Sunflower Plants Care

Do you know what daisies look like? Well to me, sunflowers look like jumbo daisies with gold in them. Growing up, sunflowers used to be my favorite flowers; and they still are. And I didn't know this until later that there are approximately 60 different species of annual and perennial sunflower across the world. All these species bloom right around late summer or fall. Many of the sunflower species are native to North America, but they are also cultured all over the world. Those were some interesting facts about sunflowers. And now, we proceed further with our article about caring for the plants.

I'm sure most of you must know this already, but when the plant is still immature, the head tends to turn and face the sun every morning. It follows the movements the sun makes through the entire day. That was a little known fact about sunflowers. But did you know that they come in more than one color? Yes; yellow is not the only color sunflowers are found across the world. You can find gold, orange, mahogany red and bronze sunflowers as well. The center part of the flower also has various colors like yellow, purple, red, and brown. Pretty interesting, right! As wonderful and surprising these flowering plants may be, they are very easy to grow and take care of. And that is what we are going to be learning about in this article, caring for sunflowers.

Sunflower Care Instructions

As you will read below, taking proper care of the plants doesn't require any confusing techniques or instructions. They are pretty easy to handle and look after. All you have to do is follow the steps given below and understand how to care for sunflowers.

Water Requirements
Now that you have decided on growing these plants in your backyard, taking utmost care is the key. While watering the plants, make sure you don't water them quite often. That's the first step. Although the plants are sturdy, but excess water can result in loosening of the soil. The plants won't have enough support to keep the sunflower head stable from the wind.

Water them 20 days before and after the blossoms appear. If the soil is rich for growth, you need to water the plants only if there was no rain fir a week or 2. It's also recommended that you grow large groups of sunflowers to increase the stability of the soil. This helps the roots to reach deep in the soil, hold the moisture in, and protect the plants from any damage caused by the wind.

Fertilizer Requirements
Providing them with a rich diet is not important. If the soil is rich and has lots of organic matter like earthworms and microbes, the soil is already getting the necessary nutrients it demands. But, since these plants are capable of growing at least 6 feet in height, that too in only about 3 months, it is best that you add some fertilizer to it; slow-acting granular fertilizer to be exact.

Try to control the admission of nitrogen, as they delay the appearance of blossoms. Plus, while growing super-sized seed heads, use slightly more fertilizer when you first notice them.

Mulch Requirements
As we discussed earlier, these plants doesn't require too much attention. However, adding a layer of mulch can be very nutritious for the soil and the plants. The use of organic mulch is highly recommended, and helps in decomposing and improving the soil. Once the plants sprout, place 2 inches of chopped leaves, wood chips, or straw on the soil. And if you're using peat moss, make sure to add some more organic materials as well (otherwise it results in repelling water).

Pest Control Requirements
The sunflower head attracts many insects and pests such as birds, squirrels, aphids, whiteflies, sunflower head moths, sunflower beetle, sunflower maggots, cutworm, caterpillars, headclipping weevil, etc. These insects and pests can cause serious damages to the plants, flowers, seeds, leaves, and stems. You can use pesticides that are specifically made for these plants. However, it is advised not to spray the pesticides when bees, wasps, ants, butterflies, and other pollinating insects are present.

Weed Control Requirements
As we discussed earlier that these plants can grow really fast, due to which unwanted weeds can also grow on their own. This can create shades for sunflower seedlings and stop their natural growth cycle. You can't stop weeds from growing, but you can surely control and get rid of them. You can either till or hoe the area in the middle of the rows where the plants are growing. Or two, you can use some chemicals to kill the weeds. Make sure you use chemicals that don't affect the seeds. Depending on what type of weeds are growing, you can use appropriate chemicals to kill them.

Gardening is fun and fruitful when you know what you're doing. Apart from the tips mentioned in this article, if there are any more questions or confusion, you can read the article on growing sunflower plants. The sunflower plants care information given above should be helpful to you in growing healthy plants and blossoms.