What is the latest method for planting sunflower seeds?
Sunflowers can be planted in all four seasons, usually mainly in summer and winter, and the flowering period can last more than two weeks. Besides resembling the sun in appearance, the flowers are bright and generous, suitable for ornamental display, and their seeds have even greater economic value, not only can they be made into the popular sunflower seeds, but they can also be pressed into low-cholesterol premium edible sunflower oil. Now let us take a look at how to plant sunflower seeds!
Choosing and preparing the land
For sunflower cultivation, choose a plot with level land, medium fertility, convenient irrigation and drainage, and relatively low soil stickiness, and it should not be planted continuously on the same land. It reproduces by seed, and peat soil is suitable for sowing. Before sowing, mix the seed with new high-lipid film, which can repel underground pests, isolate viral infection, and increase the seed germination rate.
Sowing at the right time
The sowing time for sunflowers is generally March to April, the suitable temperature for sowing is 18 to 25°C, and usually they sprout about 5 to 7 days after sowing. The basic principle for choosing the sowing period is to sow appropriately early or late according to the patterns of salinization and alkalization, so that the seedlings avoid salt and alkali damage. Spring sowing or summer sowing is carried out according to the growth period of the variety.
Checking the field and replanting seedlings
Sunflower is a dicotyledonous crop, and it takes considerable effort for the seedlings to push through the soil and emerge. In addition, poor land preparation, poor sowing quality, surface soil crusting after rain, or damage by disease, insects, rodents, and birds can easily cause missing seedlings and broken rows. To ensure full seedlings after one sowing, it is necessary to check field by field and row by row during the emergence stage, and replant in time where seedlings are missing in patches or rows.
Thinning and final thinning
In sunflower cultivation, thinning should be done early to prevent seedlings from crowding each other, which affects the cultivation of strong seedlings and even later yield. As for saline-alkali land and plots with severe pest damage, the time for final thinning can be appropriately delayed. At the same time, sunflowers should also be finally thinned early, which is conducive to cultivating strong seedlings and also to flower head development. Final thinning should be carried out when there are 2 pairs of true leaves.