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Growing an ornamental sunflower
An ornamental sunflower differs from an ordinary agricultural crop in its purpose, color and shape of flowers, and its vigor. Today, terry varieties of orange-brown, peach and cream colors, as well as dwarf and bouquet varieties of sunflowers, have been bred. It is not difficult to grow a flower, it is enough to follow simple recommendations for planting and care.
How to sow ornamental sunflower seeds correctly
An annual sunflower is bred by sowing seeds in open ground, but in the northern regions it is more expedient to grow seedlings. For this, special containers are used, in May, the matured plants are transferred to the garden. Perennial varieties reproduce well by dividing the bush. Every 2 years, the mother plant is dug up and the rhizome is divided.
Decorative sunflower is grown for interior decoration
The lightest place in the garden is allocated for planting an annual sunflower. In regions with warm climates, seeds are sown every two weeks from early May to mid June. The seeding depth is 3 cm, between the holes 30 to 70 cm are left, it all depends on the variety. Tall varieties need more space than dwarf varieties. Such a planting scheme allows you to admire the flowering of an ornamental culture throughout the season.
The seeds of an annual decorative sunflower sprout hard, so they are pre-treated with a solution of wood ash. Dilute 0,5 tbsp in 1 l of water. l. ash, soak a cotton cloth and wrap the seeds in it for a day. After this procedure, seedlings appear on the 7th day.
Rules for growing ornamental sunflower in the garden
The decorative culture does not need special care, standard procedures are enough:
- watering;
- top dressing;
- weeding;
- treatment against pests and diseases.
Sunflower is watered abundantly and often, but you should not allow stagnation of water at the roots. The soil should dry out between waterings. When the soil is too dry, the flowers wither quickly. Weeding, removing weeds and dry baskets are done regularly to stimulate the emergence of new inflorescences. On fertile soils, the sunflower is not fed. If there are not enough nutrients, then organic matter is introduced.
Pests practically do not affect annual sunflower, sometimes a caterpillar is found on the plant. Preventive spraying with insecticides will help get rid of the pest. Most often, sunflower is exposed to fungal diseases, among them powdery mildew, spotting, rust. The affected parts of the plant are removed, after which they are treated with fungicides or any preparations with copper. To completely get rid of the disease, it will take 2 or 3 treatments, the interval between which is 10 days.
Try to grow a decorative sunflower on your own, there is nothing difficult about it. Follow all the tips and everything will certainly work out.