How to Grow Sunflower Seeds? A Clear Guide on Whether to Soak Them Before Sowing

Sunflower seeds are a very common food in our daily lives, with many varieties and all sorts of flavors. Many people enjoy eating sunflower seeds, and they are often used as a snack to pass the time while watching TV, using the computer, or at gatherings. Sunflower seeds are also rich in nutrients, and eating them regularly offers certain benefits to the human body. Let us take a look at how to grow them.

How to Grow Sunflower Seeds

1. Filling in gaps and thinning seedlings

Transplanting sunflower seedlings with soil attached has a survival rate of over 90%. Replanting should be done early and while the seedlings are small, at 1-2 pairs of true leaves, when the seedlings are no more than 15-20 cm tall, set the plants at the row and plant spacing, one plant per hole.

2. Cultivating and weeding

Cultivation is generally done 3 times. The first round is hand hoeing to thin seedlings and remove weeds; the second weeding is combined with cultivation at the time of final thinning, and when the seedlings are 50-60 cm tall, earth up into ridges to prevent lodging. The herbicide “trifluralin” is effective against narrow-leaf weeds; apply 300 grams per mu mixed with 20 kg of water, spray 10 days before sowing, and rake it into the soil to a depth of 10 cm so the seedlings are not harmed by the chemical; 50% prometryn is effective against broadleaf weeds; apply 200 grams per mu mixed with 20 kg of water, spray within 3 days after sowing to kill germinating weeds, etc. Remove side shoots to control growth.

Remove side shoots early to control endlessly growing side shoots; applying nitrogen and potassium fertilizer at 7-8 pairs of true leaves gives good results. For fields that did not receive base fertilizer at sowing, topdressing must be done early. At the first cultivation, apply 12-15 kg of ammonium nitrate or 25 kg of ammonium bicarbonate or 8 kg of urea plus 15 kg of potassium chloride.

3. Assisted pollination

Sunflowers are not self-fertile; they can only set seed through artificial assisted pollination or cross-pollination by insects. Artificial pollination means using a soft cotton pad as a pollen dab to help transfer pollen between different flower heads on the disc. Pollinate at full bloom between 8-10 a.m. (while the morning dew is still on) and at 3 p.m. Introduce bees for pollination. Release bees to pollinate when there is no strong wind or rain. During the seed-setting period, supply fertilizer and water rationally, with more potassium and phosphate.

Do Sunflower Seeds Need to Be Soaked When Planting

The seeds do not need to be soaked beforehand; simply place the seeds horizontally (flat) in the soil. When the seeds germinate, the radicle will automatically grow downward, and the shoot will naturally push upward.

What Are the Common Types of Sunflower Seeds

1. Sunflower seeds: the fruit of the sunflower, used for food and for oil. Sunflower seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, multiple vitamins and trace elements; they taste good and are usually used as a leisure snack and a source of cooking oil; they can also lower blood lipids and expel parasites.

2. Winter melon seeds: the seeds of winter melon, also called winter melon kernel. Winter melon seeds are cool in nature and sweet in taste. They have the effects of clearing the lungs and resolving phlegm, relieving pain and discharging pus, and promoting diuresis. In traditional Chinese medicine clinical practice they are used to treat phlegm-heat cough, lung abscess, intestinal abscess, white turbidity, leukorrhea, edema, athlete's foot and other conditions. Winter melon seeds have very good health-care and anti-aging effects.

3. Watermelon seeds: watermelon seeds can clear the lung meridian and have the effect of eliminating phlegm and stopping cough, with good auxiliary effects on cough with abundant phlegm and hemoptysis and other conditions.

4. Pumpkin seeds: the seeds of pumpkin, an annual climbing vine of the Cucurbitaceae family. They have the effects of tonifying the middle and benefiting qi, reducing inflammation and relieving pain, detoxifying and killing parasites, and lowering blood sugar and quenching thirst; they are mainly used for chronic illness with qi deficiency, weak spleen and stomach, shortness of breath and fatigue, loose stools, diabetes, roundworm and other conditions.

5. Pine nuts: the seeds of the pine tree. Pine nuts contain fat, protein, carbohydrates and so on. Pine nuts are both an important traditional Chinese medicine; eaten over time they strengthen the body and mind, moisturize the skin and prolong life, and they also have high dietary therapy value.

6. Melon seeds: they contain a large amount of carbohydrates and citric acid, etc., and are full of moisture; they can relieve summer heat and clear heat, promote fluid production and quench thirst, and relieve restlessness, and can supplement the energy and nutrients the human body needs.

What to Do If Sunflower Seeds Become Damp

1. Heating in the microwave

Microwave heating can cause the moisture absorbed by the sunflower seeds to be released.

Method: spread the sunflower seeds flat on a plate and place them in the microwave on medium power for 3-4 minutes. Note that the heat must not be too high, otherwise the sunflower seeds are prone to burning.

2. Freeze-drying

Placing sunflower seeds in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator at -18 degrees Celsius can absorb the moisture of damp sunflower seeds and make them dry and crisp.

Method: put the unfinished sunflower seeds on a plate and place them in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator; after 12 hours they can be taken out. The sunflower seeds regain their crisp texture, just like fresh sunflower seeds.

3. Heating in a wok

Heating sunflower seeds in a wok can also make them dry and crisp.

Method: pour the damp sunflower seeds into the wok and keep stirring over low heat until the sunflower seeds become crisp.

That is all for the sunflower seed growing tips; we hope they are helpful to everyone. There are many types of sunflower seeds, and although each has its own characteristics, the growing methods are also much the same. In addition, as a snack, sunflower seeds are a high-calorie food and should not be eaten in excess.