Rudbeckia: From Seed or PlugPlants?

[Cosmo and Dibs]

Is it practical to grow rudbeckia from seed and expect it to flower in the same year?

Or, should I just buy the ready grown plug/bare root plants?

[Wareagle]

Grow them from seed they're easy enough. They are HHA so will flower the year you sow them, had a lovely display from mine this year.

[zazen999]

I'll be sowing all next autumn's colour [echinacea, rudbeckia, helenium] in the next few weeks.....

[becky250970]

I'll be sowing all next autumn's colour [echinacea, rudbeckia, helenium] in the next few weeks.....

Sow and keep where, greenhouse? When do you plant them out? I love both rudbeckia and enchinacea but I haven't got my greenhouse yet would they be ok on a windowsill?

Sorry for highjacking thread...

[zazen999]

Sow and keep where, greenhouse? When do you plant them out? I love both rudbeckia and enchinacea but I haven't got my greenhouse yet would they be ok on a windowsill?

Sorry for highjacking thread...

Last year they were kept outside in a cold frame-ish arrangement. Windowsill would be ok but they can get too soft if too warm. My coldframe-ish arrangement last year was an upturned clear plastic container with a brick over the top to stop it blowing away. Now I have my greenhouse - they will stay out there.

[becky250970]

Thanks zazen, I can feel yet another seed order coming on

[zazen999]

Thanks zazen, I can feel yet another seed order coming on

I get all my rudbeckias/echinaceas/heleniums from seed heads snapped off other people's plants around this time of year. A walk in a decent sized park is all you need

[basketcase]

I get all my rudbeckias/echinaceas/heleniums from seed heads snapped off other people's plants around this time of year. A walk in a decent sized park is all you need

Thinks: "Is there a park in Aberdeen that planted echinacea this year?!"

[becky250970]

Thinks: "Is there a park in Aberdeen that planted echinacea this year?!"

I'm going to have to take the dog on a few scouting trips, at least then I'll have an excuse to be lurking in the flower beds...

[zazen999]

i got another few seeds heads today; going to sow a seed bed at the lottie with all these lovely seed heads I've purloined.

[vikkib]

i got another few seeds heads today; going to sow a seed bed at the lottie with all these lovely seed heads I've purloined.

I'm keeping my eyes peeled for any of the new red ones...



... stunning!

[Cosmo and Dibs]

I was unaware that you could sow them before February.

[zazen999]

I tend to look at sowing seeds when they are ripe; following the seasons that they would naturally fall into the soil.

[BFG]

To sprout in Autumn or Spring is one of the big decisions for seeds. If they sprout in Autumn when they've just fell, it's not long til winter, which for a new seedling is tough to survive. But if they make it through, they have a jump start on the other seeds in spring and are more likely to win the inevitable turf war.

Waiting until spring means no winter to endure, but then competing against already established plants in spring that did brave and survive the winter.

A lot of plants hedge their bets and produce a mix of seeds that will do both.

If you can give winter protection, a lot of things can be Autumn sown and will be stronger next year and flower earlier.

[zazen999]

Of course, you can sow both - hedge your bets