How to plant sunflowers seeds in the open field, on seedlings? How to plant a decorative sunflower?

How to plant sunflowers? Probably, most people imagine this process as follows: a person walks through the field and throws seeds. But everything is not so simple, although the culture is very unpretentious, and many saw these plants on the roadside (most likely, the seed fell from a passing truck and sprouted). On how to plant sunflowers with seedlings or in the open ground, this article will be discussed.

Sunflower

Sunflowers bloom abundantly and colorfully from July to September. This is an annual plant capable of raising a flower to a height of up to three meters. Although there are varieties of perennial, which can be propagated by dividing the bush in autumn or spring.

The native land of the plant is North America. They grow it mainly for the production of oil. It is believed that this is one of the very first domesticated crops that people have learned to grow. It is suggested that sunflower was known as a domestic crop before wheat. Currently, there are up to 90 of its species (annual and perennial).

Seed preparation

If there is a question about how to plant sunflowers, then first of all you need to worry about the preparation of seeds and selection of varieties. Many prefer to grow crops just to get a seed - a delicious "entertainment" for all family members.

First, carefully calibrate the seeds. They should be the same in size, full-weight, do not have damage.

The next step is dressing the seeds. Experienced truck farmers recommend using such a 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 insisted for 24 hours, filtered through gauze.

Before planting, the seeds are soaked overnight. This simple treatment has its advantages: firstly, it is an environmentally friendly "poison", and secondly, a sharp odor will scare off pests and rodents from eating seeds. Additional protection from birds can serve as stretched over the ground white thread.

Choose a place

For sunflowers pick up an open space. It should be illuminated by a daylight at least 6-8 hours a day. However, plants need protection from the wind. How to plant sunflowers? Under the walls of buildings or along a fence, many gardeners know this. This arrangement solves two problems at once: constructions protect plants from winds, and the sunflowers themselves serve as a beautiful decor. They can close a not very beautiful fence or a lowly shed for tools.

The soil must be fertile, it is possible with an average clay content. On a marshy, saline, acidic soil, sunflower will not grow. Optimal options are chernozem, chestnut and gray forest soils. Predecessors of culture can not be legumes, tomatoes or sugar beet. After them, a lot of nitrogen remains in the soil. It is better to sow the sunflower on the plot after the crops.

Growing seedlings

Consider how to plant sunflowers on seedlings. 25 days before the proposed planting of seedlings in the open ground in the cups or small pots are sown seeds. Paper cups or peat pots may come up. A good quality seedling requires a lot of light. Then shoots will be green and strong (they will not stretch).

Seeds need watering, maintaining soil moisture. In a couple of weeks, the first shoots will appear. The grown seedlings are planted in the open ground, adhering to the corresponding variety of the planting scheme.

The method of planting seedlings is not suitable for all cultivars, but only with a strong root system that can easily withstand a transplant.

Sowing in the ground

Before planting sunflower seeds in the open ground, you need to make sure that it is well warmed up. The temperature can not be lower than 8-12 ⁰ C At a depth of 10 cm. The timing of planting is determined precisely by this indicator and can vary depending on the climate. Usually this is the beginning or middle of May.

The optimum air temperature for sowing is 10-12 degrees Celsius. Sprouts can appear within 15 days of seeding. A lower temperature (6-8 degrees) will delay the germination, they will germinate on day 20 or even later. The culture easily tolerates frosts to -5 ^° C, does not require copious irrigation.

From the size of the culture depends on how to plant sunflower seeds in the ground. Small and ornamental plants are planted according to the scheme of 30x50, large ones - 75x90, very large ones - 90x120 cm. Depth can range from 5 cm to 10 cm in northern regions, and variety is influenced by it. 2-3 seeds are thrown into the hole, sprinkled with earth, watered and rolled.

Decorative plants

Since planting a decorative sunflower is much simpler than normal, it becomes an ornament of many flower beds and suburban areas. They do not need to be planted in seedlings, there is no need to apply methods for accelerated germination of seeds, and to treat them from pests. The task is to get a beautiful flower, not a good harvest.

Varieties of varieties, their beauty, unpretentiousness of cultivation make the "flower of the sun" a welcome guest on any piece of land. An elegant bush with a lot of luxurious flowers will decorate any dacha or country house. You can safely plant in one group several varieties of sunflower (cross-pollination is not terrible) along the fence or near the walls of farm buildings.

Tips for truck farmers

When, where and how to plant a sunflower, each gardener decides for himself. Some useful tips:

• Carefully select seeds for planting. This is a crop with cross-pollination, therefore it is not recommended to use seed varieties that have been grown on the site for more than two years. There will be many empty or small fruit baskets.

• The greater the distance between plants, the larger the seeds will be. This is especially true for giant plants.
• A large interval between sowing seeds and shoots may suggest that they were damaged by rodents or eaten by birds. Re-sowing can lead to lower yields.
• To ensure the amicable germination of seeds, some training is carried out. They are soaked in water, wrapped in cheesecloth or other cloth at a temperature of 20 ^° C. As soon as the first sprouts appear (usually 2-3 days later), they are planted in the ground.
• Sunflower grows well in the company of beets and potatoes. It is sown between rows of vegetables.
• It is not necessary to grow a culture more than three years in a row in the same place. Plants literally suck nutrients out of the soil. A break will allow you to rest the earth and get rid of pests.
• Sunflower refers to photophilous plants. It can not be planted densely - the baskets will be shallow.
• The choice of quality seeds will help a simple method. In 5% salt solution, seeds suitable for planting will go to the bottom in 5-10 minutes, and they should be taken away.

Useful properties of seeds

Observing how sunflowers are planted almost everywhere, the question of the usefulness of this culture involuntarily arises.

Scientists have long researched the seed, and more correctly - the seed (the so-called sunflower fruit) and determined a number of its qualities. They found out that the use of seeds:

• Prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
• Serves as a barrier to the development of cancer;
• Improves heart function;
• Improves the condition of hair, skin, nails;
• Provides the body with useful substances, because it contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B, E;
• Prevents early aging of the body.

Simple work - the click of seeds - in itself becomes an excellent distraction from sad thoughts action. Many smokers with the help of seeds have got rid of this addiction. The nutritional value of the product is so high that they can quickly and easily satisfy hunger.