starting the mid summer, they start to flop over. Some of them just completely laying on the ground.

I wonder if they are just OVER GROWN, or they are lacking of potash....or even something else?

I have actually a few of them already laying on the ground now, right after they just started blooming a little bit.

What's happening to my black-eyed Susans?

Thanks

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Comments (5)

marymd7
13 years ago
Not in enough sun?

Most likely, you're pampering them. Stop. You will get less flopping with less fertilization and water.
coolplantsguy
13 years ago
Ditto above. Grow 'em "lean and mean".
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chueh
Original Author
13 years ago
Laugh out loud. I never could believe that I could give too much fertilizer....

Thanks
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
mine are only about 2 to 2.5 feet tall or so.. no water.. no fert.. abject neglect ...

hyper-fertilization is the scourge of homeowner gardening.. IMHO ...

in all but the very worst soils.. most plants need NOTHING FROM YOU ....

ken
terrene
13 years ago
I agree that over-fertilization can lead to lanky growth and that Black eyed Susans don't need fertilizer.

However I've grown Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer' and 'Irish eyes' and they've both gotten floppy, even in fairly lean well-drained soil and without fertilizer. This year I decided to try pinching them to make them bushier and see if that prevented flopping. So far so good and some are just starting to bloom. I did the same with some Echinacea 'Summer Sky' which always flops (it's probably not growing in enough sun). We'll see how that does.

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Why Do My Black-Eyed Susans flop over?

Comments (5)

marymd7

coolplantsguy

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chueh
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Why Do My Black-Eyed Susans flop over?

Comments (5)

marymd7

coolplantsguy

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chuehOriginal Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

terrene

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chueh
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