How to sow sunflower in the country. How to grow a sunflower on a private plot - simple secrets of a good harvest

To obtain a good harvest of sunflower, it is important to take into account not only the condition of the soil, the quality and preparation of seeds, their seeding rate, but also the timing of planting the crop in open ground. A responsible approach is required at every stage of growing this crop.

General information about planting sunflower in open ground

Sunflower is an annual herb. Belongs to the aster category. It has a taproot that can penetrate to a depth of about 3 m. Thanks to this, the sunflower tolerates drought well, and also absorbs moisture and nutrients from the soil.

Black soil, sandy loam are suitable for planting a plant. Seed germination occurs already at a temperature of 6 ° C and above. Sunflower seedlings tolerate slight frosts.

The best predecessors for planting crops are legumes, corn, wheat, barley. Sowing after beans, alfalfa, sugar beet is not recommended. Soil cultivation for sunflower consists in clearing weeds and plowing to a depth of 25 cm. Fertilizers are applied for plowing to increase yields.

Before sowing, the seeds are sorted out, selecting the largest and highest quality ones. Depending on the climatic conditions, the sunflower sowing depth is chosen, which on average is 3-5 cm.

Before the first shoots appear, harrowing is carried out in order to avoid the appearance of weeds. The first breakthrough of plants is performed when the first leaves appear. If a breakthrough is not made, the baskets of the sunflowers will be shallow. During the growing season, at least 3 cultivation and hand weeding are required. For good crop growth and development of the root system, it will be necessary to carry out several dressings and 2-3 waterings.

Terms of planting sunflower in open ground

Sunflower planting dates are primarily determined by the duration of its growing season. Its average duration is about 140-160 days. This period includes:

7-20 days from sowing to germination;
it takes up to 40 days for the development of the root system and the formation of leaves;
from 35 to 40 days are allotted for the main growth of the sunflower;
The stage of flowering, filling and ripening of seeds lasts 45-60 days.

Given this, sowing sunflower crops in open ground should be early. This takes into account the air temperature, soil condition. The most optimal time is considered to be sowing in 2 weeks from the spring processing of the site. The ground temperature on the site must be at least 10 ° C, the air must be warmed up to 15 ° C. If, when planting seeds of a plant, the soil temperature at a depth of about 8 cm is below 10 ° C, some of the planted seeds may lose germination, which will significantly reduce the yield.

Influence of the date of planting sunflower seeds on yield

If the sunflower is planted at the optimal time - until mid-May, the first shoots are shown in a week or two. With early planting of sunflower seeds at an air temperature of 6 to 8 ° C, the emergence of seedlings is delayed up to 20 days or more.

An increase in the interval between sowing seeds and the first germination affects the likelihood of damage to seeds by birds, pathogens or rodents. Sowing too late leads to a decrease in yield and a decrease in the amount of oil in the seeds.

Sprouted sunflower seeds in the photo

Processing of sunflower seeds before sowing is a whole complex of both technical and sanitary methods necessary to improve the yield and germination of this crop.

Soil tillage before sowing sunflower seeds includes fertilizing with microelements, most of them are economical to use. The fact is that when they get into the soil, they form poorly soluble compounds. They split for a long time, and the plant receives much more from them than from other types of fertilizers. Before planting sunflower seeds in open ground, they can be treated with compounds containing iron, copper, cobalt, iodine, molybdenum and manganese.

During storage, the seed sunflower can be damaged by insects, so pickling is done. This is an economically and environmentally friendly technique. The fungicide load on the environment during pickling is much less than when spraying. Treating sunflower seeds during processing allows you to effectively fight diseases that can no longer be destroyed after germination. As drugs are used "Maxim XL", "Apron XL", "Cruiser".

Next, the seeds must be germinated. To do this, they must be soaked in water, wrapped in gauze or some other cloth and placed in a place where the temperature is up to 20 ° C. When you see the first shoots appear, the sunflower seeds can be planted in the ground.

Planting sunflower seeds in open ground

The sunflower is unpretentious, and huge flowers can decorate any garden. Sunflower can grow on any soil, except for sandy and highly acidic. The name of the plant itself suggests that it loves the sun very much, but it can still grow and bloom even in partial shade. To plant a sunflower, you need to take the most illuminated place of the site. Before growing a sunflower from seeds, in the fall you need to dig up the ground and apply fertilizer. Sunflowers are completely unpretentious and can grow at temperatures down to minus 5 ° C. At the same time, they are not afraid of frost.

To plant sunflower seeds, it is necessary to make holes of 2.5-3 cm. The holes can be made even by hand, loosening the soil, since the distance from the surface is very small. Place the seeds inside with the edge down. After you have planted the seeds, cover them with earth and water thoroughly, but do not flood.

To grow a sunflower from seeds, you can make furrows and place the seeds in them at a distance of about 40 cm from one another. Between the furrows, a width of up to 0.5 m must be observed. The less often the plants are planted, the larger the seeds will be in them. A good harvest is obtained when the cultivation of a sunflower from seeds is carried out between the rows of beets, potatoes, and other vegetables.

Collecting sunflower seeds for sowing

Sunflower seeds are easy to harvest when the plant is completely dry: you can leave the sunflower to dry on the stem, or cut the stem and dry it indoors. But in either case, you need to take precautions to protect them when harvesting sunflower seeds.

While the sunflower has a beautiful appearance of a bright flower stretching towards the sun, it is not yet ripe. The moment of ripening occurs when the inflorescence-basket bends to the ground, and the marginal tongue-petals turn brown, lose their bright yellow color, wither and dry out. By the time the sunflower seeds are harvested, at least half of the yellow petals should fly around. Now let's examine the basket itself - the seeds in it can still sit quite tightly, but already be thick and dense, and will also turn into their corporate black color (different varieties of sunflower have a slightly different color, for example, there are white stripes).

In the phase of yellow ripeness, when 35-40 days have passed after flowering, the process of accumulation of oil in the seeds is completed. After that, there is a physical evaporation of moisture from the achenes and a period of full ripeness begins.

Cutting off the sunflower head occurs when it has completely turned brown (dried). The stem of the sunflower is quite hard, so cut it carefully so as not to spill some of the seeds from the bag / cloth during this process (use a good pruner).

Get yourself as much seed as you need for next year's planting, and leave the rest to the birds. As a result, they will not only feast on seeds, but they will also clean your garden area of pests as a thank you.

Before collecting sunflower seeds in areas where, due to the humid climate, natural drying on the vine is not suitable, you must:

tie the sunflower flower with a bag / cloth,
cut it off with a stem at least 30 cm long,
hang in a dry ventilated room by tying a string, thread or fishing line to the base of the flower, and attaching its other end to a hook, stick or hanger,
the sunflower should be dried stem up, head down.

Drying sunflower seeds to obtain seeds

It is easiest to dry sunflower seeds directly on the stem if the weather is dry and sunny. If the weather is humid, it is necessary to cut the basket to dry it indoors (under a canopy).

In any case, it is necessary to tie gauze or a fabric that allows air to pass around the flower head, or a paper bag. Tying the basket will save the sunflower seeds from birds, squirrels and most other wild animals, preventing them from "harvesting" before you. It also prevents the seeds from falling to the ground and getting lost.

While the sunflower is drying:

do not forget to check the bag / cloth and collect the dropped seeds,
inspect dropped seeds and, if they are in good shape, store them in an airtight container until the rest of the seeds are ready,
if the bag / cloth is wet, be sure to change to a dry one,
you can temporarily tie it with a plastic bag to prevent it from getting wet before the rain, and immediately remove it after the rain stops.

The process of drying sunflower seeds takes on average 1-2 days, but it can take longer, depending on how early you cut the heads and in what conditions they dry.

Now we transfer the packages with sunflowers to a flat surface, carefully remove the packages / fabric and pour the spilled seeds into the storage container. To remove seeds that have not fallen out on your own, simply rub them with your hands or with a stiff vegetable brush. You can rub the sunflower heads together until all the seeds have been removed.

Thoroughly rinse the seeds under cold running water, pouring them into a colander. Let the water drain completely. Rinsing will remove most of the dirt and bacteria that have accumulated on them while the flowers are outside.

We pour completely dried seeds into an airtight container for their further storage and use.

The largest seeds should be left for sowing next year.

How are sunflowers planted? Probably, the majority imagine this process as follows: a person walks across the field and scatters seeds. But everything is not so simple, although the culture is very unpretentious, and many have seen these plants on the side of the roads (most likely, the seed fell from a passing truck and sprouted). About whether with the help of seedlings or in the open field, will be discussed in this article.

Sunflower

Sunflowers bloom profusely and colorfully from July to September. This is an annual plant capable of raising a flower to a height of three meters. Although there are perennial varieties that can be propagated by dividing the bush in autumn or spring.

The homeland of the plant is North America. It is grown mainly for the production of oil. It is believed to be one of the very first domesticated crops that humans have learned to grow. It is believed that sunflower was known as a domestic crop before wheat. Currently, there are up to 90 species of it (annual and perennial).

Seed preparation

If the question arises of how sunflowers are planted, then first of all you need to worry about the preparation of seeds and the selection of varieties. Many people prefer to grow crops specifically to get seeds - a delicious "entertainment" for all family members.

First, the seeds are carefully calibrated. They should be the same size, full-bodied, not damaged.

The next stage is seed dressing. Experienced gardeners recommend using this composition: the garlic is passed through a meat grinder, mixed with onion peel (in equal proportions), and then poured with boiling water. Two liters of water will require 100 grams of garlic. The mixture is infused for a day, filtered through cheesecloth.

Before soaking overnight. This simple processing has its advantages: firstly, it is an environmentally friendly "poison", and secondly, the pungent smell will scare away pests and rodents from eating seeds. White threads stretched above the ground can provide additional protection from birds.

Seat selection

An open place is selected for the sunflower. It should be illuminated by a daylight for at least 6-8 hours a day. At the same time, plants need protection from the wind. How are sunflowers planted? Under the walls of buildings or along the fence - many gardeners know this. This arrangement solves two problems at once: the structures protect the plants from the winds, and the sunflowers themselves serve as an excellent decor. They can close a not-too-pretty fence or an unassuming tool shed.

The soil should be fertile, it is possible with an average clay content. Sunflower will not grow on swampy, salty, acidic soil. The best options are black soil, chestnut and gray forest soils. Legumes, tomatoes, or legumes cannot be the predecessors of the crop. After them, a lot of nitrogen remains in the soil. It is better to sow sunflower on the site after grain crops.

Growing seedlings

Consider how to plant sunflower seedlings. Seeds are sown in cups or small pots 25 days before the intended planting of seedlings in open ground. Paper cups or peat pots may work. Good quality seedlings require a lot of light. Then the shoots will be green and strong (will not stretch out).

Seeds need to be watered while maintaining soil moisture. The first shoots will appear in a couple of weeks. The grown seedlings are planted in open ground, adhering to the planting scheme corresponding to the variety.

The seedling method is not suitable for all varieties of culture, but only with a strong root system that can easily withstand a transplant.

Sowing in the ground

Before planting sunflower seeds outdoors, you need to make sure that it is warmed up well. The temperature cannot be lower than 8-12 0 C at a depth of 10 cm. Planting dates are determined by this very indicator and may vary depending on the climate. This is usually the beginning or mid-May.

The optimum air temperature for sowing is 10-12 degrees Celsius. Sprouts can appear as early as 15 days after sowing. A lower temperature (6-8 degrees) will delay germination, they will germinate 20 days or even later. The culture easily tolerates frosts down to -5 0 C, does not require abundant watering.

How to plant sunflower seeds in the ground depends on the size of the crop. Small and ornamental plants are planted according to the 30x50 scheme, large - 75x90, very large - 90x120 cm.The depth can vary from 5 cm to 10 cm in the northern regions, it is also influenced by the choice of the variety. 2-3 seeds are thrown into the hole, sprinkled with earth, watered and rolled.

Ornamental plants

Since planting is much easier than usual, it becomes a decoration for many flower beds and summer cottages. They do not need to be sown for seedlings, you do not need to apply methods for accelerated processing from pests. The task is to get a beautiful flower, not a good harvest.

The variety of varieties, their beauty, unpretentious cultivation make the "flower of the sun" a welcome guest on any piece of land. An elegant bush with a lot of luxurious flowers will decorate any summer cottage or country house. You can safely plant several varieties of sunflower in one group (cross-pollination is not scary) along the fence or near the walls of outbuildings.

When, where and how to plant a sunflower, each gardener decides for himself. Some helpful tips:

Select seeds carefully for planting. This is a cross-pollinated crop, so it is not recommended to use seeds of a variety that has been grown on the site for more than two years. There will be many empty baskets or baskets with small fruits.

The greater the distance between the plants, the larger the seeds will be. This is especially true for giant plants.
A long interval between sowing seeds and germination may indicate that they have been damaged by rodents or eaten by birds. Re-seeding can lead to lower yields.
To ensure amicable conduct some training. They are soaked in water, wrapped in gauze or other cloth at a temperature of 20 0 C. As soon as the first shoots appear (usually after 2-3 days), they are planted in the ground.
The sunflower grows well in the company of beets and potatoes. It is sown between rows of vegetables.
You should not grow a crop for more than three years in a row in the same place. Plants literally suck nutrients out of the soil. The break will allow the ground to rest and get rid of pests.
Sunflower is a light-loving plant. You cannot plant it densely - the baskets will be small.
A simple method will help in choosing quality seeds. In a 5% saline solution, seeds suitable for planting will go to the bottom in 5-10 minutes, and they should be taken away.

Useful properties of seeds

Observing how sunflowers are planted almost everywhere, the question of the usefulness of this culture involuntarily arises.

Scientists have long studied the seed, or more correctly, the achene (this is the name of the sunflower fruit) and identified a number of its qualities. They found that eating sunflower seeds:

prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
serves as a barrier to the development of cancer;
improves heart function;
helps to improve the condition of hair, skin, nails;
provides the body with useful substances, since it contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, groups B, E;
prevents early aging of the body.

An unpretentious occupation - clicking seeds - in itself becomes a wonderful action to distract from sad thoughts. Many smokers have gotten rid of this addiction with the help of seeds. The nutritional value of the product is so high that it can quickly and easily satisfy hunger.

Sunflower seeds are loved not only by people, various rodents and are also not averse to eating them. When planting for a while, the tincture for seed dressing described above will help protect the seeds from these dirty tricks.

White threads stretched on small pegs will serve as additional protection from birds. After a few weeks, the emerging seedlings will no longer be of interest to the birds.

A new invasion of these pests will begin when the seeds are ripe. To scare them away, fabric strips, gauze and newspaper ties, strips of foil are useful. If you have old CDs, you can use them too - as long as they shine brightly in the sun. There is another option for protecting seeds from birds: a light gauze bag with holes for ventilation is put on a pollinated seed box.

Harvesting

As soon as the seeds are ripe, we completely cut off the achene with a sharp knife. If the seeds in the achene are wet, leave the cut head to dry in the sun, putting it on the remaining stump.

Annual sunflower varieties (Helianthus annuus)

Variety "SPK"

The "SPK" variety is the most popular and demanded on the market. It is rightfully considered the best honey plant among the known sunflower hybrids and varieties. The period of active vegetation is up to 90 days. He loves space, it is advisable to pickle the seeds before planting, as he is susceptible to disease.

Sunflower, grade "SPK". Photo from the site boguchar-semen.rf

Variety "Anyuta"

Plants of this variety are tall (up to 2 m), their seed box is medium in size. Seeds are ready to harvest 110-115 days after planting. The variety is resistant to most diseases, widespread in the south of Russia and Ukraine.

Sunflower, grade "Anyuta". Photo from the site ag-rus.ru

Variety "Volcano"

Another hybrid with good yields. Resistant to diseases, recommended for planting in the Stavropol Territory and the Republic of Adygea.

Sunflower, grade "Volcano". Photo from the site ag-rus.ru

Sunflower, grade "Lakomka". Photo from the site npo-vniimk.ru

Finally, I would like to note that growing a sunflower for "gnawing" seeds will not be difficult. At a low cost, you can provide yourself with home, and fried seeds will help you while away the time in the evening watching the TV, satisfy your hunger and supply your body with a lot of nutrients and vitamins. Yes, and they calm the nerves, and they help to quit smoking - this is certainly checked :)

Have a nice harvest!

Even in childhood, getting to my grandmother's 6 acres and passing by other open areas, I happened to see sunflowers on one of them. They look very decorative even in single plantings. In addition, these are not just flowers, but also plants that yield crops.

This year we will definitely plant sunflowers on the site. Especially for these purposes, we decided to buy not ordinary seeds, but a bag of decorative seeds. We took the variety "Solnechny Krug" from the agricultural firm "Gavrish".

Description

The sunflower belongs to the Astrov family. The original name from Latin literally translates as "sun flower". Our Russian name is also not accidental and means “a flower in the sun”. The fact is that the inflorescences of this plant turn towards the sun until the end of the flowering period (the process is called "helionation"). Adult, faded sunflowers always look in one direction - to the east.

Why did our choice fall on the "Solar Circle"? There are several reasons:

Early maturity (from the emergence of seedlings to the ripening of the crop, it takes from 64 to 71 days).
The high decorative effect of this peeling variety is supported by a good yield. Striped seeds are large varietal, very tasty and healthy.
Growth (from 1.5 to 2 m) - will delight the eye not only for us, but also for our neighbors.
Disease and pest resistance. In particular - to downy mildew (peronospora) and sunflower moth.
Flowering and ripening are friendly, the plants are aligned.
This variety is a very good honey plant, which attracts a large number of pollinating insects to the site.

In addition, it is interesting to see if cats will pay any attention to such beauty. In general, I'm looking forward to the summer.

Growing

Seeds are sown in open ground in April-May, when the temperature of the surface layer of the soil is from +13 to +16 C. The place should be well lit by the sun and protected from open gusty winds.

It is better to plant sunflowers on the north side of the site, not far from the fence, the wall of the house, a thick trunk of a tree or dense shrub. This plant prefers fertile loams, but does not tolerate acidic marshy soils.

The best predecessors are cereals, corn. Sunflower develops worse after beans, peas, soybeans, beets, tomatoes. It is clear that compliance with crop rotation does not imply planting sunflower from year to year in the same place. It is imperative to take a break for at least 3-4 years.

Seeds from the purchased packaging, as in our case, have already passed the necessary processing and are completely ready for planting. If you use ordinary store-bought seeds (we sell them in packs of 900 g), do not be too lazy to pickle and calibrate the seeds.

The site must be dug up before sowing. Often, superphosphate or ammophos (10 g per 1 m2) is introduced into the ground. Planting scheme - 30x40 cm. The depth of planting seeds in the ground is from 1.5 to 2 cm. Be sure to provide a good drainage layer before planting.

It is better to put several seeds in each hole at once. You can sow sunflowers at intervals of 2-3 weeks to get the harvest at different times and observe the beauty of these flowers for as long as possible.

After planting, organic fertilizers are evenly distributed over the surface of the site (some summer residents also resort to mulching) and irrigate. Putting organic matter in the holes is not worth it.

Further care comes down to several important components:

Water daily as the topsoil dries up. At the same time, there should be no stagnation of water.
In top dressing, do not put too much pressure on nitrogen fertilizers. It is best to concentrate on potassium-phosphorus supplements, especially after flowering begins.
Sunflower beds should be weeded regularly. It is not necessary to spud the plants.
Preventive treatments against pests and diseases are desirable. The following diseases pose the greatest danger to sunflower: gray and white rot, peronosporosis, phomopsis. Of the pests, the threat is: cotton scoop, sunflower moth, gray moth.

The crop is harvested in August, when the seed baskets dry up and turn brown. The heads are cut off entirely with a sharp knife. Then they are cut in half and hung to dry in the shade (clean newspapers must be laid under the bottom).

To make the seeds as tasty as possible, soak them overnight in salted water, and then gently fry them over low heat.

As many summer residents testify on the forums, it is not at all difficult to grow a sunflower. This plant will delight you with its beauty in the middle of summer, and by August it will delight you with a nutritious harvest.

I will try to supplement the article with actual photos at the end of this season.