When I was a child, I often saw people selling sunflowers on the street, and I was curious, so I bought a sunflower and ate a sunflower seed that was delicious and couldn't stop. Sunflowers are native to South America, about 100 species, distributed all over the world.
Why do sunflowers grow toward the sun?
Mainly sunflower auxin is "at work", auxin "hates sunlight", so it will change with the light, a large number of stems with their backs to the sun side, causing this side to grow faster, pushing the sunflower stem to the sunny side.
In general, the sunflowers we use raw melon seeds are edible sunflowers, in addition to oil sunflowers that are specially pressed for oil, as well as ornamental sunflowers in horticulture.
There are many horticultural varieties of ornamental sunflowers, and many gardening companies have their own varieties:
1. Beautiful smile
A classic dwarf cultivar cultivated by Japanese Dragon Gardening, with a plant height of 15 to 50 cm. Pollen-free, branched and flowery, ideal for potted plants.
2. Fuyang
Like the beautiful smile, it comes from Japanese Tatsumi horticulture, the plant height is 90 to 150cm, no pollen, suitable for cutting flowers, flower color: golden, lemon, orange, lime, etc.
3. Teddy Bear
Fluffy flowers, only 30 to 40 cm tall, good branching.
4. Eclipse
Tall variety, plant height 150 ~ 250cm, recommended ground planting, good branching, petals have a circle of flame color, very beautiful.
5.Ms March
A very beautiful variety, the plant height is 60cm, the potted ground is very suitable, and the rose petals are very eye-catching.
Selection of varieties
Potted plants are suitable for dwarf varieties, and tall varieties are selected for ground planting.
Method of sowing seeds
1. Sowing time
Sowing can be sown at a local temperature of around 20 °C.
2. Seeding preparation
(1) Choose the appropriate pot according to the variety.
(2) An appropriate amount of loose and breathable soil.
3. Sowing steps
(1) Live broadcast:
The pots are filled with two-thirds of the soil, sunflower seeds are added, the soil is covered with 2 to 3 cm, gently compacted, watered, and placed in a cool place to wait for germination.
(2) Hole sowing
Fill the pit dish with soil, insert the sunflowers, soak them in water, and place in a cool place to wait for germination.
Tips: Sunflowers are generally directly seeded, if the burrow is sown, transplant as soon as possible after the leaves are grown.
Conservation methods
1. Lighting
Sunflowers like light, and after germination, they can be placed in a place with sufficient light to grow, and the high temperature in summer can be properly shaded.
2. Water
During the growth period, master the principle of "no dryness, no watering, one time watering", after the buds grow, the demand for water is large, and it is necessary to water once in the morning and evening.
3. Fertilize
During the growth period, apply thin fertilizer (Huaduoduo No. 1 fertilizer), and after the buds are grown, use phosphorus and potassium fertilizer (potassium dihydrogen phosphate).
4. Bracket
If you are planting tall varieties of sunflowers on the ground, grow to a height of about 1 meter to make a bracket to avoid lodging.
Pest
Sunflower diseases are generally downy mildew, charcoal rot, etc., and insect pests include sunflower borer, peach aphid and so on.
Always prepare bacteriocinalis and insectoline, prevention is the mainstay, if a disease occurs, spraying can be.
Sunflowers have a short flowering period, and can be sown every 10 days or so during the sowing period, and can be observed uninterrupted in the summer.
Good luck growing sunflowers!