Sunflower cultivation is practiced by many gardeners. Some varieties of this crop are used to decorate the site, but in our material, we will talk about how to grow a sunflower in order to collect as many high-quality crops from it as possible.
To date, more than 60 varieties and hybrids of the oilseed form of sunflower have been bred. The culture is an excellent honey plant, it is not demanding in care, it can withstand frosts down to minus 5 degrees Celsius.
Preparing and planting sunflower seeds
In order for the oilseed sunflower harvest not to disappoint, you need to take a responsible approach to choosing a site, select and prepare high-quality seeds, and also follow the planting rules that are not complicated, but necessary for obtaining a good harvest.
Selection and processing of a plot under a sunflower
Sunflower grows on any soil, but gives a good harvest on slightly acidic loams, chernozem, chestnut soils. Wetlands with high acidity, as well as sandstones for productive cultivation "for productivity" - will not work.
It is not recommended to sow a sunflower after sugar beets and tomatoes. In these areas, the soil contains a large amount of nitrogen, and the culture does not like it. This fact must be taken into account when applying fertilizers. A plot previously sown with winter cereals, corn, cabbage is better suited.
Also, keep in mind that after sunflower, the land needs restoration, and is not suitable for almost all garden crops. After it, the soil must be fertilized and spring cereals, peas or beans should be planted - they will help to quickly restore depleted soil. You can return to sowing sunflowers in one area only after 7 years.
In autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to the site: superphosphate, potassium sulfate. Then they dig the soil deeply so that there is no subsoil and compacted soil at the level of the roots.
Preparing seeds for planting
Sunflower is prone to cross-pollination, so it is not worth sowing the seeds of the last crop. It is better to buy them in a specialized store. Before sowing, planting material is calibrated and treated.
Calibration is carried out using a sieve, leaving only the largest specimens. Also, the seeds are checked for grain volume, or "for completeness" - they are dipped in saline (a teaspoon of salt per liter of water) and only those that have sunk to the bottom of the container within 10 minutes are used.
Growing sunflower requires dressing the seeds before planting, as pests like to profit from them, for this they use different chemicals.
You can prepare a folk remedy for dressing sunflower seeds from 100 g of twisted garlic and onion husks. The components are poured overnight with two liters of boiling water, filtered in the morning and the seeds are dipped into the solution for 12 hours. This method is more humane and safe for birds and animals.
Sunflower planting
Seeds are sown in May, when the soil warms up to 8 degrees Celsius. On the site, holes are made with a chopper, 5-7 cm deep. The greater the distance between the holes, the larger the hats will grow. The recommended landing step is 50 cm.
2-3 seeds are lowered into each hole and sprinkled with earth. The soil must be moist.
Sunflower cultivation technology
Seedlings appear after 10 days. From now on, it is necessary to regularly water the sunflower. The root system and the above-ground part of the plant are quite large, and consume a lot of moisture. The culture does not tolerate the neighborhood with weeds, so regular weeding is required.
In the phase of 2-3 leaves, it is necessary to feed the sunflower with azophos 40 g and urea 20 g per 10 liters of water. Apply fertilizer after pre-watering.
With the beginning of the formation of seed boxes, potash fertilizers (potassium sulfate or potassium chloride) are applied. This contributes to an increase in the level of drought resistance of the plant, the formation of large seeds and an increase in their oiliness.
From the conception of achenes to flowering, the sunflower's need for moisture doubles. Therefore, the rate and frequency of irrigation during this period is increased.
Sunflower disease control
Before you grow a sunflower, you need to prepare to protect it from a variety of diseases and pests, since crop yields often suffer precisely because of them. Of the fungal diseases, the most dangerous are: downy mildew, phomosis, rust, phomopsis, white rot.
They infect leaves and seed pods. Sunflowers affected by fungi lag behind in development, hats do not develop. The first signs of most diseases can be seen in the 2-3 leaf phase, but the main symptoms appear later.
Sunflower is often affected by broomrape (lat. Orobanche) - a parasitic plant that settles on the roots of the crop. It has no roots and foliage and feeds on the sunflower.
During the growing season, broomrape forms about 100 thousand seeds, which remain viable in the soil for up to 15 years. Seeds germinate only in the presence of a host plant. There are no drugs against the parasite, so you should choose resistant varieties, as well as observe crop rotation.
Sunflower pests and their control
Many pests love to feast on oilseed sunflowers. Sunflower moth (lat. Homoeosoma nebulella) is more common than others. She lays her eggs in the basket at the stage of its formation, and later the larvae hatch and gnaw out the kernels of the seeds. Pests are also common: southern weevil, wireworm, sunflower longhorn, thorn beetle.
To reduce the likelihood of damage by insects will help: seed dressing before planting, timely removal of weeds, crop rotation. If pests are found, plantings are treated with insecticides.
Birds can cause great damage to crops. To scare them away, bright multi-colored ribbons are tied near the sunflower caps. They also use tinsel or old computer disks. Often summer residents install a scarecrow on the site.
Tying the heads with a breathable cloth, such as gauze, will help protect the seeds from birds and pests. This should be done only after pollination and left in this form until the seeds are fully ripe.
Sunflower harvest
The sunflower harvest starts in August. By this time, the heads lean towards the ground, the outer petals dry out and fall off, the seeds become black in color.
Ripe caps are cut off and, if necessary, put to dry (1-2 days). The seeds are removed over the spread cloth. The heads rub against each other until all the seeds fall out.
Seeds are dried in the shade, pouring them out on a substrate in one layer. After waiting for windy weather, the seeds are sifted. To do this, they are taken out to an open area, collected in any container and poured back from a height of human growth, thereby removing weed particles.
Store sunflower seeds in a dry place in hermetically sealed containers or in bags of non-woven material.
Even a novice gardener can grow a sunflower and harvest a good harvest. Particular attention should be paid to preparing seeds for sowing, timely watering, removing weeds and combating dangerous diseases and pests. If the sunflower cultivation technology described in our material is fully observed, you will harvest a magnificent harvest of tasty and oily seeds.
