Tips For Planting And Caring For Your Black Eye Suzy
You’ve seen them all around. People buy a Beautiful black Eye Suzy, put them in their yard, and the next thing you know they are dead or dying because they didn’t take proper care of it.
So, how do you plant and take care of a Slack Eye Suzy? Plant a Black Eye Suzy in a spot in your garden that gets plenty of sunlight. Dig a hole that’s about twice the size of the pot your Black Eye Suzy is currently in. Remove the plant from its pot and place it in the hole, making sure the roots are spread out. Cover the roots with soil and gently pack it down. Water your plant well.
This article will explain what you need to know to plant and take care of your Black Eye Suzy to keep it healthy for the long haul.
What Is A Black Eye Suzy?
Also known as “Black Eye Susan” or just simply “Susy Q”, black eyes are one of the easiest flowers to grow. The Black Eye Susan is also known as the ‘Mourning Bride’ or ‘Single Ladies’ flower because it drapes over headstones at cemeteries.
The Black Eye is well-known for its bright yellow color, and while they resemble daisies, they are completing different species of flowers. A Black Eye Suzy is native only to South America; more specifically Brazil and Paraguay.
However, because it’s so easy to grow, it has become common in many other places. Also, it is not a flower that attracts bees or any type of pollinators. Instead, it is self-pollinating which means you only need one flowering plant for it to reproduce.
Black Eye Suzy’s Provide Good Luck
Tired of getting bad luck? Do you feel like something is always going wrong in your life? Well, there might be a way to fix that. Many local experts think that by planting a Black Eye Suzy flower, you will attract good luck and stop all the bad from happening.
So after you run to your nearest plant store to grab this plant, here is how to plant and take care of your Black Eye Suzy and keep the good luck flowing.
Planting Your Black Eye Suzy
Planting your Black Eye Suzy is pretty easy; most people can do it on their own. You need to find a good spot in your yard where the sun shines for most of the day. Black Eye Susans love having plenty of light and so finding a spot where it can soak it up is important.
Remove Your Black Eye Suzy from Packaging
When you purchase the flower at a garden center or supermarket, carefully unwrap it from its plastic packaging without damaging it. If part of the stem has been damaged during transportation, push the stem back up into the soil so only six inches are sticking out above ground level.
This will cause new roots to grow along the entire length of the stem which makes the flower stronger and healthier.
If you purchased a bare-root Black Eye Suzy, carefully remove it from its packaging without touching the roots or stems too much as this causes them to decay faster. Soak the entire plant overnight in water before planting it.
This will help hydrate the plant and encourage new roots to grow into the soil as it is very difficult for bare-root flowers to establish themselves if they do not have any roots growing.
Plant Your Black Eye Suzy
Plant your bare root Black Eye Suzy with the blooms facing outward so other people can enjoy their beauty. If you want your Black Eye Suzy to face another direction say towards a wall or fence then place the back of your flower against that object and water regularly so that it can grow properly.
Dig a hole large enough for your Black Eye Suzy to fit into. The top of the root system must be even with or slightly above the soil surface and make sure there is plenty of room between it and other plants, especially those that produce fruit (tomatoes and cucumbers).
These plants can host fungal diseases like Verticillium Wilt which kill Black Eye Suzy plants. If you planted a bare root flower without soaking it then push some soil down into the hole around the stem before adding more soil on top.
Water Your Black Eye Suzy
Water your Black Eye Suzy immediately after planting it. This helps stop air pockets from forming in the root system which causes roots to decay.
Apply 1 inch of water every week, only in the morning as this encourages deep root growth. Anything less than an inch of water a week will cause your Black Eye Suzy to become spindly and weak, which is the opposite of what you want.
Do not fret if your Black Eye Suzy is droopy or wilted. This is common during the first few days after planting. Just give it a little drink and maybe some sun and I’m sure she’ll perk right up! If not, just leave her alone for a while and pick her back up later once she starts looking healthier.
Caring For Your Black Eye Suzy
Add Moisture Max 10 fertilizer when planting your Black Eye Suzy and every two months after for at least the first year. It will help stop soil compaction thus allowing roots to receive more nutrients.
Keep in mind that soil with too much nitrogen will turn your Black Eye Suzy’s leaves yellow. Do not apply more than one tablespoon of fertilizer per plant as it can kill your flower.
Maintain a Moist Enviornment
Place a container filled with water near the base of your Black Eye Suzy as the area you live in is probably very dry. This helps retain moisture within the soil.
An inexpensive option is to place an upside-down clay pot filled with water next to your Black Eye Suzy and sink its stem into the soil. Alternatively, you can fill up an old tuna can and bury it next to the root system so that only half of its rim is above ground level. We recommend doing this on hot summer days as well watering once every other day.
Add Mulch to Your Soil
Add mulch to the soil surrounding your Black Eye Suzy to keep moisture in (we recommend compost because it is organic). This will also keep the weeds down if this becomes a problem. Use 2-4 inches of shredded bark mulch or wood chips that are 1 inch thick around the base of the flower.
Turn over your soil area with a spade in late winter (or before spring) so new nutrients can reach your Black Eye Suzy’s roots. Keep in mind, if you do this too early then frost will kill any flowering plants in place. Spring is not always better than winter for gardening!
Prune Your Black Eye Suzy
Cut the blooms off your Black Eye Suzy as they fade after it finishes flowering. This allows nutrients to go back into the plant and encourages new growth. Remember, if you do not cut flowers off then they will turn brown and fall apart which ruins the appearance of your Black Eye Suzy.
Possible Problems In Care Of Black Eye Susans
Now that we’ve covered general care it is helpful to cover some general problems that might arise when trying to take care of your Black Eye Suzy. Let’s start with ants…
Ants
Ants love sugar so they will most likely be attracted to any sweet drink you leave lying around (or maybe even just spilled). If this is the case, try moving your plant somewhere else so the ants won’t come around anymore. They don’t like most other plants so this will solve your problem!
However, if they are coming from somewhere else and not drink-related then you might want to talk with someone about what kind of pesticides to use.
Snails and Slugs
Snails and slugs also love sugary things. They can do a lot of damage to your Black Eye Suzy without you even realizing it. These pests need to be dealt with as soon as possible because the more your plant is eaten, the fewer nutrients it has.
There are so many ways you can kill these pests but here is my favorite: take some beer out one night (it needs to be dark) and pour it into plastic cups along the border of your property. I’m not sure why they love the beer so much, but it does the trick!
Pruning is another way you can kill snails and slugs – but not in the traditional sense (if there is such a thing). During wintertime when your Black Eye Suzy isn’t doing anything, you should cut some branches off of her. Each branch needs to be at least three inches long if possible. If done correctly, these branches will turn into new plants-complete with all their nutrients!
In Conclusion
All of the information about planting and caring for your Black-Eyed Susan has been summarized below:
- Sunlight: Your plant will need at least six hours of sunlight daily. Can be outside or inside as long as it gets the required sunlight.
- Soil: When planting, remember to use soil that is moist but not soaked. If it feels soggy then let some water out.
- Water: Water once a day using a spray bottle for indoor plants, and directly if it’s an outdoor plant. You want the soil to remain moist, not soaking wet.
- Fertilizer: For every gallon of soil there should be one-half teaspoon of fertilizer added before planting.
Happy planting!
