The Vibrant Flower You Should Start From Seed In October For Spring Blooms
There are flowers that take a bit of a wait to get established, but once they take hold, you'll realize they were well worth the extra time. One of these is the black-eyed Susan (), a that nurtures pollinators with sunshine-colored blooms. A trick to jump-start good germination for this flowering plant involves sowing seeds in the , with the knowledge that you won't see the blooms immediately. Instead, the seeds will , undergoing a process that triggers germination. Start black-eyed Susan flowers from seed in October, so the upcoming cold spells will help them emerge strong in the spring. You can do this by scattering the seeds on top of a soil mix, in containers, or directly in your garden.
It may seem counterintuitive to plant seeds when winter is around the corner, but you should still add it to your fall garden to-do list for plants like black-eyed Susan. Sowing their seeds in the fall actually provides something crucial to seed germination: a period of cold temperatures known as . The cold temperatures of fall and winter . You can even look forward to .
Naturally, this seeding method works best in . If you don't garden in a place where fall signals chilly weather, you can store-bought seeds or you're harvesting from your garden and replanting. For this method, .
Black-eyed Susans bring butterflies and color to the garden
If you sow black-eyed Susan seeds in the fall, you can await pollinator-attracting blooms that come back year after year, typically . And there are many good reasons to add them to your garden, whether you want to create a butterfly haven or a meadow aesthetic. The black inner part of the flower is actually made up of smaller nectar-containing flowers that The . And of course, they'll add a charming feel to your garden — their and with any greenery behind the flowers.
Another draw to these cheery wildflowers is their ability to self-seed, effortlessly filling your garden with color for years to come. All on their own, . The self-seeding generally starts of growth.
How to plant black-eyed Susan plants from seed
First, choose a spot to plant your black-eyed Susans in the fall, or before you sow. You can't go wrong planting the seeds in , but if you don't have a very sunny garden, try the sweet black-eyed Susan (), which can grow in . Another option is to plant the seeds in a and move it into a sunny patch. When you know where you want them to grow, moisten a type of soil called a and spread it onto your garden dirt or into a container. .
Once the seeds are planted, put that patience to work and wait to reap the benefits of planting them in the fall. Autumn seed-sowing may just become your new go-to for a variety of plants, like . It tends to result in . Planting from seed in colder weather also eliminates the need for , . They'll be accustomed to the outdoor conditions as opposed to other seedlings, which have to be saved from transplant shock and need extra pampering and to ensure their success in the garden. In addition to saving water, you can also stretch your dollar, as planting from seed can be than buying transplants from a nursery.