Planting Sunflower Seeds: Care Guide And Hacks To Explore

Do you want to make an eye-catching addition to your garden? Want something that promotes pollination and feeds people and animals? If any of these apply to you, consider planting sunflowers in your garden. Sunflowers are a lovely and practical addition to any garden. Sunflowers are among the few crops capable of yielding both oilseeds and ornamentals.

Sunflowers are one of the few crops native to the United States, but their widespread production didn't start until the 1970s when demand for sunflower oil in Europe increased. This crop's adaptability enables it to flourish in a broad range of soil types and temperatures.

In a process known as heliotropism, developing sunflower heads follow the sun's path to absorb as much light as they can. When the flowers reach maturity, the stem becomes rigid, and the sunflower heads often face east.

Knowing When And How To Plant Sunflower Seeds

• Although it is recommended to start them in pots in late March or April, you can plant the seeds straight in the ground in late April or early May.
• Spoon 7.5 cm (or slightly larger) of peat-free compost into the pot. Each pot should have one seed inserted into the compost. Water the compost after you've added about 1 centimetre.
• Set up in a warm environment. If you have a propagator lid, use it. Alternatively, you could cut the top off a plastic bottle and construct your own little cover to keep your plants safe.
• Till they are put out, keep them protected from slugs and snails by placing them in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill. 

Sunflowers are generally produced for their oilseed and confection variations. Oilseed sunflowers are cultivated for their oil and bird seed. Because sunflower oil has less saturated fat, it is regarded as a healthy oil. For human consumption, confection types are cultivated and frequently used as baked and roasted seeds.

Fertiliser For Soil

Sunflowers can readily absorb nutrients from the soil thanks to their large root systems. Sunflowers grow best on well-drained, pH 6.0–7.0 soils, such as silty clay and clay loam soils. Before planting sunflowers, test your soil to find out its pH level and fertility requirements.

Applying a slow-release all-purpose fertiliser directly to the plants can accelerate growth and result in larger flowers once the second set of leaves has emerged. Split application, which involves providing half of the required nitrogen during planting and the remaining fifty percent later in the growing season, is another beneficial practice for sunflowers.

Read More: Tips For Growing Cayenne Pepper Plants In Your Kitchen Garden

Planting

Sunlight is the ideal growing environment for annual sunflowers. Planting seeds straight into the ground is an easy way to start them from seed. In addition to direct sowing, sunflowers can also be planted inside as transplants, allowing them to blossom earlier.

Seeding Directly

After the final chance of frost, plant sunflower seeds 1 to 2 inches deep. For lesser variations, space seeds 6 inches apart; for taller varieties, place seeds 12 inches apart. When seedlings appear, make sure to trim them out as necessary. Rows should be separated by two to three feet.

Indoor Seed Transplanting

Ideally, you should plant seeds indoors in biodegradable pots under controlled conditions. With biodegradable pots, you can plant the pot straight into the ground without uprooting the existing root system. The seedlings must be "hardened" in order to adjust to the external environment before planting outside. One week before planting, transplants should be placed outside for a few hours in a secure area. Increase the amount of time transplants spend outside each day by a small amount. Transplants should be spending 24 hours outside after a few days, and once the risk of frost has gone, they are ready to be planted.

Most sunflower types need 85 to 95 days to mature. If you want sunflowers to bloom for the duration of the growing season, think about employing succession plantings. The process of succession planting involves sowing sunflowers in one variety every two to three weeks, in several varieties with different maturity dates at the same time, or in numerous variations with different maturity dates every two to four weeks.

Water Requirements

Sunflowers can withstand warm weather and occasional drought, but they do require frequent irrigation to support the development of a robust root system in the early stages of growth. When fertilising during the growing season, sunflowers also require irrigation to enable the fertiliser to reach the roots and be absorbed. Sunflowers can be watered periodically after they get a healthy start if there isn't any rain for a few days. An inch of water per week is all that sunflowers need.

Weeds

Weed management is crucial in the early phases of growth to enable plants to receive nutrients and moisture, as sunflowers can only outcompete weeds once they begin to mature. Tilling, hoeing, hand-pulling, or mulching the area around the plants are some methods for managing weeds. Herbicides are another tool you can use to manage weeds, but make sure you read the label on the container carefully.

 Sunflower Harvest 

• To promote side blooms in indoor bouquets, trim the main stem just before the flower bud has a chance to open.
• Trim stems first thing in the morning. Flowers may wilt if they are harvested in the middle of the day.
• Remove all leaves from their stems, excluding the ones closest to the flower head. Recut the stem bottoms at a 45-degree inclination. 
• Sunflowers should be handled cautiously. In room-temperature water, the blooms should remain fresh for at least a week. 
• To keep sunflowers fresh, arrange them in tall containers that can support their heavy heads well, and change the water daily.

Sunflowers tolerate heat well, fend off pests, and draw pollinators with their vibrant summertime blossoms. Gather the seeds for a nutritious snack in the late summer and early autumn, or give them to the birds!