Annual sunflower or sunflower oilseed (sunflower) is an annual herbaceous plant family Asteraceae with large flower baskets. Belongs to the honey-bearing species. Grows in countries with warm, temperate climate. Sunflower is widely cultivated for culinary use, folk medicine and homeopathy, as well as in some other areas.
Preparation and storage
The following medicinal raw materials are used: rhizome, stem with leaves, marginal flowers (yellow “petals”) and annual sunflower seeds. The roots are harvested in the fall: they are dug up, cleared of soil and dried in electric dryer at a temperature of 40-50°C. Flowers are harvested at the beginning of the plant's flowering: they are carefully torn off, trying not to damage the baskets, and dried in a well-ventilated area away from sun rays. Sunflower leaves are harvested in the summer, when they have grown to 5-7 cm: they are picked without petioles and dried on outdoors in the shade or in an electric dryer at temperatures up to 50°C. The sunflower stem is harvested when the caps have already been removed: the stems are cut, cut into pieces of approximately 2 cm and dried. The seeds are collected as they ripen.
Dried sunflower raw materials are stored for two years in fabric or paper bags.
Composition and properties
The leaves, stems, and marginal flowers of sunflower are rich in: flavonoids, sterols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, saponins, choline and phenolcarboxylic acids.
The seeds of the plant contain: carotenoids, tannins, sterols, fatty oil and fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins E and PP, lecithin and phospholipids. Sunflower root is rich in potassium salts and alkaline alkaloids. Unrefined sunflower oil contains vitamins A, E, F and D. Thanks to its composition, annual sunflower has: anti-inflammatory, astringent, expectorant, diuretic, choleretic and laxative effects. This plant also regulates salt metabolism.
In folk medicine, sunflower is recommended for:
- flu;
- malaria;
- cough;
- upper catarrh respiratory tract;
- bronchial spasms;
- thyroid disease;
- atherosclerosis;
- diseases of the heart muscle;
- poor appetite;
- colic in the stomach and intestines;
- urinary and gallstone diseases;
- hepatitis;
- diseases of the biliary tract;
- arthritis, polyarthritis, osteochondrosis and other diseases associated with salt deposition;
- neuralgia;
- oncology;
- diseases of the genitourinary system;
- pemphigus vulgaris;
- diabetic ulcers;
- burns, neurodermatitis, eczema.
Recipes
Infusion for appetite:
- 1 tbsp. marginal sunflower flowers;
- 1 tbsp. boiling water
Pour boiling water over the flowers and let it brew for an hour. Strain. Drink 1/3 glass three times a day before meals.
This infusion is also recommended for oncology as a diuretic: 1/2 glass three times a day for 10 days, then a break of 5 days and again for 10 days.
Antipyretic infusion:
- 2 tbsp. marginal sunflower flowers;
- 1 tbsp. boiling water
Pour boiling water over the petals, let it brew for 10 minutes and strain. Drink at night if you have a cold.
Another recipe for antipyretic infusion:
- 1 tsp crushed fresh stem sunflower;
- 1 tbsp. boiling water
Pour boiling water over the stems, let it brew for an hour and strain. Drink 1/2 glass 2-3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Infusion for high blood sugar:
- 1/2 tbsp. sunflower seeds;
- 1 liter of boiling water.
Pour boiling water over the washed black seeds in a thermos overnight. Strain in the morning. Drink throughout the day between meals. Recommended course of treatment: 14 days of admission, 14 days - break, 14 days of admission, again a break for 14 days and repeat the course of administration a third time.
Decoction for bronchitis and bronchial asthma:
- 1 tbsp. fresh marginal sunflower flowers;
- 1 tbsp. crushed fresh leaves sunflower;
- 1 tbsp. boiling water
Pour boiling water over the plant material, boil for 10 minutes over low heat, and then let it brew for an hour. Strain. Add the resulting broth with boiled water to the original volume. Drink warm 2-3 tablespoons 3-4 times a day before meals. This decoction will also help with malaria and whooping cough.
Decoction for cough, bronchitis, whooping cough and tonsillitis:
- 3 tbsp. crushed sunflower seeds;
- 500 ml water.
Pour water over the seeds and simmer over low heat until the liquid has evaporated by a quarter. Then strain the broth. Can be sweetened. Take 1 tablespoon three times a day for 10-14 days.
Decoction for prostatitis:
- 4/5 cup dried sunflower root;
- 3 liters of water.
Pour water over the roots and boil, and then let the broth brew for 3-4 hours. Drink 1 liter per day.
Decoction for kidney disease:
- 2 handfuls of dried sunflower stems;
- about 3 liters of cold water.
Place the stems in three liter jar and fill with water. Let it sit for an hour, then drain the water, boil it and pour it back over the stems in the jar. Cover the jar with gauze and leave to infuse for a day. Then strain. Take half a glass three times a day. Recommended course of treatment: a month of admission, a week off and repeat the course. In total you should take 3-4 courses.
Decoction for salt deposition:
- 1 tbsp. crushed dry sunflower roots;
- 3 liters of boiling water.
Pour boiling water over the roots and boil for 10 minutes over low heat. Strain. Drink 2/3 cup of decoction 2-3 times a day. Store the decoction in the refrigerator - it must be consumed within three days. The recommended course of treatment is 1 month.
Decoction for arthritis (for external use):
- 1 tbsp. crushed sunflower root;
- 1.5 liters of water.
Pour water over the sunflower root, bring to a boil and boil for 10-15 minutes, and then let the broth brew for 2 hours. Strain. Use for compresses and rubbing.
Tincture for psoriasis:
- marginal sunflower flowers;
- 70% alcohol or vodka.
Fill in any glass jar 2/3 full of flowers and fill with vodka to the top. Let the product sit for 14 days. Strain. Use to wipe areas affected by psoriasis.
This tincture can also be used for colds: 1 tablespoon three times a day 20 minutes before meals - no more than 3 days!
Tincture for pneumonia: fill in glass bottle sunflower petals and pour vodka. Let it brew for 14 days. Strain. Take 1 teaspoon three times a day.
Tincture for neurosis, neurasthenia:
- 3 tbsp. crushed marginal sunflower flowers;
- 1 tbsp. vodka.
Fill the flowers with vodka and place them in dark place for 7 days. After a week, strain. Take 35-40 drops diluted in small quantity water, twice a day 20 minutes before meals.
Tincture for gout:
- 1 sunflower flower;
- vodka.
Take a small sunflower flower (without root), chop it and place it in a liter jar, filling 1/3 of its volume. Then fill the jar with the flower to the top with vodka. Let it brew for two weeks. Shake the container with the mixture periodically. After 14 days, strain. Take 1 tablespoon twice a day 20 minutes before meals. Also use the tincture as a rub at night.
For herpes, apply a sunflower flower, previously scalded with boiling water, to the rash.
For the treatment of heel spurs take the sunflower pulp remaining after removing the seeds, boil it and apply it hot to the heel. Secure the sunflower pulp on top with polyethylene and a warm bandage.
Annual sunflower oil is also used in folk medicine: it is taken orally as a laxative, used for rubbing for joint pain and for healing wounds (compresses are made from boiled oil).
Contraindications
Treatment with annual sunflower is contraindicated for:
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- individual intolerance.
Sunflower seeds are not recommended for consumption by patients with gastritis and stomach ulcers, as well as by overweight people.
Attention: pain in the joints when treated with infusions and decoctions of sunflower signals that they are being cleansed of salts.
Among the many varieties of flowering plants are flowers similar to sunflowers. All of them belong to the Asteraceae or Asteraceae family. The baskets (inflorescences) of representatives of the family have a round corymb. different shapes.
The peduncles of these plants are complex, that is, what we call a “sunflower flower” is an inflorescence of several dozen flowers adjacent to each other in one receptacle. The bed can be flat, concave or convex.
A sunflower flower resembles a miniature sun
All Compositae plants, similar to small sunflowers, have small, thin tubular flowers in the center of the basket, and reed flowers along its edges, which create a lush corolla.
Tubular flowers are tightly adjacent to each other. It is from them that the seeds grow. The receptacle is immersed in a solid base - a calyx, around which small leaves (bracts) grow, framing the basket. They protect the inflorescence until it has formed and opened.
It cannot be said that the common ancestor of all aster plants was the wild sunflower, once brought by the Spaniards from America, but the similarity of the structure of aster plants with agricultural sunflowers is undeniable.
Venidium (Arktotis)
Venidium inflorescences are colored in the most different colors. The varieties Orange Prince, Amaretto, and Venidium marigold are similar to sunflowers.
Venidium Orange Prince produces large baskets up to 10-12 cm in diameter with bright, orange-yellow and orange reed flowers. The diameter of the Venidium marigold inflorescence is 3.5-4 cm.
The reed flowers of Venidium have the shape of a highly elongated oval. Tubular flowers are black, dark brown. The height of the plant varies from 45 to 70 cm, its bushes are wide and branched. The plant blooms from June to September; it is planted in multi-level flower beds and combined with other aster flowers.
Jerusalem artichoke - frost-resistant perennial crop, grown in middle lane and in the south. Some gardeners, when asked what the flower is called, will answer that it is an earthen pear. The tubers, which taste like cabbage stalks, turnips or turnips, are eaten.
This plant blooms profusely with small bright yellow inflorescences. Reed flowers of Jerusalem artichoke are bright yellow, tubular flowers are often dark brown. Baskets grow on thin long stems.
The diameter of Jerusalem artichoke inflorescences varies from 2 to 10 cm. The leaves of the plant are elongated, lanceolate. Jerusalem artichoke grows up to 2.5-4 meters in height.
Elecampane is a medicinal plant that is used in herbal medicine. This herbaceous bush with long stems and wide, serrated leaves. 3-6 inflorescences and several leaves grow on one stem. The height of the bush, depending on the variety, is 30-70 cm, the diameter of the basket is 4-15 cm.
The inflorescences of elecampane are orange, yellow, light yellow, tubular and reed flowers are painted in the same or different colors. The reed petals are narrow and long, they form one or several rows.
This plant is planted among stones in rockeries and alpine hills.
This annual is characterized by abundant flowering, sanvitalia bushes are strewn with dozens of small flowers from July to October. The color almost completely covers the foliage. The baskets of Sanvitalia are small, their diameter ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 cm.
The marginal (ligulate) petals of the inflorescences are deep yellow, the receptacle of the basket is convex. Tubular flowers of sanvitalia are black with purple or brown tint. There are varieties of sanvitalia with a green core, white or orange corolla.
The branched stems of the flower grow up to 30-60 cm, they bend, giving the bush spherical shape. The varieties Gold Braid, Solnyshki, and Yellow Sea are similar to small sunflowers.
Rudbeckia hybrid
This plant with large inflorescences vaguely resembles a sunflower or chamomile (varieties Zelenoglazka, Terry Golden, Autumn Flowers, Amber, Marmalade and others). The reed petals of rudbeckia are very bright, yellow, fiery orange and red. The receptacle of the basket is convex, the tubular flowers are brown, purple and lilac. U different varieties The size of the baskets varies from 9 to 17 cm.
In many varieties of hybrid rudbeckia, the corolla petals are two-colored, with longitudinal or transverse stripes.
The stems of rudbeckia grow up to 50-250 cm in height. They are covered with thick colored green color elongated or oval leaves. The flower stems are stable and rigid.
Ornamental sunflowers (helianthus) - similar to sunflowers but not sunflowers - are grown as a crop. Their seeds are not suitable for food or oil production. There are dozens of breeding varieties of this plant.
The color of the reed petals of helianthus can be yellow, white, cream, orange, burgundy, light yellow. The tubular flowers in the center of the basket are yellow, black or brown.
Reed flowers have different shapes and sizes; in some varieties they are rolled into a tube. The diameter of the baskets varies from 5 to 30 cm. Dwarf helianthus grow up to 60 cm, giant helianthus reach 2-3 meters in height.
Calendula inflorescences are simple (with one or two rows of petals), semi-double and double. The color of the corolla is deep orange or light yellow. The reed petals are evenly colored, but in some varieties the color becomes lighter towards the middle. Tubular flowers are orange. They can be painted in a more saturated color than the reed ones.
The leaves of calendula are elongated, lanceolate, light green, the stems of the plant are moderately branched. Flower bushes grow up to 30-60 cm in height. There are large and small varieties calendula. The size of the inflorescence-baskets varies from 3 to 10 cm in different varieties.
All selection chrysanthemums have single-row or double inflorescences of the most different colors and sizes. These plants are resistant to cold and are pleasing to the eye until frost. Chrysanthemums are planted in flower beds behind low-growing flowering plants.
There are dozens of varieties whose baskets look like small sunflowers. These are chrysanthemums Maiden (Golden ball), Terry (yellow and white), Svemba kars, Mishal and a number of others. The tubular flowers of the basket are often black, yellow or green.
Most varieties of this flower have bare or pubescent stems and jagged green leaves. The height of the flower stems reaches 40-60 cm.
Cosmea yellow (sulfur yellow)
Two varieties of sulfur-yellow Cosmea are popular among flower growers - Bilbo and Cross Lemon. This heat-loving plant, drought-resistant.
The diameter of the inflorescences of this species is small - 5-7 cm. The reed flowers are painted in rich yellow, sulfur yellow, orange and red-orange colors. The tubular flowers in the center of the basket are most often yellow.
Thanks to the lush foliage of Cosmea sulfur-yellow, it completely covers the soil. The leaves of this plant are rugged, pinnate and lanceolate. The Bilbo variety blooms with semi-double orange baskets and grows in height up to 50-80 cm. Lemon Cross is low-growing and reaches 40 cm.
Among the numerous varieties of this plant, Helenium autumn yellow and Helenium Canaria are similar to small sunflowers. The baskets of this plant are single, but more often corymbose, collected in inflorescences. The receptacle is surrounded by reed flowers of reddish, purple, orange, brown and yellow flowers. In the center of the basket, on a strongly convex bed, there are tubular flowers (brown or yellow).
Helenium autumn yellow grows up to 3 meters in height and produces inflorescences measuring 4-6 cm across. Helenium Canaria grows up to 150 cm, its baskets with a diameter of 3.5-5 cm form corymbose apical inflorescences.
Chamomile yellow
Yellow chamomile is also called gooseberry or doronicum. There are several breeding varieties of decorative chamomile of this type.
Both the reed and tubular flowers of this daisy are bright yellow and lemon yellow. The diameter of the inflorescences varies from 4 to 10 cm across.
Glossy dark green leaves grow on the rigid and slightly branched stems of the flower bush; the basal leaves form a rosette. After flowering, the foliage of yellow chamomile does not wither and retains fresh look until the end of summer. The height of dwarf bushes is 20-25 cm. Tall chamomile grows up to 70 cm.
Asters
Asters are not terry varieties The structure of the inflorescences is similar to a sunflower. This is Andrella super, Matsumoto, Rainbow, Alpine Astra.
Alpine Aster has white or yellowish reed flowers, they also come in pink, red, lilac and purple. The receptacle of the baskets of this variety is raised, but slightly recessed towards the center. The tubular flowers have yellow petals. In the center of the calyx, the flowers are undeveloped and green in color. The diameter of the inflorescence-baskets is 4-6 cm.
Aster Andrella is super similar to the variety described above, but the receptacle of the inflorescence is flatter. The color of the reed flowers of Andrella Super is pink, purple, white, yellowish, the tubular flowers are yellow. The diameter of the basket is 9-10 cm.
There are many more flowers that look like sunflowers. You have met only the most common plants.
The golden sunflower flower delights us with its very appearance. It is appropriate both in the field and in a bouquet, and on the farm there is no way without it... The homeland of our sunflower (or, as botanists officially call it, annual sunflower) is Mexico. In this sun-drenched region, large bright baskets were considered the earthly embodiment of the divine luminary and were worshiped.
Cast from gold, they once bloomed unfadingly in temples dedicated to the Sun. Fascinated by the giant inflorescence of the “golden daisy,” the Spaniards brought sunflower to Europe, where it first became the decoration of Madrid, and then, falling in love with the public, it began to “travel” around the country and beyond.
Peter I brought the strange giant “daisy” to Russia from Holland. On the fertile soil, the wonderful baskets and the seeds ripening in them became completely gigantic. The Russian village quickly “cracked” the fragrant black seeds and became acquainted with medicinal properties sunny flower.
True, since the serf of Count Sheremetyev and the passionate botanist Bokarev first received sunflower oil in 1842, grateful humanity has somewhat forgotten about them.
But the golden daisy was not offended, and did not lose a single one of them. And we will only become richer if we rediscover the secrets of the sunflower.
The power is in the basket!
Gone are the days when beneficial features plants were judged by their appearance, color, smell. Today, the most significant word remains with chemical analysis.
The sunflower doesn’t have to be ashamed of scientists! For example, its yellow marginal petals contain flavone glycosides and anthocyanoglycosides, choline, betaine, sapogenin and organic acids.
The seeds are rich in oil containing invaluable fatty acids, vitamin E, necessary for preserving youth and procreation, as well as a fair amount of magnesium, carotenoids and lecithin.
The baskets contain a huge amount of pectin - a natural sorbent, and the leaves contain carotene, rubber, saponins and resins. In a word, not a plant, but a small pharmaceutical factory! It is no wonder that golden sunflowers, pleasing to the eye, can help in the treatment of many ailments.
Delicious treatment
Sunflower preparations have an expectorant effect on coughs and colds, relax smooth muscles internal organs, lower body temperature and stimulate appetite.
However, experienced doctors say that the abundance of ready-made tablets and mixtures interferes with the use medicinal plants in full force. Therefore official medicine uses an infusion of sunflower leaves and marginal petals mainly only as a bitterness, promoting the secretion of digestive juices and stimulating the appetite.
Other recipes have been preserved in folk medicine. Thus, tea made from yellow marginal petals (sometimes mixed with lime color) is used as a reliable and safe antipyretic for any infections. Moreover, it is so effective that even malaria is treated with its help!
Tea from sunflower petals is drunk for flu and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, jaundice, heart disease, bronchial spasms and gastrointestinal colic, as well as urticaria and neuralgia, especially of a cold nature. It is also prescribed as a diuretic and antidiarrheal drug.
Want to know how to make sunflower tea? Yes please! 1 tablespoon of dried flowers is poured into 1/4 liter of boiling water and left for ten minutes. After straining, the tea is ready to drink.
If desired, it is sweetened with honey and drunk as an antipyretic, 100-150 ml 2-3 times a day. Use and alcohol infusion golden petals and baskets. And not only internally, but also externally, as a local anti-inflammatory and analgesic for pain of any origin, articular rheumatism and gout.
Interesting!
They undeservedly tried to outlaw sunflower seeds, calling them a product that clogs the stomach, and even considering them to be the cause of... appendicitis. The gift that the sun flower gave us not only does not harm humans, but, on the contrary, is a complete protein food. Also very healthy! After all, aromatic nucleoli prevent the development of atherosclerosis and help strengthen nervous system.
And German scientists from the University of Bonn pin their hopes on sunflower for the treatment of AIDS. They appeared in the process of studying the composition of individual flowers that survived after infection with the fungus sclerotinia sclerotiorum - the “plague” of sunflowers. The substance that saved golden flowers from death, as it turned out, is also destructive for the human immunodeficiency virus. That's it!
So we talked on www.site about the flower of the sun, sunflower, useful, medicinal properties They remembered the sunflower. In conclusion, it is also worth saying that 100 grams of seeds contain 578 kcal. That’s why they are very high in calories – don’t overdo it! 100g sunflower oil even higher in calories, it contains 930 kcal.
This annual herbaceous plant with wonderful “sunny” flowers will decorate any garden plot. How many gardeners know that the sunflower we are used to belongs to a species that has more than 150 decorative varieties?
Origin of the decorative sunflower
Seeds were also brought from the Mexican expedition of Christopher Columbus to Europe. unusual plant, which was later named after the shape of the flower - Helianthus (from the Greek “helios” - sun and “anthos” - flower).
Then, in the 16th century, the plant aroused genuine admiration for its unusual flower shape: paintings and poems - artists captured the beauty of this culture in their works.
The sunny flower came to Russia thanks to Peter the Great: he brought seeds and ordered domestic gardeners to grow an unusual crop. Exactly how ornamental plant then the sunflower spread, which is now used in agriculture. But varieties for flower beds were bred by breeders much later: new varieties are still appearing, differing in height, size of inflorescences, their shade and number.
Description of the species
Helianthus is a herbaceous plant that is grown all over the world: in South and North America, Europe, Japan and even Africa. Decorative sunflowers are included in bouquets and used in landscape design and grown as potted flowers on the windowsill. And the residents of Austria fell in love with the sunny flower so much that they even opened the “Sunflower Park”, where all possible wild and selected varieties of this crop are collected.
Today, the species is usually divided into 2 subspecies:
sowing sunflower;
decorative sunflower.
There are both annual and perennial varieties.
Many varieties of helianthus look so that it is even difficult to associate them with their ancestor - the now agricultural sunflower, from the seeds of which the oil beloved in every family is obtained.
Color. The color of helianthus flowers can be very diverse: white, cream, apricot, orange, burgundy, lemon, brown and, of course, yellow.
The flower shape is simple, as well as semi-double and even double.
Petal shape: round, long, rolled into a tube, curved.
The diameter of flowers of different varieties can be from 5 to 30 cm.
The height of the plant stem. Conventionally, plants are divided into 3 groups according to height:
giant varieties reaching 2-3 m in height (“Russian Giant”, “Tall Single”, “Yellow Giant”, “Titan”, “Russian Mammoth”, “Bismarckianus”);
medium-sized varieties, the height of which is from 1 to 1.5 m;
compact varieties, up to 60 cm high (“Teddy Bear”, “Pacino”, “Music Box”, “Sunny Bunny”).
All varieties have a delicate aroma and are honey plants.
Varieties of decorative sunflowers
We will not list all varieties known today. We will only talk about the most popular of them:
« Teddy bear“This variety is very much loved by gardeners in our country. The annual plant does not exceed 1 m in height; in mid-summer it blooms large (22 cm in diameter) double flowers, whose color is bright yellow. Flowering continues until autumn.
“Red Sun”, a variety bred by domestic breeders, has gained popularity all over the world. It has red-brown petals, a long flowering period, and can reach a height of 2 m.
“Vanilla Ice” is a famous variety grown for cutting. The flowers are single and vanilla in color.
"Moulin Rouge" - has an unusual color: burgundy-red petals become lighter towards the edges and darker closer to the middle of the flower.
"Kong" is the tallest decorative sunflower - the height of an adult crop is 5 m. Often on personal plots planted to create a hedge.
“ProCut Red Lemon BiColor” - has inflorescences of two shades: the inner part of the petals is red, the outer part is soft yellow, and the core of the flower is black.
"Pacino" - very small plant with expressive bright yellow flowers.
"Big Smile" - low-growing variety(maximum 30 cm) with yellow flowers with a black center.
Sunspot is amazing dwarf variety with huge flowers (20-25 cm in diameter).
"Music Box" is a variety that differs big amount flowers on one plant.
Planting helianthus in the garden
The very name of the sunny flower suggests that it likes to grow in well-lit areas. Select a site with fertile soil for the plant so that there is no need to fertilize during the growing season. The plant will feel better if the planting site is protected from sharp gusts of wind, which can break its fragile stem.
Decorative annual sunflowers are planted from seeds. Preparing seed material is very simple:
dissolve wood ash in 0.5 l warm water;
soak a piece of fabric with the resulting solution;
wrap sunflower seeds in cloth;
leave for a day;
if the fabric dries out, moisten it with the same solution.
Seeds need to be planted in the soil to a depth of no more than 3 cm. It is very important to think through the planting scheme of the crop: if the variety is compact, then 30-40 cm between plants will be enough, and if large, then at least 70 cm.
The first plants can be planted in early May and shoots will appear within a week after planting. Flowering will begin in July and last until the end of September. Some gardeners, in order to extend the flowering period of the flower bed, plant plants in groups with a short time interval (about 2 weeks) throughout the summer.
Decorative sunflower: plant care
Sunny flowers are unpretentious in care. They need:
watering as the soil dries (it is important not to allow water to stagnate) - at least once a week;
loosening the soil;
removing weeds.
As flowering begins, the flower baskets should be cut off without waiting for the seeds to form - this will stimulate the plant to form new buds and resume the flowering cycle. In addition, removing faded inflorescences will help maintain the decorative appearance of your garden.
If you want to remove the plant completely, then simply cut it off at the root: by digging up one bush, you can inadvertently damage the delicate roots of neighboring, still actively flowering crops.
How to grow decorative sunflowers at home: instructions
At any time of the year, a bright sunny flower will delight you, sitting on the windowsill in warm apartment. The growing process is so simple that many parents are happy to entrust it to their children, who watch the development of the culture with great interest.
So, the first thing you need to do is choose interesting variety by going to the nearest garden center. Most importantly, do not forget that dwarf varieties are more suitable for home growing.
Container selection
To plant a decorative sunflower, purchase a standard container for flowers, taking into account the height of the future sunny flower and the number of plants you are going to plant:
too much small pot the plant will soon become cramped and will have to be replanted, but the crop does not tolerate replanting well - so there is no point in doing this;
if the variety is dwarf, a pot with a diameter of 30-40 cm will be optimal for planting;
if you have a special balcony flower box, it is perfect for planting several sunflowers at once;
if you still want to plant a medium-sized sunflower in an apartment (height up to 1.5 m), you will need a large box (from 18 liters), for example, one in which vegetables are transported.
Soil for sunflowers
Disinfect the pot before planting to prevent the development of diseases in the plant. Provide a stand to drain water under the bottom.
Be sure to provide drainage - place pebbles (pebbles, gravel) or pieces of polystyrene foam on the bottom of the planting container. Fill the soil mixture (universal soil for flowers) on top of the drainage layer. There should be enough soil so that there is still 2-2.5 cm left to the top of the container. Water the soil well.
You can add special crystals to the soil mixture that retain moisture - this will help maintain an optimal moisture balance;
so that the decorative sunflower receives the necessary nutritional elements, add rotted compost (1:1) to the soil.
Planting and care
When the pots are prepared, proceed to planting. It is better to plant the seeds in pairs; when the plants sprout, remove the weaker one. The seed should be buried 2.5 cm into the soil.
Until the seeds germinate, you need to water the soil every 2 days, observing the soil moisture.
Shoots will be noticeable within 3-8 days. But if 2 weeks have passed and the sunflowers still haven’t hatched, they won’t sprout.
Place the container with decorative sunflowers in a well-lit place so that the crop receives sunlight throughout the day.
Pests and diseases
Sunny flowers are subject to many dangers. Most often they are attacked by moths, longhorned beetles and thorn beetles. Pests settle on the crop and eat away the contents of its stem, soon bringing the plant to death. Inspect the plant and as soon as you notice the appearance of uninvited guests, treat it with insecticides. One processing session will be enough to eliminate the threat.
Among bacterial diseases, which can infect a crop - rust, false powdery mildew and brown spot.
Downy mildew. The cause of the disease may be infection by insects that carry the infection. Most often these are aphids, scale insects or scale insects. Also, increased soil or air humidity can contribute to bacterial damage.
Downy mildew manifests itself as a white coating on inside leaves, while dark spots appear on the outside.
To stop the spread of the disease, remove the most affected areas of the plant, carefully sterilizing pruning tools. Then treat the entire planting with special antifungal drugs - fungicides.
If you don't want to use chemicals, then use the folk recipe: dissolve 3 g copper sulfate and 25 g of laundry soap in 1 liter of water. Spray the plants with this product until the disease symptoms disappear (usually after 3-7 days).
Brown spot (phyllostictosis) for decorative sunflowers is also a fairly common problem. Moreover, both a sunny flower in the garden and one grown on the windowsill can get sick.
If you notice spots (round or oval) on the stems and leaves of a sunflower that dry out over time, this is brown spot.
Phyllosticosis can spread through soil, water, and even be carried by the wind from neighboring diseased plants. The progression of the disease occurs rapidly when high temperatures air (above +26 o C) and high humidity.
