Nothing says summer more than several rows of wildflowers. Helianthuscommonly known as sunflowers. Easy to grow, this plant native to North America is a fun addition to your garden.
It’s true: although most people think of sunflowers as an imposing species that fills prairie fields, it is Can you grow them in your backyard?. You can choose sunflowers in many different colors, with heights ranging between 1.5 and 3.5 meters.
Often seen as a plant to add height to the back of a flower bed, sunflowers are all-rounders. They add beauty to your garden and are a source of food for birds and squirrels.
In addition, they have large and beautiful flowers and can be harvested for their tasty seeds or by Sunflower oil. If this conversation made you want to grow sunflowers at home, check out some gardening tips for this cheerful species below:
How to plant sunflower seeds
Planting sunflower seeds is a quick and easy task. By choosing the right location and preparing the soil, you are guaranteed a good start to your crop.
Choose a sunny location
It almost goes without saying that the sunflowers love the sun, it is not? Look for a location with plenty of sunlight for these fast-growing annuals. Also, think about what you will plant around your sunflowers. Most sunflowers are very tall and can shade other plants.
prepare the soil
Soil with good drainage is essential. If the soil is heavy, mix up to 10 cm of compound and add nutrients from fertilizers before planting. Mix the compost and fertilizer into the top six inches of your garden bed. And beware: a slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 it’s ideal. A home soil test can help you determine what your garden soil needs.
wait for the right moment
Choosing when to plant sunflower seeds requires a little patience. The ideal is to plant them at the late springwhen the soil is good and warm.
Most sunflowers germinate when the soil reaches 21°C to 30°C, the best time to plant them just before the soil reaches this temperature – between 15°C and 21°C. In most cases, this happens approx. three weeks after the last frost.
If you choose to grow them indoors, simply place the seeds in peat pots during the last spring frost. They must be the right size for transplanting, which must occur when the soil is at the proper temperature.
plant the seeds
Different sunflowers require different planting depths and spacing. In general, plant seeds at least 1/2 inch deep. Space the seeds 15 cm apart. If planting in rows, opt for 2 to 3 feet between each row.
Plants should be pruned every few weeks to ensure proper spacing. If the soil temperature is right, sunflower seedlings will sprout in 10 to 14 days.
Growing sunflower seeds requires space. To plant sunflowers indoors, plant three seeds for each peat pot from 7 cm to 10 cm. A soilless planting system should ensure better drainage.
See too
In such cases, germination usually occurs in 6 to 10 days. You can enjoy continuous blooms through the summer by planting seeds every two weeks. With consecutive plantingsyou will have beautiful sunflower blossoms until the first autumn frost.
Ensure plenty of humidity
How do sunflower seeds contain large amounts of natural oilthey need a lot of water to germinate.
After planting, water the soil thoroughly. Keep the soil moist with light and frequent watering until germination occurs. If you plant indoors, cover the pots with transparent plastic film to keep them moist. Remove the plastic once the seeds have germinated.
thin the seedlings
As soon as the seedlings show their first set of leaves, prune the seedlings back to the recommended row spacing for your sunflower variety.
Small sunflowers may require only 15 cm between each plant, while large varieties may need up to 1 meter. Closer spaces are possible with garden aesthetics in mind, but crowded plants will produce smaller flowers.
Sunflower seedlings indoors should be reduced to one seedling per cup. Just pick the strongest sunflower and discard the others.
Growing and Caring for Sunflowers
Learning how to grow sunflowers is not difficult – they almost grow by themselves. And once sunflowers start to grow, they develop quickly. Sunflower care only requires a few basic growing tips. Check out:
Water
Although sunflowers require a lot of water to germinate, they only need a little water a week during the growth phase. Use an irrigation hose to easily water once a week until the top six inches of soil is damp.
Fertilization
If you’ve prepared your soil with compost or manure, you shouldn’t need extra fertilization during the growth phase.
But if you think your plants need better nutrition, you can apply a balanced, slow-acting granular fertilizer to the soil around the sunflowers. Sunflower fertilizers are available at some garden centers, but a basic fertilizer is really all you need.
weed control
One of the biggest challenges of sunflower is the control of weeds. They compete with each other for moisture and nutrition.
Unless you want to plow, weed, or pull weeds by hand, it is ideal to put a generous layer of mulch to fight weeds. Add a 4-inch layer of organic mulch to your sunflower garden.
Also, leave an area of bare soil around each sunflower stalk to help deter pests and diseases.
Pest and disease management
Although many pests love sunflower plants, the damage is usually minimal. In most cases, the insecticides are not necessaryunless the damage is severe.
Most sunflowers depend heavily on pollinating insectstherefore, care must be taken to limit the use of insecticides during pollination.
Some of the pests you may encounter are sunflower moths, moth larvae, weevils, caterpillars, grasshoppers, wireworms, and sunflower larvae.
The disease is a great risk, but it mainly affects agricultural crops. New varieties of sunflowers have resistance to many diseases. When this occurs, the only option is to remove and destroy the affected plants.
Verticillium wilt, sclerotinia rot, rust, and downy mildew may occur. The best prevention is proper spacing plants in well-drained soil.
When growing seeds for the harvest, the birds can become a problem. Scarecrows and bait can help deter them. You can also plant certain oil-rich varieties, such as Black Peredovik, to keep birds away from your sunflower seeds.
Harvesting sunflower seeds
A harvest of sunflower seeds is the perfect way to enjoy both the beauty of the flowers in your garden and their delicate seeds.
Sunflowers produce an abundance of seeds that can be added to breads, eaten in salads, or even made into a creamy nut-free sunflower butter.
Expect to harvest the seeds approx. 30 days after pollination.
defeat the birds
You’ve spent all this time learning how to grow sunflower seeds – don’t let the birds eat your crop! Start checking seed maturity in the early autumn.
The seeds will begin to sink back into the ground as the flower petals dry and fall off. When ready, simply cut off the seed heads with a generous amount of stem. hang on one hot and dry placeaway from rodents and insects.
Do not hurry
Wait until the back of the sunflower’s head is brown before harvesting the seeds. Although you can harvest mature seeds sooner, the blackening of the head allows for easier and faster removal.
Cover the sunflower heads
The seeds naturally fall from the flower heads as they dry. To get all the seeds you can, place one net or a paper bag with air holes over each head.
remove the seeds
Once completely dry, the seeds are easy to remove. You can take a sunflower head in each hand and rub your faces to dislodge the seeds.
Or you can just use a brush to get the seeds out.
Store to ensure flavor
To keep sunflower seeds as fresh as possible, store them in airtight glass jars in the fridge. This keeps humidity levels low.
If storing outside the refrigerator, consider adding silica bags to absorb excess moisture. Many people store raw seeds in cloth bags in dark, dry areas to encourage air circulation.
types of sunflowers
Sunflowers come in a wide variety of sizes and colors. Some of the most popular garden sunflowers include:
mammoth – the giant of the sunflowers in the garden. This relict plant grows up to 12 feet tall and bears large 12-inch-wide flowers with abundant seed.
Fast growing makes a perfect hedge, screen or sun forest for kids. Plant the seeds 1 inch deep and space them 2 feet apart for best results.
autumn beauty – a vibrant choice for flower gardens. Flowers feature 8-inch-wide buds in combinations of bright yellow, bronze, and purple.
Growing up to 1.2m tall and bearing multiple branches, Autumn Beauty makes an excellent cut flower for floral arrangements. Also known as the common sunflower, the plant has edible flower buds that are delicious when pounded and fried. Seeds should be planted 5 cm deep and spaced 45 cm apart.
Moulin Rouge – not your typical sunflower. The dark red petals have just a slight hint of yellow at the base, highlighted by an ebony centre.
It’s easy to grow. Reaching just 4 meters in height, the dark flowers are just 10 centimeters wide. Moulin Rouge is an excellent cut flower because it does not contain pollen.
teddy bear – presents completely double and fluffy flowers, reaching up to 15 cm in diameter. Without the flat center, its flowers have a deep yellow color.
This dwarf sunflower is ideal for pots. Plant in groups of 3 to 4 seeds to a depth of 1.2 cm. Thin it down to 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick when the seedlings are three weeks old.