Collecting plants are said to have a therapeutic effect—this one reason why the number of plant collectors is increasing nowadays.

I, who didn’t care about owning plants, was encouraged to collect some because of this. It will be a plus or bonus if the plant you are collecting happens to be flowering.

Imagine waking up daily, looking at how vibrant the plants and the flower you have in your garden. Somewhat gives us a very relaxing feeling.

Care to have a plant that gives flowers as vibrant as the sun? Hmmm, Sunflower? Yes, a sunflower.

Sunflower is a beautiful plant that gives a daisy-like flower, and it comes in a yellow hue with brown at the center that holds the seed as it ripens or matures.

Sunflower usually matures within 3 to 4 months, and it grows fast. The height extends about 16 feet, especially if planted in a field, while those produced in a small pot only grow to about a foot tall. The flower can grow with a diameter of about 12 inches.

Sunflower loves the sun; it turns its head to follow the sun’s motion, which is clockwise or east to west, and later at night, it faces east, waiting for the next day’s sunshine.

This event usually happens during the early stage of its growth, but once its flower head becomes heavy, it stops following the sun’s motion.

This occurrence is called heliotropism. Remember, only rare plants can tolerate direct heat, aside from the fact that it gives a flower, which is very attractive to birds and bees and adds beauty to our plant collections.

WHEN IT IS IDEAL TO PLANT SUNFLOWER?

Where should we plant it? Sunflower planting usually falls from March to June in most areas, like in tropical regions.

Ideally, planting sunflower should coincide with the dry and sunny season only because it thrives best in sunny weather than a stormy one.

Sunflower seeds are better sown directly in a garden, or a container placed outdoor. Sunflower is not an indoor plant.

Let us  take a look at the Sunflower Plant Basic Requirements:

Soil Requirements

• The area where the sunflower should have soil with the right draining property.
• Make sure that the soil should not water after heavy rain. Sunflower does grow well in compact soil because its long roots usually need to stretch out.
• It also thrives best in soil with a slight acidity to alkaline soil with pH ranges of 6 to about 7.5.

Fertilizer Requirement

• Sunflower plants would love to be treated with fertilizers, preferably an organic fertilizer like animal manure or fertilizer from organic matter.

Water Requirement

• Sunflower Plant doesn’t want to be heavily watered. Heavy watering causes the rotting of plants.

Light Requirement

• Plant your Sunflower Plant in an area where there is enough amount of sunlight.
• Choose an area in your garden that is directly hit by the light of the sun for at least six or eight hours a day.
• The flower will blossom well on a hot summer day.
• Strong winds are not ideal for the sunflower plant; planting it near a fence would protect it from strong wind.

Any addition to our Sunflower Plant Collection will make our Sunflower Plant area more beautiful and attractive, and it will cost you a lot if you keep on buying a new plant.

So why not learn and discover how we can propagate it. There are ways to reproduce SUNFLOWER PLANTS. Let us find out how it is!

SUNFLOWER PLANTS PROPAGATION

USING SUNFLOWER SEEDS

In planting a sunflower seed, choose a mature or ripe sunflower seed.

If you intend to use the seeds for propagation, Sunflower should not be picked so that the seeds will become ripe and eventually be used for propagation.

Ripe and matured seed can easily be collected and may even fall off from the sunflower head. Use moist and not-so-wet soil in planting the seed.

Soak the sunflower seed in the water for about 8 to 12 hours, and this will make the seed swell and germinate fast in planting sunflower seeds.

Sunflower seeds should be planted at least 1 to 2 inches deep to avoid being eaten by a bird, and a net can also be used to protect the seeds from scratching birds.

Seeds can be directly planted in the garden plot, or you can use a plant seedbed and wait for the seed to germinate and grow before transferring it to another spot. Germination of Sunflower seeds takes about 7 to 10 days.

USING SUNFLOWER CUTTINGS

Sunflower plant cuttings may develop roots fast in just about a week, and once roots are developed, you can transplant them under favorable conditions so they will successfully grow.

Sunflower plant cutting should be done carefully. Cuttings must be collected when the sunflower plant has not yet fully bloomed, and this must be preferably done in the morning when the weather is not too hot to avoid stem and foliage damage and, of course, withering.

Choose a healthy shoot about 4 to 6 inches long. Using a clean cutting tool should always be considered in cutting the chosen stem.

Leaves at the lower part of the cuttings should be removed, exposing the nodes that will produce the roots.

Using a rooting hormone may help in the rooting process. Plant the cuttings in a soil composed of half sand and half peat moss covering the part without leaf with the soil mixture.

The plant should be kept in a warm, partly shaded area and lightly moisture area. The clear large plastic cover can be used to maintain humidity. This will also help in the rooting process.

Checking for the presence of roots can be done by gently pulling the plant, so if resistance from puling is felt, it means roots are already developed. Newly rooted sunflower plants should not be transplanted and exposed to direct sunlight right away.

Let it adjust first by slowly exposing it to light until it can finally be exposed and can withstand direct sunlight without withering.