Rudbeckia Mold

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, since I don't know if mold is technically a 'pest.'

Anyways, I'm new to this gardening thing, and I planted some rudbeckia this summer, about the end of July. Along their journey into my garden, they went through a bit of water stress and otherwise unsatisfactory living conditions. Since being planted in my flower bed, they've not grown well (which I at first attributed to their biological clocks being all screwed up from going greenhouse to outside and moved all around in small plastic trays). However, they've got this spotty whitish fuzziness in places. At first I thought it was just hairiness (they are kinda hairy plants, right?) but stems here and there in the bunch turn brown and flowers die and look like crap. They are still developing new growth on new stems within the same plants, but I figure the mold will spread. Assuming it is mold. Most of the plant-units I have seem to be stricken with this condition. Everything else I planted this summer has relatively thrived besides these rudbeckia.

So I took some pictures, and I would really appreciate any diagnosis of the problem and what I can do about it. What kind of mold does this appear to be? Will this self-correct when they die back over the winter? Do I have to pull them all up and destroy them? Will this spread to other plants (they are surrounded mostly by gaillardia, phlox, and mums)?

Any answers/advice would be appreciated x1000.

 

Looks like mildew. Both downy & powdery mildew are common in Fall. Airborne spores germinate in moist conditions as overnight air temperatures in this season. I just wait till they look TOO sad then cut them back. If you want to make sure you are not spreading it around, don't put them in your compost heap. I figure there are so many spores of these fungi floating around that I don/t worry about a few more in my mulch. If you put them in the compost, you might want to remove the flower heads or you can get a lot of little seedlings when you use the mulch. Mulch your Black Eyed Susans, weed them in the spring. In my experience they are tough, cheerful plants (with a lovely name). One of my favourites.

gb

 

Thanks!