Killed my Rudbeckia???

[happyhippy]

Hi all!Last year I started a perennial garden,and planted amongst other things Rudbeckia.It grew very fast and was bursting with flowers mid summer onwards.I was advised to cut it back come late Autumn,which I did.I've noticed now,that most of my perennials are up and back growing strongly but not the Rudbeckia.It just looks like dead twigs?Shall I leave it in?Or did I kill it by cutting it back last year?I've also got a Salvia,which same as the Rudbeckia started off strongly last year,got bushy,flowered loads,cut that back end of Autumn and it also looks dead.So what do I do?Dig them out for the compost or leave them in?Will they re grow and are they later re growing than other perennials?Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thankyou!

[bonniethomas06]

HH I always grow rudbeckia but always as an annual. I think some are advertised as perennials but tbh I have never sucessfully overwintered one!

I would cut your losses and get a quick sowing in.

[Millymollymandy]

I think that on the whole Salvias are not very hardy plants, but perennial Rudbeckias are (in my experience). I only have two different kinds and they don't have a problem with cold winters and they don't disappear under the soil surface in winter - I mean there are always leaves on show, albeit small. Maybe it depends on the kind you have - I don't know the names of mine, although I think that one is 'Goldsturm'.

I don't think that cutting the stems in autumn should kill the plant although I wait until late winter to cut stems back as the seed heads are attractive and birds may eat the seed - not sure of that as I've never seen them on it but who knows?

I'd wait a little bit longer to see if there is any life but it doesn't sound very hopeful. I have lost two papillon French lavendars - I've waited and waited but they seem dead as dodos so sadly out they will come.

[happyhippy]

Thanks for the advice,although I'm a little confused!I had kept the plastic identification/care tag thingy,and it definately says it is a perennial?I was always led to believe that perennials grew back each year???Ok I think what I'll do is leave it in the ground for another month,and if I see no life appearing,I will dig it out.

[Millymollymandy]

There are both perennial and annual Rudbeckias, so if yours had a label saying it's a perennial then that's what it should be. It may be that the cold snap harmed it - I think having a mild winter with one rather cold spell can do more damage than a normal cold winter.

[pelmetman]

Hi we have a beautiful perennial Rudbeckia which has survived Lincolnshire winters which have been pretty severe of late.

We grow a lot of perennials, when we lived further South I used to cut back the majority of the plants in the Autumn. However, here I do the cutting back in early Spring as soon as I see the new growth appearing as I find the old growth seems to protect the plants from the worst of the winter weather.

If I were you I think I would leave it a bit longer just to see if it is still alive.

SUE

[happyhippy]

Thankyou all for your thoughts,much appreciated.I just hope it comes back to life because even though it was only planted last year,it looked really fabulous,and produced loads of lovely flowers.Yes I will definately leave it a while longer,with fingers crossed!