Garden flowers. Rudbeckia: types, photos, planting and care

Many summer residents grow on their suburban areas not only vegetables and fruits, but also various kinds of decorative cultures. One of the most popular varieties of flowers is rudbeckia, a very effective and unpretentious plant.

general description

In the wild, this plant, belonging to the family of the Astroids, grows in North America. There are both annual and perennial species. The flowers of rudbeckia are very beautiful, in shape resembling large chamomiles. Their petals are as narrow and long, slightly bending down, and the middle is velvety and massive. There are varieties of this plant with flowers and a slightly different, more lush, shape. They have much more petals, and the middle part is almost invisible. To such types of rudbecki is, for example, well-known to all lovers of ornamental plants "golden ball".

One of the main features of rudbeckia is the rich yellow color of the petals (different shades). The middle of the corolla of most varieties is very dark. It is thanks to this contrast that the plant looks very impressive.

What are the varieties

Most often summer residents in suburban areas are growing rudbeckia:

• Hybrid. This species forms a tall (up to 70 cm) lush bush with numerous flowers - "daisies";

• Shiny. Very similar to Rudbeckia hybrid. It differs from it only in that it has elongated shiny leaves;

• Dissected. Another name for this variety is the "golden ball". Rudbeckia can be cut up to two meters in height. Inflorescences of her terry are spherical, have a bright yellow color.

Methods of breeding

Purchased seeds in a specialized store - this is what these spectacular flowers are most often grown from. Rudbeckia, one-year-old can be planted as seedlings in boxes, and immediately into the open ground. The first way of growing allows you to get lush flowering bushes as early as the beginning of June. In the open ground, seeds or seedlings should be planted no earlier than in late May or early June. The fact is that young rudbeckies do not tolerate frost.

Seeds of perennial varieties can be planted directly on the flower beds not only in late spring, but also in the middle of summer. In any case, in the year of planting such a rudbeckia will not bloom. The first buds on the bushes will be dissolved only next summer.

In the second or third year of cultivation, perennial rudbeckia can already be multiplied by dividing rhizomes. Perform this procedure allowed in the spring before the beginning of growth, and in the fall after the bloom.

Where to plant

The place under the rudbeckiy usually choose sublime, sunny. The fact is that this plant does not tolerate too much waterlogging and shading. The composition of the earth on the flower bed can be absolutely anything. But best of all this decorative culture feels on medium-heavy humic soils.

Rudbeckia: planting with seeds

Growing seedlings of this flower culture is not an easy matter. In mid-April, the seeds are sown in boxes almost up to the top filled with soil. Then the soil is moistened and the planting material is laid out on its surface. Then the seeds are lightly sprinkled with soil, sprayed with water from a spray gun and covered with a film. In the future, it is worth trying not to allow the soil to dry out.

Approximately the same technology is grown and in the open ground such decorative culture, as rudbeckia. Seeds in this case scatter on the surface of the watered flowerbed. Then they cover with a small amount of land and spray. Then you need to wrap the flower bed with a film before emergence.

Division of the bush

This is also a good way to reproduce a plant like rudbeckia. Growing it from rhizomes can be even more successful than from seeds. In order to propagate the plant in this way, a healthy adult, a well-grown bush, should be dug from the ground. Next, you should divide the rudbeckia into several fragments in such a way that each one has a renewal in the kidney.

Of course, the flowerbed for planting parts of the bush should be prepared in advance: loosen the soil and add humus or well-baked compost to it. Under each fragment of the rudbeckia, a small hole is made. After planting plants, the soil around them needs to be compacted a little.

Features of care: top dressing

The spectacular appearance is what rudbeckia is most valued for in summer. The photos presented on the page, the high decorative qualities of this plant demonstrate visually. However, Rudbeckia has one more important advantage. The plant is, in addition, very unpretentious.

Many species of rudbeckie feel quite well even without any care whatsoever. However, in order to get the most spectacular flowering, Rudbeckia, of course, needs to be fertilized and watered. Flowerbeds with newly planted plants should also be weeded from time to time.

Periodic top dressing is what requires long-term rudbeckia. Caring for the plants of this group includes fertilizing in the spring, after the beginning of the growth of the green mass, and in the summer - during the budding period. As a top dressing, just manure can be used. But it is better to buy in a specialized store a complex fertilizer, intended for ornamental crops. It is also not bad to wallow a flower bed with rudbeckies with dry horse manure or compost.

Annual varieties usually do not need to be fed. But only when manure or humus was introduced into the soil before planting seeds or seedlings.

How to water

Rudbeckia, planting and care in the open ground beyond which - the procedures are completely uncomplicated, irrigation requires mainly only in arid seasons. In a rainy summer, the soil under this plant should not be moistened. And even in a drought water the rudbeckie should not be too often and abundantly. This plant does not like overmoistening. When overflowing, rudbeckia may even develop powdery mildew.

How to trim

The perennial varieties of this ornamental culture are usually very thickened. The rudbeckies of this group have grown just a huge amount. Therefore, its planting should be periodically thinned out. In this case, the flower beds will look much more accurate and attractive.

Unfortunately, even perennial rudbeckie is not particularly lonely. The bushes can die for the 3rd-5th year. Leaving them to rot in the flowerbed, of course, is not worth it. Moreover, it is not difficult to remove them. In the vacant place, you can simply pour some seeds. But in most cases this procedure is superfluous. One of the characteristics of rudbeckia is the ability to reproduce by self-seeding.

Annual varieties are usually not pruned. In autumn, dead plants are simply removed from the flower beds and burned or placed in a compost pile. At annuals it is necessary to cut or pinch off the dried flowers. Rudbeckia in this case will quickly "release" new corollas, and in very large quantities.

Diseases and pests

The benefits of rudbeckia, among other things, include increased resistance to various kinds of infections. Powdery mildew is almost the only disease that this plant can get. Of the pests, rudbeckia is mostly affected only by leaf-eating caterpillars and beetles. Adult plants of special harm such insects can not inflict. Young planting for prevention is worth spraying, for example, with a weak aqueous solution of dichlorvos. This inexpensive means can be treated as an annual and long-term rudbeckia.

Sometimes the bushes of this decorative culture are attacked by the ubiquitous spider mite. You can also try to get rid of it with the help of a solution of dichlorvos or buy a special insecticide from the store. Spraying should be done in the morning or evening in dry weather.

Preparing for winter

Quite a high resistance to cold - also what distinguishes these beautiful unpretentious flowers. Rudbeckia does not need special protection against frost. But for the next year the flowerbed looked beautiful, in the late autumn, bushes of perennial varieties should be cut off at the root. Some summer residents then cover the bed with film and hay. But this procedure is optional.

Use in landscape design

One of the features of Rudbeckia is that it combines very effectively with almost any other ornamental plants. This culture blossoms from June to August. As most types of rudbeckia grow very high, they are most often used as a background plant, planting lawns in the background. This culture looks very beautiful in single plantings. In this case, on one large flower bed it is necessary to place several varieties of rudbeck with colors of different shades of yellow.

This is how the care for such decorative culture as rudbeckia is carried out. Photos of these flowers, decorating yards and gardens of summer residents, you can see above. Agree, the plant is really very spectacular. Plant it on your site is mandatory. Too much time care for the rudbeckies in the summer will not take away.