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The sunflower, with a scientific name Helianthus annuusIt is one of the most striking and beautiful plants that we can choose to decorate both our garden and our home. With its enormous inflorescence, one of the largest that we can find in some varieties, it is difficult to give up on this impressive herbaceous plant.
If you want to learn how to care for sunflowersJoin us in this interesting article by Green Ecologist about sunflower care and discover a practical and complete guide on it.
Location for sunflowers
One of the most necessary points in the care of sunflowers is, as the name of the plant indicates, the sun. Without a great contribution of direct light, this plant will not be able to develop properly.
Because of this, the ideal location for sunflowers will usually be outdoors, in an area as sunny as possible of our garden, orchard or terrace. However, this does not mean that we cannot have sunflowers indoors. If we want to know how to care potted sunflowersThe most important thing is to find a very sunny location, next to a window or light source. Ideally, you should receive at least 6 hours of direct light daily.
It is recommended that the pot is quite deep. In fact, if the pot is spacious enough, we can place several of these plants in each container, up to three of them. Of course, these plants tend to tolerate transplantation quite poorly, so the process of transplanting a sunflower is very risky and we have a good chance of losing the plant. For this reason, it is advisable to always sow them in what will be their final location.
Once you are clear about where to locate sunflowers in your home, we recommend you read this other post by Green Ecologist about How to sow and plant sunflowers.
Weather for sunflowers
These plants are very resistant to most climates and do not have problems with hot climates or even very warm. You also shouldn't have a problem with your sunflowers if you live in a mild weather or even a little cold, although it is not advisable to expose them to extreme low temperatures. Thus, if frosts and temperatures below 0 are common in your area in winter, plant your sunflower in a pot indoors.
Sunflower soil
One of the points to take into account when it comes to caring for sunflowers planted in the ground it is precisely this: the ground. These plants develop a very extensive root system, in which it is not uncommon for the roots to become deeper than the height of the plant's own stem. Therefore, they need loose and deep soils And, if planted in a pot, they require a container of considerable height so that there is sufficient depth.
On the other hand, it is also very important that the soil or substrate offers a very good drainage, for which mixtures with sand, gravel or pebbles, among others, will help. As they are also quite demanding in terms of nutrients, it is convenient to prepare a loose and very rich substrate, such as, for example, the one made with a part of coconut fiber, a part of peat and another of worm humus, to which we can add vermiculite and perlite to improve its drainage and moisture retention.
How to water sunflowers
To know how much to water the sunflowers It can be difficult at times. The plant needs more water in its early stages of growth, but despite its large root system it is not advisable to make it go through drought.
If we do not want the stem to lose strength, and this is very important given its large size, we must maintain a few frequent irrigations but of moderate quantity, so that we maintain a certain level of humidity on the ground, but always without flooding it. Irrigating more widely and abundantly could end up causing root rot or fungal attack.
Compost for sunflowers
It will be enough to use organic fertilizers, such as compost or worm castings, in the growing season periodically, although we can also use specialized long-lasting fertilizers.
Here we show you How to make homemade compost step by step, we explain what organic waste can be used to make it and more details.
How long does it take for a sunflower plant to grow?
The life and growth cycle of sunflowers is very fast. Since we sow the seeds, it is normal that they do not take more than 10 days to germinate, and if they haven't done it in that time they probably won't already.
Then in solo 3 months the plant will have reached its state of maturity and its final size and it can be harvested in summer so that its seeds are planted the following spring.
My sunflower is wilting, what do I do?
To finish explaining how to care for sunflower plantsWe want to talk about one of the most common problems that you can suffer, that you see that it is wilting, not only the flora when it passes, but the whole plant or several parts. Here we explain some of the causes and what to do if your sunflower is wilting:
- If your sunflower seems to bend over on itself, with dry leaves and a stem that doesn't seem to have enough strength, it's probably because it needs more frequent waterings.
- On the other hand, the lack of direct sun for at least 6 hours a day will also negatively affect the development of the plant.
- It is also important that the plant has a high supply of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
- Finally, keep in mind that sunflower blossoms are in season and won't last forever. After maturing and giving the pipes, it is normal for them to wither and nothing can be done about it, other than harvesting them to sow again.
Here below you can see a summary video on the care and cultivation of sunflowers.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to care for sunflowers, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
