Black-Eyed Susan Vine Leaves Turning Brown

Under-watering

• Black-eyed Susan vines are vulnerable to under-watering and will wilt rapidly if they get too dry. If water is not applied, the plant will lose stems and its leaves will turn brown. Water your black-eyed Susan when the surface of its soil is dry or as soon as it starts to wilt to prevent permanent damage.

Over-watering

• Plants grown in waterlogged soil or in a pot with no drainage hole suffer from root death and subsequent leaf and stem death. Roots growing in sodden soil cannot absorb oxygen from and die. This means that the whole plant quickly wilts and turns brown. Black-eyed Susan vines are prone to drowning and must be grown in open, well-drained soil or in a container with ample drainage. Never water black-eyed Susan vines if their soil is already wet.

Cold Damage

• Black-eyed Susan vines are damaged or killed by frost. Frozen leaves and stems will turn brown in the days after frost exposure. In frost-prone areas, treat black-eyed Susan vines as an annual creeper. If your plant dies back to the ground, mulch the area with a layer of organic matter at least 4 inches thick or cover it with fleece. Your vine may regrow the following spring.

Pests

• Check your black-eyed Susan vine for any sign of aphid, scale or spider mite infestation if it develops brown leaves. Aphids are tiny green or black insects that gather on shoots and fresh leaves, while scale insects look like raised bumps on the undersides of leaves and on the stems. Spider mites are too small to see with the naked eye but leave fine webbing on the leaves and cause yellow mottling on their undersides. Treat insect infestation by spraying the plant with insecticidal soap. Spray a vine suffering from spider mite attack with water twice a day to raise humidity levels.