Sunflower is a plant that gives tasty, loved by everyone seeds and, in addition, pleases the eye with its bright flowering. Let's find out how you can grow a sunflower in your garden.
How to grow a sunflower in the garden?
First you need to decide on the variety. They are divided into two groups: food (for obtaining edible seeds) and decorative (for decorating the plot). Tall grades can be used to create a green hedge - usually one year old. There are also compact, usually double sunflowers, which are planted on flowerbeds.
Where and how to plant sunflowers in the country?
The main rule in growing sunflower is its placement in a sunny place, and the seeds should not be sown too thickly.
Sunflowers are fond of fertile land - chernozem or loam. From fertilizers it is recommended to introduce nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which significantly increases crop yield.
So, before sowing the seeds should be calibrated and etched with a special dressing agent or infusion of garlic and onion husks. Sow the sunflower seeds in spring immediately into the open ground. Shallow grooves need to be moistened, and then the seeds are ground to the ground for 2-3 cm. Decorative species can be sown at a distance of 40-50 cm, and for large tall varieties the interval should be at least 70-80 cm.
Seeds are best to germinate at a temperature of 20 ... 25 ° C - such temperatures, depending on the region, occur in May-June, when sunflowers are usually planted in a summer residence. If the summer turned out to be hot, sunflower should be regularly and abundantly watered. Usually this is done as the top layer of the soil dries. Although this culture is also drought-resistant, the yield of the oil-bearing sunflower will directly depend on the saturation of the roots of the sunflower with moisture.
Further care for the plant does not involve special difficulties - it is watering, loosening the soil and timely removal of weeds. In general, a sunflower can be described as an unpretentious plant, which is not difficult to grow in a vegetable garden in the country.