When Do Sunflowers Generally Mature? A Detailed Explanation of Maturity Time
The sunflower is also known as chaoyanghua, zhuanrilian, xiangyanghua, and other names. It is a plant of the genus Helianthus in the Asteraceae family, native to South America, and is cultivated throughout China. Its seeds are called sunflower seeds and are often roasted and eaten as a snack; they can also be pressed to make sunflower seed oil for food, and the oil residue can be used as feed. Now let us take a look at when sunflowers mature!
When Do Sunflowers Mature?
The maturity time of sunflowers is closely related to the sowing time. Sunflowers planted in spring generally mature from July to September. When they bloom, the yellow flowers in field after field of sunflowers bloom facing the sun, and after the sunflower seeds are harvested from July to September, they can be dried and stored for quite a long time. At the same time, different sunflower varieties have slightly different maturity times.
When Are Sunflowers Sown?
The sowing time for sunflowers is March to April, the suitable temperature for sowing is 18-25°C, and sprouts emerge about 5-7 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 damage from salt and alkali. Spring sowing or summer sowing is carried out according to the growth period of the variety. The sowing period is adjusted according to the patterns of disease occurrence so as to avoid the season when diseases frequently occur. The sowing period is adjusted according to growth characteristics so that the flowering and grain-filling period avoids high temperatures above 28°C. The sowing method is dibbling, covering with about 1 cm of soil, and flowers appear about 50-80 days after sowing, with slight differences in each item depending on the variety.
The Growth Cycle of Sunflowers
1. Seedling stage: The period from emergence to bud formation in sunflowers is called the seedling stage, generally requiring 35-50 days, or 28-35 days for summer sowing. This period is the stage when leaves and flower primordia form and florets differentiate. The seedling stage of sunflowers is the stage with the strongest drought resistance; aboveground growth is slow, while underground root growth is faster, quickly forming a strong root system.
2. Bud stage: From bud formation to flowering, sunflowers generally need about 20 days. This is a period when vegetative growth and reproductive growth proceed together, and it is also the most vigorous stage in their life. During this period, fertilizer and water needs are greatest, accounting for about 40-50% of the total fertilizer and water requirement. If the need for water and fertilizer cannot be met in time, yield will be seriously affected.
3. Flowering stage: For a sunflower head, the period from the opening of the ray florets to the completion of the opening of the tubular florets generally takes 6-9 days. The second to fifth days are the full-bloom period, mostly opening from 4-6 a.m., with pollination on the next morning. Unpollinated stigmas can remain for 7-10 days, but the seed-setting rate of self-pollination is only about 3%, while the seed-setting rate of cross-pollination is high.
4. Maturity stage: The maturity stage of sunflowers refers to the stage from flowering to maturity, 25-55 days for spring sowing and 25-40 days for summer sowing, with differences among varieties. About 15 days after flowering and pollination is the seed formation stage. The maturity stage of sunflowers requires clear weather, a relatively large temperature difference between day and night, and suitable soil moisture.