Their long stems and large flowers tower far above the other plants and the flower bed.
Sunflowers look like the sun and are reminiscent of summer. But when is the right time to plant, sow and harvest sunflowers? And why are sunflowers grown? You can find out here.
They are often found in front gardens and cottage gardens in particular: the sunflower. Since the sunflower seeds can be eaten and the flowers also look beautiful in vases, everyone likes to have them in the garden. But when do you plan sunflowers? And can you sow your sunflowers from the harvested sunflower seeds?
Planting Sunflowers: When?
If you want to plant a sunflower in your garden, you need nutrient-rich and not-too-heavy soil. In addition, sunflowers need a lot of space, a distance of approx. 50 cm and a sunny location.
When can the sunflower be planted? From mid-May, after the ice saints, the sunflower can be planted directly in the bed. Here you can learn more about when to plant them and how to plant sunflower seeds.
What Happens if the Sunflowers Bloom Too Early? This is what the Video Shows:
Sunflowers should be watered in the bed as soon as the top layer of soil has dried. There it can bloom until September if it is not cut off beforehand as a cut flower.
Practical tip: There are also small sunflower varieties. These can also be planted in tubs and flower pots.
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When to Sow Sunflowers?
Prefer to sow sunflowers yourself? That’s quite easy. Sunflowers can also be planted from the delicious sunflower seeds. The next time you harvest the sunflower seeds, you can save a few of the seeds and use them to multiply your sunflowers. To sow the sunflower, you will need:
In March you can startsowingthe sunflower. Place the gravel or shards of pottery on the bottom of the pot as drainage. Then fill the pot with potting soil and sow the sunflower seed so that it is about 1 cm in the ground.
Then you have to make sure that the soil is constantly moist. Sunflower seeds germinate after 8-14 days on the window sill in the sun or semi-shade (at around 15-20 °C).
Practical tip: Always sow more sunflowers than you want. Because if a sunflower seed doesn’t germinate, you still have enough. If the pot is too small, you can also report the sunflower seedlings.
Once the plants are around 30cm tall, you will need less water. From mid-May, the sunflower can then be placed in the bed. Because then there is no longer any risk of frost.
This is How Bamboo Sticks Save Your Sunflowers!
After about three to four months, the sunflower is fully grown. It’s all the sadder when it snaps off in the wind. With bamboo sticks, you can save your sunflowers!
If you want to create an aflower bed, there are important points to consider. So that the sunflowers have a protected and safe place where they can grow tall, you should plant your summer flowers directly against a wall or fence. This protects the sunflowers from the wind and prevents them from breaking as quickly.
Save Sunflowers with Bamboo Sticks
If your long-stemmed sunflower breaks, you can use this trick to save the plant from dying! Two simple bamboo sticks, which are inserted to the right and left of the plant, serve as supports or rails and can give the plant the support it needs.
You should also tape the breakage with packing tape. This is how you can save your sunflower if the break was not too severe, it will continue to grow as if nothing happened. Then only provide your sunflower with enough water!
If you are no longer able to save your sunflowers because the water-carrying veins of the flower have been damaged too badly, you must cut off the sunflower and move it to a vase or make a pretty flower arrangement out of it:
When to Harvest Sunflowers?
If you want to put the sunflower in the vase as a cut flower, you can use clean and sharp pruning shears to cut off sunflowers that are not fully open on a dry day.
- Practical tip: After cutting, the cut will close faster if you immerse the cut in hot water. This way the sunflowers should last longer in the vase.
Would you like to harvest sunflower seeds? In October, when the flower head of the sunflower has completely dried and the sunflower is drooping, the seeds can be easily removed.
- Practical tip: To protect against birds, you can put a piece of fabric over the flower head.
What are Sunflowers Grown For?
Sunflowers are grown because they are popular plants in many gardens. In addition, the sunflower seeds are particularly tasty in bread or muesli.
You can also eat sunflower seeds without anything as a healthy snack. What many do not know is: Sunflowers also have healing properties. The petals can be made into a tea or a tincture and relieve coughs and colds.
