How to plant sunflowers? Probably the majority imagines this process as follows: a person walks across the field and scatters seeds. But everything is not so simple, although the culture is very unpretentious, and many saw these plants on the side of the road (most likely, the seed fell from a passing truck and sprouted). How to plant a sunflower using seedlings or in the open ground will be discussed in this article.
Sunflower
Sunflowers bloom abundantly and colorfully from July to September. This is an annual plant that can raise a flower to a height of three meters. Although there are perennial varieties that can be propagated by dividing the bush in the fall or spring.
The birthplace of the plant is North America. It is grown mainly for the production of oil. It is believed that this is one of the very first domesticated crops that people have learned to grow. It is believed that sunflower was known as a home crop before wheat. Currently, there are up to 90 of its species (annual and perennial).
Seed preparation
If the question arises of how to plant sunflowers, then first of all, you need to worry about preparing seeds and selecting a variety. Many people prefer to grow crops specifically for receiving seeds - a tasty "entertainment" for all family members.
First, a thorough calibration of the seeds is carried out. They should be the same in size, full-weight, without damage.
The next step is seed dressing. Experienced gardeners recommend using this composition: garlic is passed through a meat grinder, mixed with onion husks (in equal proportions), and then poured with boiling water. Two grams of water will require 100 grams of garlic. The mixture is insisted for a day, filtered through cheesecloth.
Before planting, the seeds are soaked overnight. This simple processing has its advantages: firstly, it is an environmentally friendly "poison", and secondly, a pungent odor will scare away pests and rodents from eating seeds. White threads stretched above the ground can serve as additional protection against birds.
Seat selection
For sunflower, an open place is selected. It should be lit by a daylight for at least 6-8 hours a day. However, plants require protection from the wind. How to plant sunflowers? Under the walls of buildings or along the fence - many gardeners know this. Such placement solves two problems at once: the structures protect the plants from the winds, and the sunflowers themselves serve as a beautiful decor. They can close a not too beautiful fence or an unpretentious tool shed.
The soil should be fertile, it is possible with an average clay content. On boggy, saline, acidic soil, sunflower will not grow. The best options are black soil, chestnut and gray forest soils. Bean plants, tomatoes or sugar beets cannot be predecessors of a culture . After them, a lot of nitrogen remains in the soil. It is better to plant sunflower in the area after crops.
Growing seedlings
Consider how to plant a sunflower on seedlings. 25 days before the alleged planting of seedlings in open ground in cups or small pots, seeds are sown. Paper cups or peat pots may be suitable. Good seedlings require a lot of light. Then the shoots will be green and strong (do not stretch).
Seeds need to be watered while maintaining soil moisture. In a couple of weeks, the first shoots will appear. The grown seedlings are planted in open ground, adhering to the appropriate planting pattern.
The method of planting seedlings is not suitable for all varieties of culture, but only with a strong root system that can easily withstand a transplant.
Sowing in soil
Before planting a sunflower seed in open ground, you need to make sure that it is warmed up well. The temperature cannot be lower than 8-12 0 C at a depth of 10 cm. Planting dates are determined by this indicator and may vary depending on the climate. Usually this is the beginning or middle of May.
The optimum temperature for sowing is 10-12 degrees. Sprouts can appear within 15 days from the time of sowing. A lower temperature (6-8 degrees) will give a delay in seedlings, they will germinate on day 20 or even later. The culture easily tolerates frosts to -5 0 C, does not require heavy watering.
The size of the crop determines how to plant a sunflower seed in the ground. Small and ornamental plants are planted according to the 30x50 pattern, large - 75x90, very large - 90x120 cm. Depth can vary from 5 cm to 10 cm in the northern regions, and the choice of variety also affects it. 2-3 seeds are thrown into the hole, sprinkled with earth, watered and rolled.
Decorative plants
Since planting a decorative sunflower is much easier than ordinary, it becomes an ornament of many flower beds and summer cottages. They do not need to be sown for seedlings, there is no need to apply methods for accelerated germination of seeds, to process from pests. The task is to get a beautiful flower, not a good harvest.
The variety of varieties, their beauty, unpretentiousness of cultivation make the "flower of the sun" a welcome guest on any piece of land. An elegant bush with a lot of luxurious flowers will decorate any country house or country house. You can safely plant several varieties of sunflower in one group (cross pollination is not scary) along the fence or near the walls of farm buildings.
Tips for gardeners
When, where and how to plant a sunflower, each gardener decides for himself. Some useful tips:
- Carefully select seeds for planting. This is a cross-pollination crop, so using seeds of a variety that has been grown on a site for more than two years is not recommended. There will be many empty or small fruit baskets.
- The greater the distance between the plants, the larger the seeds will be. This is especially true for giant plants.
- A large interval between sowing seeds and seedlings may suggest that they were damaged by rodents or eaten by birds. Re-sowing can lead to lower yields.
- To ensure friendly germination of seeds, they conduct some preparation. They are soaked in water, wrapped in gauze or other tissue at a temperature of 20 0 C. As soon as the first sprouts appear (usually after 2-3 days), they are planted in the ground.
- Sunflower grows well in the company of beets and potatoes. It is sown between rows of vegetables.
- You should not grow a crop for more than three consecutive years in the same place. Plants literally suck nutrients from the soil. A break will allow the earth to rest and get rid of pests.
- Sunflower is a photophilous plant. You can’t plant it densely - the baskets will be small.
- A simple method will help in choosing quality seeds. In a 5% saline solution, seeds suitable for planting will go to the bottom after 5-10 minutes, and they should be taken.
Useful properties of seeds
Watching how sunflowers are planted almost everywhere, involuntarily the question arises of the usefulness of this crop.
Scientists have long studied the seed, or rather, the seed (the so-called sunflower fruit) and identified a number of its qualities. They found that eating seeds:
- prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
- serves as a barrier to the development of cancer;
- improves heart function;
- helps to improve the condition of hair, skin, nails;
- provides the body with useful substances, since it contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, groups B, E;
- prevents early aging of the body.
An unpretentious occupation - snapping seeds - in itself becomes a wonderful action distracting from sad thoughts. Many smokers with the help of seeds got rid of this addiction. The nutritional value of the product is so high that it can quickly and easily satisfy your hunger.