@batwood14 I planted them 2017 when they did flower. Wouldn't know about too much nitrogen in the soil. Wouldn't think so as nothing else has been affected. Must admit they weren't fed as they are in a bed just outside the allotment and can be forgotten. Hadn't thought about dividing them but didn't consider them big enough. When is the best time to do that? Thank you for responding.
Its still warm enough to do this now. I divided some last weekend, otherwise wait till mid/end Feb just before spring. I think you said you have them in pots, they are likely to fill the pots with their roots so when you take it out, you'll see this. There is no competition for space whereas in the ground they complete with other plants.
They also have a very woody centre so don't worry about literally chopping them in half.
Sorry to disagree, but early January is not a good time to be dividing perennials, we are in the middle of winter, and it may still get very cold. I would wait until spring.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
@Tinpot, what variety of rudbeckia are they? Some varieties in my experience are difficult to divide, they do not form rosettes/ plantlets that can be eased apart. I find greater success taking basal cuttings instead, taken when the plant is in active growth and new shoots from the base are 2 inches long. All 4 cuttings I took last spring flowered well last year. I used them in containers and potted them up in November into 2L pots. These are now overwintered in my standing plastic greenhouse and will go into the borders in late spring.
@batwood14 Thank you for getting back. They are actually in a bed and not in pots. They don't look all that big for cutting in half and at the moment are in the process of dying off for the winter. Under the circumstances I think I shall follow @punkdoc's advice and wait till Spring. @lilysilly my Rudbeckia don't seem to form rosettes to enable cutting them in half. I am going to try and find a label so I know what variety they are. Could take a long time! All input very helpful to me and it wasn't even my thread. Sorry @Tin pot
@Tinpot, what variety of rudbeckia are they? Some varieties in my experience are difficult to divide, they do not form rosettes/ plantlets that can be eased apart. I find greater success taking basal cuttings instead, taken when the plant is in active growth and new shoots from the base are 2 inches long. All 4 cuttings I took last spring flowered well last year. I used them in containers and potted them up in November into 2L pots. These are now overwintered in my standing plastic greenhouse and will go into the borders in late spring.
Believe they are summerina brown and goldstrum.
Ive not had much luck with cuttings so far...zero in fact. So it’ll be seeds first and dividing if and when appropriate
I am also growing a new batch from seed sown 2 weeks ago. They have germinated on a windowsill and I’ll prick them out in a couple of weeks and transfer them to a greenhouse. Won’t plant them out til early June, but then they flower by July and keep going til October November.
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I want to divide them, but not sure if I should wait til 2020.
Ill have a go at growing from seed as well.
They also have a very woody centre so don't worry about literally chopping them in half.
I would wait until spring.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
All input very helpful to me and it wasn't even my thread. Sorry @Tin pot
Ive not had much luck with cuttings so far...zero in fact. So it’ll be seeds first and dividing if and when appropriate
Well, kind of an update...when is the right time to cut off the deadness? No signs of anything new yet, but it’s an early spring isn’t it.
Seeds in to pots or just crumble them into the raised beds?
Cheers,
TP
I am also growing a new batch from seed sown 2 weeks ago. They have germinated on a windowsill and I’ll prick them out in a couple of weeks and transfer them to a greenhouse. Won’t plant them out til early June, but then they flower by July and keep going til October November.