How are sunflowers planted?Probably, the majority imagines this process as follows: a man walks across the field and scatters seeds. But everything is not so simple, although the culture is very unpretentious, and many saw these plants on the roadsides (most likely, the seed fell from a passing truck and sprouted). How to plant a sunflower with seedlings or in the open field, will be discussed in this article.
Sunflower
Sunflowers bloom profusely and colorfully from July toSeptember This is an annual plant that can lift a flower to a height of three meters. Although there are perennial varieties that can be propagated by dividing the bush in the fall or spring.
Homeland plants - North America.It is grown mainly for the production of oil. It is believed that this is one of the very first cultivated crops that people have learned to grow. It is believed that sunflower was known as home culture before wheat. Currently, there are up to 90 of its species (annual and perennial).
Seed preparation
If the question arises of how sunflowers are planted,first of all, we must worry about the preparation of seeds and the selection of varieties. Many people prefer to grow crops just to get seeds - a delicious "entertainment" for all family members.
First carry out a thorough calibration of the seeds. They must be identical in size, fully weighted, and free from damage.
The next stage is seed dressing.Experienced gardeners recommend applying this composition: garlic is passed through a meat grinder, mixed with onion peel (in equal proportions), and then poured with boiling water. Two liters of water will require 100 grams of garlic. The mixture is infused during the day, filtered through cheesecloth.
Before planting, seeds are soaked overnight.Such a simple treatment has its advantages: firstly, it is an environmentally friendly "poison", and secondly, a sharp smell will scare pests and rodents from eating seeds. White thread stretched above the ground can serve as additional protection from birds.
Select a location
For sunflower pick open space.It should be illuminated by daylight at least 6-8 hours per day. However, plants need protection from the wind. How to plant sunflowers? Under the walls of buildings or along the fence - many gardeners know this. Such placement solves two problems at once: the buildings protect the plants from the winds, and the sunflowers themselves serve as an excellent decor. They can close a not too beautiful fence or an unassuming shed for tools.
Почва должна быть плодородной, можно со средним clay content. Sunflower will not grow on swampy, salty, acidic soil. The best options are black soil, chestnut and gray forest soils. Lead plants, tomatoes, or sugar beets cannot be the forerunners of a crop. After them, a lot of nitrogen remains in the soil. It is better to sow the sunflower on the plot after grain crops.
Growing seedlings
Consider how to plant sunflower seedlings.25 days before the expected planting of seedlings in open ground in cups or small pots sow seeds. Paper cups or peat pots may be suitable. Good quality seedlings require a lot of light. Then the shoots will be green and strong (not stretched).
Seeds need to be watered, maintaining soil moisture. After a couple of weeks, the first shoots will appear. Grown seedlings are planted in open ground, adhering to the appropriate variety of planting schemes.
The method of planting seedlings is not suitable for all varieties of culture, but only with a strong root system that can easily withstand transplanting.
Sowing in the ground
Before planting sunflower seeds in open ground, you need to make sure that it is well warmed. The temperature can not be lower than 8-120 FROM at a depth of 10 cm. Landing dates are determined by this indicator and may vary depending on the climate. This is usually the beginning or middle of May.
Оптимальная температура воздуха для посева – 10-12 degrees of heat. Sprouts may appear as early as 15 days from the time of sowing. A lower temperature (6-8 degrees) will give a delay in germination, they will germinate on day 20 or even later. Culture easily tolerates frosts down to -50 C, does not require abundant watering.
How a sunflower is planted depends on the size of the crop.seeds in the ground. Small and ornamental plants are planted according to the scheme 30x50, large - 75x90, very large - 90x120 cm. The depth can vary from 5 cm to 10 cm in the northern regions, and the choice of variety influences it. 2-3 seeds are thrown into the hole, covered with earth, watered and rolled.
Ornamental plants
Since planting a decorative sunflower is muchsimpler than usual, it becomes an ornament of many beds and suburban areas. They do not need to be sown on seedlings, no need to apply methods for accelerated germination of seeds, to process from pests. The task is to get a beautiful flower, not a good harvest.
Variety of varieties, their beauty, unpretentiousnesscultivations make the "flower of the sun" a welcome guest on any piece of land. An elegant bush with lots of luxurious flowers will decorate any cottage or country house. You can safely plant several varieties of sunflower in the same group (cross-pollination is not terrible) along the fence or near the walls of outbuildings.
Councils gardeners
When, where and how to plant a sunflower, each gardener decides for himself. Some useful tips:
- Carefully select the seeds for planting.This is a culture with cross-pollination, so it is not recommended to use seeds of a variety that has been grown on the site for more than two years. There will be many empty or with small baskets fruits.
- The greater the distance between the plants, the larger the seeds will be. This is especially true for giant plants.
- A large interval between sowing of seeds and seedlings can suggest that they were damaged by rodents or eaten by birds. Re-seeding can lead to lower yields.
- To ensure a friendly germination of seeds, conduct some training. They are soaked in water, wrapped in gauze or other fabric at a temperature of 200 C. As soon as the first shoots appear (usually after 2-3 days), they are planted in the ground.
- Sunflower grows well in the company of beets and potatoes. It is sown between rows of vegetables.
- You should not grow a culture for more than three years in a row at the same place. Plants literally suck nutrients from the soil. A break will allow the earth to rest and get rid of pests.
- Sunflower belongs to the light-loving plants. Plant densely it can not be - baskets will be small.
- The simple method will help with the choice of qualitative seeds. In the 5% saline solution, seeds suitable for planting will go to the bottom in 5-10 minutes and should be selected.
Useful properties of seeds
Watching sunflowers being planted almost everywhere, the question of the usefulness of this crop involuntarily arises.
Scientists have long studied the seed, and more correctly - the seed (the so-called sunflower fruit) and identified a number of its qualities. They found that the use of seeds:
- prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
- serves as a barrier to the development of cancer;
- improves heart function;
- helps to improve the condition of hair, skin, nails;
- provides the body with beneficial substances, because it contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, groups B, E;
- prevents early aging of the body.
Незатейливое занятие – щелканье семечек - само по to yourself becomes a wonderful action distracting from sad thoughts. Many smokers with the help of sunflower seeds got rid of this addiction. The nutritional value of the product is so high that they can quickly and easily satisfy their hunger.
