Transform your garden into a vibrant canvas of organic beauty with the enchanting allure of sunflowers! In this blog, we'll unravel the secrets of cultivating organic sunflowers – a process that's not just easy, but also downright amusing!
🌞 A Splash of Nature's Palette:
Picture your garden radiating with hues of yellow and gold as organic sunflowers sway gracefully in the breeze. Growing these sun-kissed wonders not only adds a burst of color but also infuses your space with a touch of whimsy and natural charm.
🌱 Organic Gardening Unveiled:
As we dig into the intricacies of growing organic sunflowers, you'll find that it's not just about planting seeds; it's about fostering a connection with nature. Join us as we unravel the secrets to cultivating sunflowers in a way that harmonizes with the environment, promoting sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
🚀 Your Ticket to Floral Fun:
Get ready for a journey filled with laughter, surprises, and the sheer joy of nurturing life. Growing organic sunflowers is not just a horticultural endeavor; it's a delightful adventure that promises a few chuckles and a lot of floral magic.
🌿 What You'll Discover:
Stay with us as we reveal the essentials of organic sunflower cultivation – from selecting the perfect seeds to understanding the soil and sunlight requirements. We'll share tips that make the process easy, enjoyable, and rewarding for gardeners of all skill levels.
🌼 Blooms Beyond Beauty:
While the visual appeal of sunflowers is undeniable, we'll also explore the broader benefits of organic gardening. Discover how these sun-worshipping blooms contribute to a healthier ecosystem, attracting pollinators and fostering biodiversity in your garden sanctuary.
👩🌾 Join the Organic Sunflower Movement:
Are you ready to embrace the organic sunflower revolution? Dive into this blog post to equip yourself with the knowledge and inspiration needed to cultivate your own sunflower haven. It's time to trade the conventional for the organic and watch your garden bloom with life and laughter!
🌻 Let the Organic Sunflower Odyssey Begin! 🌻
About Sunflowers
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant with a large daisy-like flower face. Its scientific name comes from the Greek words helios (“sun”) and anthos (“flower”). Sunflowers trace their history to plants found at archeological sites dating from 3,000 BC. Sunflowers were first purposely cultivated by Native Americans in the Southwest or Mississippi River valley area as a source of medicine, fiber, seeds, and oil. When the European settlers arrived, they recognized it's value, and they sent the seeds back to Europe.
There are many varieties of sunflowers available today, so there’s always one that fits your garden, you can choose your favorite variety that fit your garden from HERE!
When to Grow Sunflowers
Sunflowers can be started indoors in individual peat pots, but it is easiest to sow the seeds directly into the soil after all danger of spring frost is past. If your growing season is short, you can safely plant the seeds up to 2 weeks before the last expected spring frost. If your growing season is long, it is best to wait until the soil temperature reaches about 60 degrees to plant outdoors.
Choosing & Preparing The Planting Site
Sunflower require long, and hot summers to flower well
- Sunflowers grow best in locations with direct sunlight, about 8 hours per day.
- Choose a location with well-draining soil.
- Check for deep soil drainage. Sunflowers grow long taproots, and may rot if the soil is waterlogged.
- Sunflowers are heavy feeders, the soil needs to be rich with organic matter or well aged manure. I always work well aged chicken manure, about 8 inches deep into the soil, before planting.
- Sunflowers thrive in slightly acidic to somewhat alkaline soil (pH 6.0 to 7.5).
- Sunflowers need to be planted in a spot that is sheltered from strong winds, along a fence will be good.
How To Plant Sprouted Sunflower Seeds
- Space the seeds about 6 inches apart in a shallow trench between 1 and 2 inches deep.
- Cover them with soil.
- Water well and keep the soil moist.
- The new plants will emerge in 5 to 7 days.
- Keep the soil around young plants moist, but not soaking wet.
- When the first true leaves appear, thin plants to about 2 feet apart.
- You can sow a new row every 2 to 3 weeks to enjoy continuous lovely blooms until the first frost.
- While sunflower sprouts are still small and fragile, water 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) away from the plant, to encourage root growth.
- Sunflowers will mature and develop seeds in 80 to 120 days.
- Keep the soil around young plants moist, but not soaking wet
If you want to grow a smaller variety for bouquets, you can space plants much closer together.
Sunflower Plants Care
- Protect the new plants from pests. Birds, and squirrels, as they enjoy sunflower seeds, and may dig them up even before the sprouts have emerged. You can cover the ground with netting to prevent that.
- Water around the root zone, about 3 to 4 inches from the plant.
- Once the plant is established, water deeply though infrequently to encourage deep rooting.
Sunflowers do not require fertilizing. They can easily grow up to 6 feet in just a few months!
Sunflower Diseases:
Sunflowers can be infected with fungal diseases such as mildews and rusts.
Downy Mildew
Downy Mildew causes mottling and pale areas on upper leaf surfaces and a fuzzy mold growth on their undersides. Eventually these leaves wither and die. Always the oldest leaves are usually infected first, but don't worry, downy mildow will not kill a mature plant.
Rust
Rust appears on upper leaf surfaces first as yellow or white spots that turn brown or black. The disease may spread to stems and flowers, causing distorted growth.
What to do!
- Spraying with a general garden fungicide can protect healthy foliage.
- Remove and destroy seriously infected plants.
- Keep the area weed free.
How to Cut Sunflowers For Bouquets
- Cut stems early in the morning. As harvesting the flowers during the middle of the day may lead to flower wilting.
- You can cut the main stem just before its flower to encourage side blooms.
- Sunflowers flowers should last at least a week in water at room temperature.
- Change the water every day to keep them fresh.
How to Harvest Sunflower Seeds
When the season is over, you can harvest sunflower seeds for a tasty snack, to feed the birds in the next winter, or to plant next season. Remember that the plants from which you harvest the seeds must be healthy and vigorous. As this will help ensure good quality seedlings and plants.
- Let the flowers dry until the back of the head turns brown, the foliage turns yellow, the petals die down, and the seeds look plump.
- With a pruner, cut the head off the plant about 5 inches below the flower head.
- To remove the seeds, simply rub your hand over the seeded area and pull them off the plant.
- Birds and squirrels enjoy when seeds ripen and harvest time approaches. So I have many seeds, you can leave some, as it is fun to watch them enjoy the bounty!
Saving Sunflower Seeds
- If you're saving the seeds for the next growing season, you can store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until next year. I always keep the container at room temperature and away from excess heat, light and moisture to extend the shelf life of my seeds.
- Label the container with the variety and the date you harvested.
- Sunflower seed will last for years if stored this way. But keep in mind that seed viability depends on the condition of the seed when first stored, how long it is stored!
- If sunflower seeds has been saved for a long time, more than 3 years, you may wish to test a sample of seeds to see if they will still germinate well. If you have good germination rate, yours seed are still good.
I hope you found this article helpful. Please share it with your friends. If you have any questions about how to grow organic sunflowers, please leave a comment below.
You can choose your favorite Sunflower varieties to grow from HERE!
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Happy Organic Gardening!
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