This article introduces how to cultivate sunflowers and the aspects of green plant flowers concerning sunflower cultivation and management, which will surely help you. Let's learn about it together!
Sunflowers belong to the Portulaca family and are perennial herbaceous plants, but they are usually cultivated annually. Some friends manage to grow them into beautiful old stakes in the second year, but they require high temperatures and can only grow into old stakes if they survive the winter. Sunflowers thrive in warm, dry, and sunlit environments. They usually bloom when the sun is out and close their petals in the morning, evening, or on cloudy and rainy days. There are many types of sunflowers with colorful and diverse colors, including single and double-petaled varieties. How can we grow potted sunflowers at home to ensure they thrive, grow vigorously, and produce countless flowers?
In the summer, if you want to grow sunflowers, fertilize and expose them to the sun more, and you will be rewarded with countless flowers, turning your balcony into a sea of flowers.
Several key points should not be overlooked when growing sunflowers:
1. If you are sowing sunflower seeds, they are very small, so you should use fine, sandy soil without weeds and stones. Maintain the temperature between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. Generally, the seeds will germinate within ten days. If the seedlings are too dense, thin them out.
Do not expose the young seedlings to direct sunlight initially. Place them in a shaded, well-ventilated area. Once they grow bigger, expose them to the sun to avoid burning their tender leaves, which could affect their growth. Gradually increase the light exposure when the sunflower seedlings have grown two or three branches.
2. After the sunflowers grow, ensure they receive plenty of sunlight. Like jasmine and bougainvillea, sunflowers enjoy a well-lit growing environment. The better the light, the more and brighter the flowers. If you place potted sunflowers in a dim, damp, and poorly ventilated area, they will become spindly and weak, bloom very few flowers, and not thrive. Therefore, sufficient light is needed to promote their growth.
3. Sunflowers do not grow faster with more watering. A slightly moist potting mix is sufficient. In the summer, water promptly when the soil dries, as high temperatures and dry air cause rapid evaporation. However, do not water again if the soil is not dry, to avoid waterlogging, which could lead to root rot.
4. Continuously apply fertilizer. Sunflowers require a continuous supply of nutrients and fertilizers during growth. You can mix a spoonful of monopotassium phosphate in a spray bottle of water and spray it every three to four days. Alternatively, provide more slow-release fertilizer, organic fertilizer, cake fertilizer, or nutrient solutions rich in phosphorus and potassium. This will result in numerous, large, and beautiful flowers. Additionally, during the cultivation process, you can loosen the soil and add some humus to promote even more vigorous growth.
5. Continuously pinch the tips and prune. For flowers that have withered and you do not want to save the seeds, prune some of them. To encourage a full plant shape with many branches, it is necessary to pinch the tips and promote the growth of more lateral branches, creating a fireworks-like appearance. This results in lush branches and numerous flowers, making the blooms particularly beautiful. The pruned branches can also be used for propagation, allowing you to grow multiple sunflower plants from one pot. Pay attention to these five points when growing potted sunflowers, and they will grow疯狂ly, filling the pot with flowers and blooming continuously!
The comprehensive method of sunflower cultivation and management introduced above (Green Plant Enthusiast Website) hopes to act as a catalyst to solve your green plant problems.