What are the methods for selecting and raising sunflower seeds?

Sunflowers fall mainly into two major categories: one is for eating and one is for ornamental use. The sunflower is a very magical plant, because its flowers turn with the sun. When the sun first rises in the morning, its flowers face east, then slowly turn toward the west, and the next day they return to the east, which is why it is also called the sun flower. If you want to grow sunflowers, then how should you select the seeds? What are the seedling raising methods? Let's find out below.

How should you select sunflower seeds?

1. Choose a variety suited to your local area

Different varieties are suited to different climates, soils and phenological periods, so you should choose a variety suited to your region. Choose a good, high-quality variety according to the diseases, weather and growth period of your area.

2. Choose seeds from a large company

Choose seeds from a large company and a big brand. This can ensure that the seeds you buy are genuine seeds and not fake seeds. Do not buy seeds from small vendors.

3. Check the seed packaging bag

Through the observation window on the seed bag, check whether the seeds are uniform, whether the coating is consistent, and whether there are very few impurities. Otherwise, the seedlings will emerge unevenly. Look at the seed production date and whether the production license, quarantine certificate and other certificate numbers are complete, and check whether the packaging bag has been opened.

4. Select based on the appearance quality of the seeds

Generally, varieties with very high purity show little difference in grain shape. New seeds are bright and shiny, while old seeds are darker in color. Qualified sunflower hybrids are roughly consistent in uniformity, with plump grains and a relatively high 100-grain weight; there are few diseased or damaged grains, few impurities such as sand, stones, weeds, crop straw and other crops, and no insect damage.

What are the sunflower seedling raising methods?

1. Planting area

Sunflowers have very strong adaptability. No matter where they grow, they can survive as long as there is sunlight. Therefore, to cultivate high-quality sunflowers, we must first choose a sunny place for the sunflowers. Sunflowers are drought-tolerant, and the western region is very favorable for sunflower growth.

2. Seed selection

When sowing sunflowers, we must pay attention to the integrity of the sunflower seeds. You can soak the sunflower seeds in water for a period of time and observe whether any float to the surface, then discard all the seeds that float to the surface. Using this method helps select better sunflower seeds, thereby cultivating better sunflowers.

3. Sowing time

The sunflower is a sun-loving plant, and it automatically rotates with the direction of the sun, so the best sowing time for sunflowers should be in summer. In this season, the light is stronger, the daylight hours are longer, and the temperature can basically reach above 30°C, which is very suitable for sunflower growth.

4. Apply enough base fertilizer

During the growth process, sunflowers have very high requirements for soil nutrients. Therefore, before planting, we must ensure the fertility of the soil. In the early stage of sunflower growth, you can fertilize the sunflowers once a week; in the later stage of sunflower growth, the number of fertilizations can be controlled at about two to three times a month.

Sunflowers originated in the South America region and are not a native plant of China. They were probably introduced to China from the southeastern coast in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. At present, they are planted in vast areas of our country, and their sunflower seeds have become one of the favorite snacks of ordinary people, and sunflower cultivation is common in rural areas.

For wonderful pictures and articles and popular comments about sunflowers, you may be interested in the following recommended content from Nongxun Network. You are welcome to read it.

Agricultural products you may be interested in: high-quality sunflower seeds supplied nationwide