black eyed Susans aftercare, plus planting vegetables mid-June

(Question)

Should I cut off just the spent Black eyed Susan flowerhead, or take the stem down to the base. Also, is now a good time to plant: dill, squash and beets.

(Answer)

Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida) are hardy plants that bloom for a long season if regularly deadheaded and taking the flower stem down to the base of the plant.  But leave the last flush of flowers on the plants to set seeds which we recommend that you leave for the birds to enjoy over the winter and which add greatly to the winter scene with their snowy cap. Cut back hard in early to mid-spring. Black eyed Susans are good nectar plants visited by a host of butterflies and other insects You may fertilize lightly in the fall.

The soil and the air are warm in mid-June and a good time to plant your vegetable seeds: dill, squash, and beets. Lightly irrigate the planted area, probably daily if there is no rain, until the seedlings pop through the soil, and continue to water the area as the plants grow. Mulching with compost, leaf mould or other material will help to keep the ground moist.