What are the methods for growing sunflowers? Understanding the key cultivation points in one article

I. Sowing

Before sowing the seeds, you should cover the seeds with a wet paper towel for about 1 to 2 days; this is called sprouting. Once the sprouts have formed, you can begin sowing. Because sunflower seeds are relatively small and cannot push up too much soil, when sowing, poke a few holes with your finger that are not too deep and place the seeds in. After planting, water every day and just keep the soil moist.

II. Planting Out

After the seedlings grow 4 to 6 leaves, plant them out. A No. 5 medium pot can be used, that is, a flower pot with a diameter of about 15cm. For plant nutrients, choose 70% nutrient soil + 30% vermiculite, with 30 grams of decomposed chicken manure as base fertilizer. If using seedling blocks, they can be buried directly in the pot as a whole. For seedlings temporarily planted in small pots, carefully take out the seedlings with soil and plant them with the soil into the new pot. Water thoroughly. With proper care, they can bloom in about 50 days.

That is all for today's introduction. After reading the article, do you also think growing sunflowers at home is very simple? Then hurry up and take action!

How to grow sunflowers: methods for growing sunflowers

The sunflower is a plant very familiar to everyone. Its seeds are people's favorite snack, and after the seed kernels are collected, they can also be used to press oil. Sunflowers are now one of the most important oilseed crops in China, and their economic returns after planting are especially high. Many people want to grow them on a large scale, but they do not know much about their growing methods. Today, the editor will give a special introduction for everyone.

1. Choosing seeds and land

When growing sunflowers normally, you must choose sunflower varieties that are high-yielding and disease-resistant. The new generation of hybrid seeds, with high yield and high oil content, are the best choice for people growing sunflowers. When growing sunflowers, the choice of land is also very important. They are not suitable for continuous cropping, and they like loose, fertile soil. After planting, the land should be deeply plowed, with sufficient base fertilizer applied, and then leveled.

2. Sowing time

The sunflower has strong cold tolerance, and when grown normally it is especially suitable for early sowing. If plastic film mulching is used, it can be planted in early March each year, while open-field planting needs to be sown in late March or early April. The best time for summer-sown sunflowers is between late June and early July each year.

3. Field management

Field management is also very important when growing sunflowers. After the seedlings emerge and grow their first true leaf, thinning and final singling of seedlings should be carried out. During the growth period, weeds should be removed twice. The first weeding can be done together with intertillage, and after the second weeding, soil should also be banked up in time to prevent sunflowers from lodging.

4. Fertilizer and water management

Fertilizer and water management are also very important when growing sunflowers. In the early stage after planting, this plant has a relatively low demand for fertilizer, and in the later stage it needs more. If spring sowing is chosen, under the condition of sufficient base fertilizer, topdressing can be done after the sunflowers grow eight pairs of true leaves. For topdressing, ammonium carbonate or uric acid can be chosen. Sunflowers have relatively strong drought tolerance, and normally the field should not be waterlogged. After they enter the flowering stage, if the weather is dry, they need to be watered in time.

Sunflower cultivation methods and points for attention

The sunflower is also known as the sun flower and the sun-facing flower. The sunflower seeds we eat are the seeds of the sunflower, but because sunflowers are relatively large flowers, few flower lovers grow them at home, and in daily life we also do not often see sunflowers. If your courtyard is big enough and you are interested in growing your own sunflowers, you can refer to the sunflower cultivation methods compiled by the editor for you.

Sunflower

1. Planting and potting: If propagating by transplanting from seedling trays, sow in deep seedling trays, and the seedlings can be transplanted two weeks after sowing. The optimal soil temperature for transplanting seedlings is 15°C. The best planting density is 12x12cm. In areas without frost in winter, they can grow year-round in the field, while in areas with cold winters, they need to be cultivated in protected greenhouse conditions. Before sterilization and sowing, the soil should be plowed and loosened to improve soil structure and drainage. Good soil permeability is crucial for the growth of sunflowers.

2. Light regulation: Sunflowers are short-day crops. However, their response to daylength is not very sensitive. Sunflowers like sufficient sunlight, and their seedlings, leaves, and flower heads all have strong phototropism. Sufficient sunlight during the seedling stage makes the seedlings sturdy; sufficient sunlight in the mid-growth period can promote stem and leaf growth and flower bud differentiation.

3. Temperature control: Sunflowers originated in the tropics, but they have strong adaptability to temperature and are plants that like warmth and tolerate cold. Sunflower seeds have very strong tolerance to low temperatures. When the soil temperature is stable above 2°C, the seeds begin to germinate; at 4-5°C, the seeds can sprout and take root; when the soil temperature reaches 8-10°C, it can meet the needs of seed germination and emergence. The optimal temperature for sunflower germination is 31-37°C. During growth, the optimal daytime temperature is 18-30°C, and the nighttime temperature is 10-18°C. Throughout the entire growth process, sunflowers can grow normally as long as the temperature is not lower than 10°C. Within the suitable temperature range, the higher the temperature, the faster the development. To prevent temperatures above 25°C at noon, ventilation and air exchange should be carried out, and to prevent nighttime temperatures below 13°C, insulation and heating should be carried out.

4. Water and fertilizer management: Sunflowers require moist soil when sowing and transplanting, and afterward require medium-moist soil. When the flowers mature, reduce the frequency and amount of watering. Ornamental sunflower plants are taller than other herbaceous flowers, with many dense leaves, and are a crop that consumes relatively more water. Sunflowers have very different water requirements at different growth stages. From sowing to budding, they are relatively drought-tolerant and do not need much water. Moreover, appropriate drought is beneficial to root growth and enhances drought tolerance. From budding to flowering is the peak water demand period. Water shortage during this period has a great impact on flower yield. If it is too dry, irrigation is needed to supplement water. Sunflowers like nitrogen fertilizer, and a drip irrigation system mixing fertilizer and water can be used for fertilization. Fertilizers can be applied alternately as water-soluble calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate at a concentration of 175-200ppm, and ammoniacal nitrogen can be used to promote stem growth. Use liquid fertilizer according to leaf color, just keep the bottom leaves from turning yellow and withering due to lack of fertilizer. Avoid excessive fertilizer, and control the use of liquid fertilizer after budding. Friends growing potted plants at home or in horticulture can use organic fertilizer as base fertilizer, and can also use water-soluble flushing fertilizer for topdressing.

5. Cultivation management: Sunflowers are not strict about soil requirements and can grow in all kinds of soil, from fertile soil to poor soil, dry land, and saline-alkali land, and they have strong salt-alkali tolerance and drought tolerance. The most suitable soil pH for growth is 5.8-6.5. In high-temperature protected cultivation, if the plant height tends to elongate, chlormequat can be used, once after the cotyledons unfold until the true leaves unfold, and once more when the plant height is about 20cm. Friends growing potted plants at home can use peat soil or mix seedling soil with ordinary soil in any proportion to make cultivation soil.

In windy seasons, supports and netting should be set up to prevent the plants from lodging. Some varieties can have the terminal flower bud removed to benefit the growth of side branches, making the flowers on the side branches uniform in size. After such treatment, one plant can harvest 7-10 marketable flower stems, with stems 70-80cm long, and the height of the whole plant can reach 120-170cm. Some varieties grow side buds at each node, which need to be removed in time to facilitate the growth of the main flower bud. Sunflowers grown in greenhouses grow taller. The key cultivation points for sunflowers are: regulating the day-night temperature difference, using low-nutrient starter fertilizer, and controlling water, fertilizer, and light to control plant growth.