Black-Eyed-Susan is a very attractive, annual climbing plant and it originates from South-Africa. The beautiful, yellow and striking flowers have a beautiful and constrasting black eye. Black-Eyed-Susan can be grown indoors as indoor plant the whole year round. In the garden this plant is a very popular and striking annual climbing plant that can grow up to 200 - 300 cm.
Indoor sowing: november - february
Outdoor sowing: end of april - beginning of june
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp.: 18 - 22 °C
Sowing depth: ½ cm
Plant distance: 20 - 30 cm
Plant position: sunny and sheltered
Flowering period: june - october
Black-Eyed-Susan can be grown as indoor plant. This way You can sow all year round in large flowerpots (20 cmØ) indoors. Give the plant enough water and sunlight during the flowering period. Give the plant a sturdy support, because it doesn't grow very high in size, but it needs support. Use a Bamboocane.
You can also keep the plant as garden plant outdoors. Then You start sowing indoors from november. Sow in seperate pots filled with moist potting soil. Sow 1 - 2 seeds in each pot and cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. This plant is a light germinator. Give enough warmth and light and don't let the seeds dry out. Keep the temperature as even as possible (20 - 22 °C) and don't let the temperature drop during the night. Transplant the seedlings to larger pots when they're large enough to handle. Put them in a slightly cooler room (15° C). Harden the seedlings of for approx. 10 days in the beginning of may during the day on a sunny and sheltered spot. After this period You can put the plants on a sunny plot with shelter and free draining soil. Give the plants a very sturdy support. Like a fence, pallisade or pergola.
Sow outdoors from the end of april, when there's no longer any danger of nightsfrosts. Give this plant a very well manured, very sunny and sheltered spot with free draining soil. The temperature has to be at least 10 °C to germinate the seeds. Sow approx. 15 cm apart and rake the seeds in the soil. Cover with a very thin layer of soil. Keep moist and weedfree during the germination. Thin the seedlings, when they're large enough to handle to 20 - 30 cm apart. Give this climbing plant a very sturdy support. And water enough during the growth and the flowering period.
