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Originally civilise by Native Americans around 3,000 B.C. , helianthus is a aboriginal North American plant life that has become a worldwide favorite , valued for its beauty as well as its numerous uses , including culinary , medicative , and as dye and building stuff .
Prized for its towering height and pollyannaish blooms , the sunflower is beloved by gardeners and pollinators alike . Thanks to70 different sunflower varietiesproviding multiple choices , and because growing sunflowers is relatively well-fixed , they are a democratic backyard garden addition .
know how to acquire sunflowers can tot colossal knockout to your garden that everyone from shuttlecock and pollinators to Van Gogh wannabes adore .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Growing Sunflowers at a Glance
Common Name : SunflowerScientific Name : Helianthus annuusHardiness Zone : zone 2 to 11 , grow as an annualSoil : Well - drained , all pH typesLight : Full sunWater : Moderate , tolerant of dry conditionsFood : Not necessary if they have compost and rich grease , but fertilizer ply phosphorus and potassium is helpfulPropagation : Cuttings or seedsSafety : Not poisonous
Sunflower Characteristics
Native to North America and sometimes considered the “ fourth sister ” to corn , edible bean , and squash in Native American culture , helianthus , is a tight - growing one-year and appendage of the aster family that produces large , daisy - shaped flowers .
The blooms on this heliotropic plant track the sunlight from east to west , returning to perch in an Orient - facing position at night while they look for the sun ’s retort in the morning . This allow them to take in 10 pct more sunshine and bring in an especially impressive video display in mass planting , such as in a sunflower garden .
Grown atop thick , “ hirsute , ” uncompromising stems , somesunflower varietiescan reach 10 feet marvelous — or taller ! While the black- or brown - centered , yellow - petaled sunflower is perhaps the most familiar variety , they can also follow in shades of brown , orange , and ruby , or with white-livered center .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Recommended Sunflower Varieties
From the traditional yellow heyday atop stems that reach 8 to 10 foot tall to multicolored miscellany that barely top 1 foot , there ’s a sunflower for just about everyone . Here are a few favorites:›
Planting Sunflowers
Planting sunflower seeds is pretty straightforward , with just a few promiscuous steps to follow . For continuous bloom throughout summer , plant life seeds successively , every couple of weeks .
When is the best time to plant sunflowers?
The best clock time toplant sunflower seedsis after the last frost , when the soil has warm to at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit . Because they do n’t like to have their roots disturb , it ’s best to direct - sow rather than part sunflower seedlings indoors and graft them out of doors in hopes of make a head bug out on bloom .
Where can sunflowers grow?
Sunflowers require a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sun daily . Because they run to get top - heavy , planting them along a construction or fence that can support them and protect them from potent wind may be good .
They need rich , well - drain grunge ; they do not like “ wet foot . ” Because they have tenacious taproots that like to stretch out , they want to be plant in grunge that is not compacted .
How do you plant sunflowers?
Seeding a sunflower differs little than constitute other types of garden seed .
It is urge to lean varieties that attain bully heights to 1 to 1.5 feet apart , once seedlings emerge .
Watering Sunflowers
rich but infrequent lachrymation — particularly of young plants — will aid sunflower develop strong source systems , which can help prevent them from toppling over in substantial fart . And while this plant can withstand abbreviated periods of drouth , even watering ( an in per week ) can encourage more sunflower blooming . They do n’t care standing water or overly sozzled soil , however .
Fertilizing Sunflowers
Thanks to their recollective taproot , sunflower can easily get at and use nutrients in the soil . Adding compost to the soil , particularly if it is poor , will benefit the plant . If you really feel the need , you could add a balanced fertilizer , 10 - 10 - 10 or 20 - 20 - 20 . Aslow - release fertilizercan help avoid overfertilizing , which may result in weak or broken stems . When fertilizer is applied , watering will helpdistribute it to their roots .
Safety Considerations
Sunflowers are not toxic to humans or animals , but their common , hairy stems may cause minor skin irritation if touched . The petals , leaves , flower heads , and stem are comestible , but large quantities can cause tummy upset .
The effect sunflowers have on other plant is another tale . As an allelopathic plant , sunflowers publish substances from their leaves , stems , and roots that can induce stunted emergence or decreased payoff in other plants . works peculiarly sensible to being plant near sunflowers admit potatoes , terminal beans , lettuce , impatiens , and petunias .
Potential Pests and Diseases
Like baseball game player passing clip in the bunker , some birds and rodents are fond to sunflower seeds . Helianthus annuuscan also be attacked by a few pesky louse , such as the sunflower moth , which place orchis on the plant life and feeds on flower heads , but sunflowers also draw beneficial insects like bee and butterflies .
Fungus , rust fungus , orpowdery mildewcan encroachment sunflower . These can be treated with a general garden fungicide spray . If plants have sufficient air circulation , they ’re less potential to suffer from these problems — which is why it ’s important to thin them after they sprout if seedlings are too cheeseparing together .
Harvesting Sunflower Seeds
Havingbeautiful flowers in the gardento enjoy or to profit pollinators is not the only grounds for growing sunflowers . Some nurseryman grow them to harvest seeds for backyard bird or for personal use , whether just exhaust the seeds as snacks or extracting the fossil oil for cooking . Some gardeners will reap a certain number of seeds for next sunflower source grow .
Particularly if you have engaged insuccession planting , you ’ll want to watch for signs that the sunflowers are quick for harvest home . No matter what intent you design to harvest seeds for , be sure you do so before the bird get to them or you wo n’t have a harvest left to gather .
The attenuation of the flower signals it ’s time to harvest . The back of the flower head begins to turn white-livered or brownish and will start to droop . The center becomes rounded , indicating that the seeds are full develop .
Photo: istockphoto.com
When is the best time to harvest sunflower seeds?
The distinctive lifecycle of sunflowers , depending on variety , is 90 to 125 days . Their flush time lasts from mid - summer through fall . At the ending of the season , it ’s clock time to harvest sunflower seeded player for planting , for flow the raspberry , or for eat .
The sunflowers will alarm you when their come are mature for the taking by hanging their heads , which begin turn yellow or browned .
How do you harvest sunflower seeds?
When it ’s clip to harvest sunflower seeds , follow these simple steps to roll up them with as little red ink as possible .
How do you store sunflower seeds?
If you plan to salvage some seed for replanting next time of year , ensure they are ironical . Then , office in an airtight container and computer storage in a nerveless , teetotal place until saltation .
If you ’re storing seeds to feed the bird over the winter , ensure that the flush head is dry before direct it in a newspaper publisher base . situation that in a warm , teetotal place until you ’re quick to set it out for the birds .
Looking for more flower to grow from ejaculate ? suss out out our guides on growingmarigolds , petunias , andmorning glory .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
We ’ll help you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your patio , a put up bed , or an in - ground patch out back — and select the right-hand plants for your soil and realm .
a woman’s hand shows how seeds grow in a sunflower flower. Irina
