Sunflower, as a flower full of sunshine, is not only beautiful, but also brings joy and positive mood. If you want to grow sunflowers in your own garden or balcony, you need to start from the seed, through the right planting methods and techniques, so that they thrive in the sun and bloom the most brilliant flowers. This article details how to plant sunflower seeds to help you create your own sunflower sea.
1. Choose The Right Seeds
Variety selection: There are many varieties of sunflowers, including ornamental and edible two categories. Ornamental sunflowers usually have large, colorful flowers, while edible sunflowers are dominated by fruit. It is important to choose the right variety for the purpose of planting.
Seed quality: Quality seeds are the foundation of successful planting. When purchasing seeds, choose seeds that are healthy, plump and free of pests and diseases. It can be purchased at a reputable garden store or online.
Seed treatment: Before sowing, the seeds can be treated simply, such as soaking in warm water for 24 hours to promote seed germination. The soaked seeds should be dried in a cool and ventilated place, away from direct sunlight.
2. Prepare The Planting Environment
Light conditions: Sunflowers are sun-loving plants that need plenty of light to thrive. The planting site should be selected in a sunny place, receiving at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Soil requirements: Sunflower soil requirements are not high, but well-drained fertile soil is more conducive to its growth. If the soil is poor or poor drainage, it can be improved before sowing, such as adding organic fertilizer or sand.
Space arrangement: Sunflower plants are large and need enough room to grow. When planting, the rows should be arranged reasonably according to the growth habits of the varieties to avoid overcrowding.
3. Sowing Skills
Planting time: Planting time for sunflowers varies from region to region. In general, spring is the best time to sow, when the temperature is stable above 15 ° C, you can sow. The northern region can be appropriately late sowing, the southern region can be appropriately early sowing.
Sowing method: Before sowing, smooth the soil and pour water. Then, dig shallow pits in the surface of the soil, place the seeds tip down into the pits, and cover them with a thin layer of soil (about 1-2 cm). After planting, keep the soil moist but not stagnant.
Sowing density: Sowing density should be adjusted according to the variety and planting purpose. Ornamental sunflowers can be properly planted closely to form a full flower; The edible sunflower needs a larger growing space to ensure the quality of the fruit.
4. Seedling Management
Watering: After sowing, keep the soil moist to promote seed germination. After emergence, gradually reduce the frequency of watering to avoid excessive soil moisture resulting in root rot. Flexibility to adjust watering frequency and amount according to weather and soil conditions.
Fertilization: Sunflowers need plenty of nutrients during their growth. During the growth period, compound fertilizer or organic fertilizer can be applied every 2-3 weeks to provide the necessary elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. When applying fertilizer, avoid direct contact with the root system to avoid burns.
Weeding and loosening: Timely weeding reduces nutrient competition and keeps the soil loose. At the same time, regular soil loosening is conducive to root respiration and nutrient absorption. Be careful when weeding and loosening the soil to avoid damaging the roots of the sunflower.
Pest control: The common diseases of sunflower are powdery mildew, leaf spot, etc., the common pests are aphids, red spiders, etc. When diseases and pests are found, timely measures should be taken to prevent and control them. Pesticides can be used to spray, but pay attention to drug safety and environmental protection.
5. Growth Period Management
Coiling and pruning: To promote branching and flowering of sunflowers, coiling can be done when the plant has reached a certain height. After picking the heart, the plant will sprout more side branches, making the flowers more plump. At the same time, timely trim the yellow, weak branches and leaves, to keep the plant healthy.
Support and fixation：Sunflower stems are thin and tall, easy to fall. During growth, scaffolds or drawlines can be set up for support and fixation to prevent plant lodging from affecting flowering and fruit quality.
Pollination and seed setting: Sunflowers are self-pollinating plants, but cross-pollination can improve seed setting and seed quality. During the flowering period, pollination can be artificially assisted by gently shaking the flower disc to promote pollen transmission. At the same time, pay attention to maintain good ventilation to avoid high temperature and high humidity environment leading to poor pollination.
6. Harvesting and storage
Harvest time: When the fruits of edible sunflowers are ripe, the back of the flower tray will turn yellow and the edges of the flower tray will start to dry out. At this point, you can gently pat the flower tray to make the seeds fall off. Ornamental sunflowers can be viewed and photographed according to the opening of the flowers.
Seed treatment: The harvested sunflower seeds should be dried and cleaned to remove impurities and dented grains. When drying, avoid direct sunlight and high temperature environment to avoid seed deterioration. The cleaned seeds can be stored in a dry, ventilated, and cool place for sowing or eating the following year.
Flower drying: If you want to preserve the flowers of ornamental sunflowers as dried flowers, you can cut the flowers after they are fully open and hang them upside down in a cool, ventilated place to dry. After drying, the flowers can retain their original form and color and be used for decoration or to make handicrafts.
7. Precautions
Avoid continuous cropping: sunflower is not suitable for continuous cropping, which can easily lead to soil nutrient imbalance and accumulation of diseases and pests. When planting, it can be rotated or intercropped with other crops to improve soil fertility and reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases.
Timely sowing: Sowing too early or too late will affect the growth and flowering of sunflowers. Early sowing may cause freezing damage to seedlings. Sowing too late will affect flowering time and fruit quality. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the appropriate planting time according to the local climatic conditions and variety characteristics.
Reasonable dense planting: Although dense planting can save space, it is easy to lead to poor plant growth and decreased flowering quality. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange the row spacing reasonably according to the growth habits and planting purposes of the varieties to ensure that the plants have enough space for growth.
Pay attention to drainage: sunflower is afraid of waterlogging, planting location to choose a place with good drainage. After the rainy season or heavy rain, it is necessary to drain water in time to avoid root rot and disease caused by stagnant water.
Observation and adjustment
During the planting process, it is necessary to closely observe the growth of sunflower, find and solve problems in time. If you encounter diseases, pests, poor growth, etc., timely measures should be taken to control and adjust management measures.
Conclusion
Growing sunflowers is a fun and fulfilling activity. By choosing the right seeds, preparing the planting environment, mastering the right planting techniques and management methods, you can easily create a splendid sea of sunflowers. In the planting process, we should not only pay attention to the growth of the plant, but also enjoy the fun and good time of interacting with nature. I hope this article will help you grow beautiful sunflowers successfully!
