The black-eyed Susan is a climbing plant from Africa whose flowers and leaves are even edible. So it's doubly worthwhile to plant this pretty plant as a privacy screen in the garden. You can propagate them yourself to grow enough plants for your garden and balcony.
How can I propagate the black-eyed Susan?
The black-eyed Susan can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. Harvest mature seeds in late summer or take cuttings starting in August or January to March. Sow seeds in potting soil, keep moist and keep warm. Place cuttings in potting soil, keep moist and place in a warm, bright place.
This is how the black-eyed Susan is propagated
There are two ways to propagate the Black-Eyed Susan. Either you collect ripe seeds from the plants in late summer or you cut cuttings from August or January.
Both methods do not always have the desired success. The seed germinates irregularly and when you collect your own seeds, not every little grain sprouts.
Cuttings need ideal conditions and a lot of care so that they take root and later grow upwards.
Propagation by seeds
You can buy seeds from gardening stores if you want to grow several colors of flowers in the garden. You can also harvest the seeds from your own black-eyed Susans.
Leave some flowers for seed pods to develop. The seeds ripen in them. The seed is ripe when the capsule is dry and can be easily pressed open.
The seeds, which look like little bowling balls, are thrown out. To collect them, you should place a plastic bag around the seed capsule to collect the seeds.
Sowing the seeds
- Fill the growing bowl with growing soil (€6.00 on Amazon)
- Sowing seeds
- Cover with soil
- Keep moist
- Keep warm until risen
- Prick later
Propagation by cuttings
Cut cuttings from your black-eyed Susan either from August or from January to March.
Use sharp, clean knives and only cut off shoots that are long enough, still green and not woody.
The cuttings are placed in potting soil, kept moist and placed in a warm, bright place. They have grown when new pairs of leaves have formed.
Take outside from the end of May
The freshly grown plants may not be put outside until the end of May, because black-eyed Susans are not hardy.
Tips & Tricks
If you have enough space in the house to overwinter many black-eyed Susans, take cuttings when you bring the plants into their winter quarters. You then have to cut back the climbing plant anyway.