Description

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Sahara Mix’

Rudbeckia hirta

Technically a Tender Perennial, Rudbeckia hirta ‘Sahara Mix’ is so quick to flower that we grow it as an annual, I also find it flowers much better in it’s first season.

Flowers themselves are all different shapes and in a range of colours including mahogany, gold, copper and chocolate.

Heat and drought tolerant once established, they handled the almost 40°C heat in July 2022 without batting an eye and looked incredible well into November.

This variety also works amazingly well in patio pots and containers or you can plant them towards the front of your garden border.

How to grow:

Start seeds in mid-late February. Sow onto the surface of the compost. Seeds require light for germination, do not cover with soil.

Seeds benefit from a bit of warmth to trigger germination, 22-25°C is ideal.

Be careful not to overwater, Rudbeckia don’t like prolonged wet conditions and this can cause seedlings to rot.

I like to ‘pot on’ into 9cm pots which means I can delay ‘planting out’ until June which is when I find gaps starting to appear in the garden and the early displays in containers go over.

For more detailed growing instructions join our ‘Grow-A-Long’  and for busy gardeners you can now plan ahead with our Spring Grow-A-Long Handbook.

Details:
Variety: Rudbeckia hirta
Type: Tender Perennial’ grown as an annual
Position: Full sun
Sow: Spring
Space: 22cm apart, excellent in containers
Height: 50cm
Harvest: July onwards
Seeds per packet: 50 (approx. counted by weight)

Cutting /Vase Life:

Pick as soon as flowers begin to open, flowers last 7 days or more if you change the water regularly after arranging. You can also add a drop of bleach to the water to help keep it clear. Click for more detailed information on conditioning.