The most democratic plant of domestic gardens and orchards is sunflower, fully matching its name and copying a bright daylight, decorates our beds and presents with seeds - a product that warms the soul of any Russian person.
This representative of the family Asteraceae, whose homeland is
North America, surprisingly organically fits into the landscape of the Russian estate. There are two varieties of this culture - oilseeds (food) and ornamental plants. How to plant sunflowers correctly, what agrotechnical subtleties to apply and what is the difference between the cultivation of food and decorative species, we will talk in the presented article.
Features and use of culture
Oilseed sunflowers are grown in Russia both on an industrial scale for the production of oil, and in gardens and cottages, with the aim of not only collecting seeds, but also decorating the site with bright sunny inflorescences. Decorative species of sunflower, bred in recent years, are very diverse. There are interesting varieties with simple, semi-double and double flowers of various colors and amazing petal shapes, different in height and compactness. Due to the species diversity, they are successfully used by designers in the garden interior. But since the article is devoted to the question of how to plant a sunflower, implying an oilseed crop, we will speak about it precisely.
Unpretentious to growing conditions, the sunflower is drought tolerant and tolerates spring return frosts to -5 ° C. But in order to get the crop, the plant will have to pay due attention.
How to plant sunflowers in the country: choose a site
Sunflower is a photophilous crop that requires maximum illumination of each part of the plant. The lack of light will have a detrimental effect on its development, decorative and productive qualities, therefore it is impossible to prevent thickening of plantings, and a well-lit place is chosen for them. Since the sunflower is a thermophilic plant and feels excellent even under the scorching sun, then a site that is under the daylight throughout the day is suitable. Plants planted in partial shade do not always have time to ripen. Before planting sunflowers in the country, it is advisable to provide protection from penetrating through winds.
Sunflower is picky about the soil on which to grow it. The best soils for it are neutral chernozems and fertile loams. Being a strong plant, it draws the maximum amount of nutrients from the soil, the bulk of which is required by the culture before flowering. Therefore, before planting a sunflower, you should fertilize the site thoroughly.
You should not plant a crop in those places where legumes and nightshade were previously grown. The best predecessors are corn and cereals. In addition, we must remember that it is undesirable to plant sunflower for several seasons in a row on one site, it is better to take a break for 3 years, since the plant is actively depleting the soil. During the rest period, the earth will also get rid of pathogenic microorganisms dangerous to sunflower.
Soil preparation
Pre-fall fertilizer application will increase crop productivity and the quality of seeds. For digging at this time, humus and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are introduced , then in the spring you no longer have to fertilize the intended area. Digging up the soil in the spring, you should well loosen it and remove all weeds and root fragments. How to plant a sunflower? The easiest and most convenient way is to plant the seeds immediately in a permanent place, bypassing the seedling period of the culture.
Preparing seeds for planting
Oilseed sunflower is an annual plant for the ripening of which, depending on the variety and region, it takes from 70 to 150 days. How to plant sunflowers from seeds?
Seeds are discarded and pickled before planting. To identify low-quality seeds, place them in a container of water for one hour. Dry and unproductive seeds float to the surface, and suitable for planting sink to the bottom. Before planting sunflower seeds, they should be pickled in special preparations, the assortment of which is extensive today, or in solutions used in peasant farms. For example, a method of dressing in garlic infusion is widespread, which is prepared as follows: 100 grams of garlic, minced in a blender, mixed with a small amount of onion husks and pour two liters of boiling water. After insisting for a day, the mixture is filtered and the seeds are soaked in it for 10-12 hours. Such treatment of seeds, except for direct use, with a specific smell repels rodents and insects, often finding seeds in the ground.
Landing rules
Seeds should be planted in warm, warm soil up to 8-12 ° C. In different regions, dates are different, so before you plant a sunflower in the garden, you need to orient yourself not with the timing, but with the temperature of the soil. With the necessary heating of the soil, the seeds are sown in prepared wells for 2-3 seeds, deepening them by 8 cm.
It is important to maintain the intervals between plants. They depend on the variety of sunflower. Large crops should be located at a distance of 0.7-0.9 m from each other, medium-sized - 0.4-0.5 m. The optimal distance between the sunflowers ensures the maturation of large seeds with high-quality seeds. Another nuance in agricultural technology of growing horticultural crops.
Before you plant a sunflower in the garden, you should remember that it is not worth it to place it closer than 1.5 m to the vegetable beds. A strong culture draws nutrition from the soil, because the close proximity to it will have a depressing effect on the development of vegetables.
Features of propagation of culture
Since the sunflower is an annual plant, the method of its propagation is exclusively by seeds. There are several subtleties, the implementation of which is necessary to increase the yield:
• since the crop is cross-pollinated, seeds should be taken from the same variety and changed annually;
• pollination with other varieties is fraught with a decrease in yield and its quality, as well as the formation of a large number of empty seed baskets.
Sunflower care
To get a good crop of quality seeds, sunflower should be carefully looked after. The soil under the plants must be properly fertilized, weed and loosen, regularly and generously water, and also protect plantings from various pests, since sunflower is a favorite treat for many of them.
In dry periods, plants should be watered every day. It is better to apply water under the root, because the sunflower does not like sprinkling.
Culture loves potash fertilizers. It is noted that regular feeding with phosphorus-potassium supplements affects the quality of the seed, its size and taste. And the predominance of nitrogen fertilizers, on the contrary, inhibits plant growth, significantly reduces yield and makes the culture vulnerable to various diseases. Fertilize, if necessary, simultaneously with planting or before flowering. Liquid top dressing is more preferable.
Garter
Typically, the stem of a culture is strong enough to hold even the largest achenes. Therefore, the garter plants do not need. But in rare cases when they are planted on a site blown by strong through winds, sunflower will need help, especially during the maturation of grains in achenes.
Pests and the fight against them
Not only people like to enjoy sunflower grains, but also insects, rodents, birds. Therefore, before planting sunflowers from seeds, it is necessary to carry out treatment with odorous etching substances that help scare insects from planting. Birds can peck at hatching sprouts, and at this time arrange additional protection for seedlings.
To do this, small pegs are driven along the perimeter of the landings, pulling white threads between them, which frighten off the birds. After a few weeks, the plants will grow stronger, and the birds will lose interest in them until the time when the seeds begin to ripen. In this case, gardeners use various devices - from a classic scarecrow to strips of fabric, foil, old CDs fluttering in the wind.
How to plant a decorative sunflower
There are not many differences in the cultivation of these varieties of sunflower. Ornamental plants also prefer sunny, windproof areas with drained, breathable soil.
When deciding on how to plant a sunflower of decorative varieties, you need to choose the appropriate variety. They also reproduce by seed. Decorative sunflower is sown since the beginning of May. For long, or rather, continuous flowering, seeds can be planted throughout May and June. They are buried by 2-3 cm, observing during planting an interval from 0.3 to 0.6 m, depending on the variety.
Before planting a sunflower, at home, prepare an infusion of wood ash (30 g / 0.5 l), put seeds in it for a day. Perennial sunflower species are successfully propagated by dividing the bush, which is produced during the dormant period - in spring or autumn.
The article answers the question of how to plant sunflowers correctly, explains the basic rules for caring for this interesting crop.