Sunflower it is an extraordinary plant: whether in the orchard, in a pot or in the garden, it is impossible not to notice its splendid flower, which stands out for its intense yellow color , by size and stem height. This flower can be planted as an ornamental plant, its important position makes it unsuitable for well-kept gardens where everything is precise, but in more rustic contexts the yellow of the sunflower illuminates the summer beds and is ideal for the vegetable patch.
If you want grow in a pot a beautiful sunflower plant to brighten up the terrace you can choose a dwarf variety, more in harmony with the spaces of the balcony and to stay in a container.
It can also be grown in the garden for food purposes. from sunflower seeds they make a tasty and nutritious snack, while professional agriculture is interested in producing oil from seeds.
Contents [Ocultar]
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the sunflower plant
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Suitable climate and soil for sunflower
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plant sunflowers
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The cultivation of this flower
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Cultivation of sunflowers in pots
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seed harvest
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Oil use and self-production
Contents
the sunflower plant
Its scientific name for sunflower is Helianthus annuus and it’s a annual harvest Among vegetables, a very close relative is Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus ), from which the tuber is harvested. It sounds incredible, but the sunflower belongs to the same family as lettuce, artichoke and chamomile: the composite plants or asteraceae.
The common sunflower plant grow very high , exceeding two meters, in special cases it can reach four meters, there are varieties of different sizes. It does not branch, putting the leaves of the main stem, which is erect and completely vertical, the flower reaches its top.
The most famous feature of this flower is heliotropism , that is, the ability to always orient itself in the direction of the sun, to which the plant also owes its name. What not everyone knows is that only young sunflowers they rotate following the apparent movement of the sun, before opening out. Blooming sunflowers, on the other hand, always face east. An interesting feature of sunflower is its ability to clean the soil of contaminants.
Suitable climate and soil for sunflower
Climate . Sunflowers are not particularly afraid of heat: they are summer flowers which they do well in full sun . It can withstand short periods of aridity without being damaged, but it fears excess humidity: stagnation causes deadly rotting of the roots of the plant.
Usually I . The soil where the sunflower is grown should be evacuation preferably rich in organic matter, so fertilization is helpful before planting, with mature manure or compost. when it is carved it’s necessary dig well before sowing.
plant sunflowers
planting period . Sunflower is usually sown from end of March and all of April being a seed of good size, it can be put directly in the field, hoping that it germinates without great difficulty.
sow in container . If you prefer to plant the sunflower in a nursery, you can do so, with the advantage of being able to sow a few weeks before. Only one thing: the sunflower plant forms large primary roots so you don’t have to wait too long to transplant it, because it would suffer in a pot.
Sixth floor . The sunflower plants are placed at 15/20cm away from each other, leaving 60cm spacing between rows have a step and leave the light to the plants.