growing rudbeckia from seed???

I have one rudbeckia maxima plant and I love it. It hasn't multiplied and I want more !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How do I grow them from seed??? Do I chill the seed first and then plant them?

I usually just collect the seed and sow it in the fall without chilling as the winter does that for me in my zone.

When I deadhead mine I just throw the seed heads around and they spread like crazy

wow ! flowAjen, I am amazed. I just cannot get one to come up from seed.( Now purple coneflower or black eyed susans are taking over, no problem with them ! ) I live in 7b but should get cold enough here , I would think, if it gets cold enough for purple coneflowers. I do not grow anything from seed over the winter very well. Not where I have to collect the seed and plant them in pots and keep them over winter. I just don't have any luck with that. They rot or I let the soil dry up from neglect. I love flowers that self sow !! What am I not doing right ??????????? Is it my zone?

Which variety of rudbeckia are you talking about? Why not trying starting them in pots now, then transplant them to your flowerbeds? If BES and Coneflowers do okay for you then I would think these would also. Keep us informed. I'm curious. Maybe try them in another location. Ruds usually do best in Sun.

Are you taking seeds from hybrids that could be sterile? They need light so do not cover the seed, just push it into the top of the soil to make contact with the medium you use.

Pippi, it is Rudbeckia Maxima. I received it as a small plant. Don't know if it is a hybrid or not. FlowAjen said she(?) had no problem growing them from seed, so maybe mine are. I just have one clump that has about 8 individual plants in it.

and here is my Rudbeckia Herbstonne that I have never had come up from seed either

According to Bluestone perennials the Maxima's" Plant Care:Minimal seeding" So these you'll have to collect and then spread and cover with a little soil yourself

Corgimom, do you allow the to seed themselves down? In the fall do you leave the flower heads on the plant, or do you continue to deadhead them? Maybe that is why yours don't multiply. But, how are your plants getting so big if they aren't multiplying? You said they started from one little plant. How long have you had them?

by "not multiplying" I meant not by seed. The clump is getting a little larger each year, but not by much ( soil needs improvement). I just leave the seed heads on the plants. Birds get many of the seed but obviously some fall to the ground and I have never had a plant come anywhere outside of this small clump. ( I leave the seedheads on because often my sister and I will use some of them in floral arrangements.)

I started some in the spring in pots in the house along with when I started my tomatoes.

I also started some by winter sowing. Using a milk jug, or whatever and just put them outside. Cut the jug in half leaving a hinge on it. put in some drain holes, plant your seeds and use a piece of duct tape to hold the top of the jug on the bottom. Leave the lid off. That's it. Set it out on the deck, in the flower garden, or wherever and forget about it until spring. You can do this anytime. I did it in Feb. But they are going to come up at their own will not yours.

If you look at the winter sowing forum you will get a lot of ideas and help. But the people on there plant early and long because they plant tons of things.

THANKS SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!! I will give that a try this winter.

Libby