Sunflower is a flower with very positive energy. I would like to have such sunshine in my garden bed. It is not entirely aesthetically pleasing to grow industrial varieties with a large number of seeds to decorate a site. A decorative baby with a large inflorescence of a rich shade of yellow looks much more beautiful in life and more impressive in the photo. Planting and growing such a crop from seeds or using seedlings is not difficult: it is important to meet the deadlines. It is not difficult to organize the care of the plant.

Description of decorative sunflower

The decorative variety of sunflower is called helianthus. In Europe, it is actively used to decorate flower beds and stylized flower beds (for example, in a rural style). Recently, helianthus has become an active guest in the garden beds of domestic summer residents and gardeners:

• in the form of a hedge near a fence;
• a separate voluminous group in the flower garden;
• in flowerpots;
• for bouquets.

Compared to the well-known sunflower from the fields, the decorative one has the following differences:

• large flower basket: diameter - 5-30 cm;
• Not a large number of green mass;
• the seeds of such flowers are too small to be used as food or for processing;
• massive and strong stem;

Lemon Queen variety

• stem height is about 40 cm (in large varieties it is much higher, at the level of an industrial sunflower);
• the color of the petals is not only yellow, but can also be white, beige, orange, lemon, golden, with shades of reddish and brown, even burgundy, as well as chocolate;
• depending on the variety, the petals can be twisted, oblong or round; smooth or have a terry/semi-double texture;
• the inflorescences are fragrant.

The most famous among decorative sunflowers are the golden Giant Single, the creamy-greenish Vanilla Ice, the rich burgundy Moulin Rouge and the wine-burgundy Red Sun. Look good terry varieties, which even have cozy and warm names: Teddy Bear, Sunny Bunny, Teddy Bear, Moonlight.

Attention! One of the most popular varieties of helianthus is the tuberous variety, known as Jerusalem artichoke.

Features of sowing decorative sunflowers

First of all, you should choose a landing site. It should be protected from the wind and sunny - then you can personally observe how the flower turns its head following the sun. The soil needs a good level of drainage. The sunflower will not want to grow on very acidic or saline soils. The time frame for planting using seeds is from the first days of May to the end of summer.

Advice. To get a flowerbed with continuous flowering, simply sow the seeds in batches at weekly intervals.

Helianthus sowing technology:

Variety Moulin Rouge

1. Soak the material. To do this, wrap it in a cloth that is soaked in an infusion of wood ash. Recipe: 1 tbsp. l. ash per 0.5 liters of water at room temperature.
2. Dig holes about 6 cm deep.
3. Deepen the seeds into them by 2-3 cm. In one hole - 2-3 pieces.
4. Maintain a distance between sprouts of about 30-70 cm. The specific length depends on the variety, look for it on the seed package. Typically, the larger the variety, the farther apart its specimens should be located.
5. The distance between rows is 70 cm.
6. Roll the bed after planting.
7. Wait 6-10 days for seedlings (depending on the average daily temperature).

Advice. The longer the period between sowing and the first shoots, the higher the risk of spoilage. seed material birds or rodents.

Theoretically, decorative sunflower will sprout even with more early sowing- for example, in April. The flower needs a stable daytime air temperature of +6...+9°C. However, in this case, the seedlings will be somewhat delayed and will appear no earlier than the 20th day. In total, you can gain a couple of weeks by increasing the presence of blooming sunflowers in your flower bed. And here late sowing, as a rule, is accompanied by less intensive development and a decrease in sunflower yields. That's why the best option are varieties with average planting dates.

Decorative sunflower sprout

How to grow decorative sunflower using seedlings

Helianthus can also be grown in seedlings:

1. Seeds are planted 1-3 pieces in small glasses or pots.
2. The procedure is carried out 20-30 days before the planned planting of seedlings in the ground.
3. Sprouts in pots are given plenty of light to help them become lush and strong.
4. With the help of watering, the soil is kept lightly moist and the flower is not over-watered.

Advice. When it comes to planting seeds for seedlings, rely on the weather forecast. To settle down in open ground, future young flowers need +10…+12°С average daily heat. From the approximate date, subtract the time required for the sprouts to grow and become strong enough to “move.”

What you need to know about helianthus care

Both industrial and decorative sunflower varieties are not very picky about growing conditions and care. Basic moments:

• Before seedlings emerge, when planting seeds, protect the sprouts from weeds by harrowing.
• Sunflowers are very dependent on moisture. Water it often, but in small portions, to avoid stagnation of water at the root.

Decorative sunflowers in a flowerbed

• For good exposure of the underground part of the flower to oxygen and moisture, regularly weed and loosen the flower bed.
• After the first leaves appear, it is advisable to make a breakthrough. An untimely procedure will lead to mutual suppression of seedlings and poor development of flower baskets. Small flowers form on plants that grow too closely together.
• During growing season sunflowers require 3-5 weedings.
• Sunflower will develop more actively if you feed it a couple of times a season. Better - liquid fertilizers. For the first application, in the phase of 2 true leaves, use full mineral fertilizers. For the second, at the stage of tying baskets, - nitrogen-phosphorus. If necessary, repeat the second feeding at the beginning of flowering.
• Fading inflorescences need to be cut off. After the last basket withers, cut the plant at the root. You can't dig it up because root system connected with its neighbors.
• Among sunflower pests are birds, as well as insects: sunflower moth, longhorned beetle and thorn beetle.

Simple care of helianthus will help decorate your site with vibrant, colorful and sunny decor.

Fields with sunflowers look amazingly beautiful - plants whose inflorescences look like the sun from children's pictures. This golden yellow miracle is not only magnificent in its own way appearance, it is also very useful.

In this article we will talk about what sunflower is. Whether this plant is annual or perennial, in what conditions it grows, what types and varieties there are, you will find out by reading it.

Production history sunflower oil began in England at the end of the eighteenth century. Since then, various varieties of sunflower have been developed, which are united by high resistance to various pests and diseases.

General information

The annual sunflower is the most important plant in the world. Responsive and grateful to the agronomic technologies used, it is very useful and fertile. It is not for nothing that in heraldry the sunflower flower symbolizes prosperity and fertility. In addition, the plant, surprisingly similar to the sun, creates a bright and warm atmosphere in any weather in any area.

Sunflower is grown in almost all fertile agricultural zones as a raw material for the production of high-quality vegetable oil. It is also used as a melliferous, medicinal and ornamental plant.

It turns out that there is another unusual variety of it - tuberous sunflower. It is considered a vegetable crop.

Description

The annual sunflower (family Asteraceae) is a plant with a good root system, relatively quickly developing deep into the soil up to 140 cm (and in special conditions - up to 5 meters), and in width - up to 120 cm. The woody stem of the plant is tall (in places reaches and 4 meters), covered with hairs. The oval, heart-shaped leaves are large, with pointed tips.

The inflorescence of a sunflower is a multi-flowered basket (in oilseed forms with a diameter of 15-20 cm) with a slightly convex or flat disk. Large flowers are located at the edges - asexual, reed, yellow-orange in color, and the middle ones completely cover the receptacle - bisexual, tubular, much smaller in size.

Ripe sunflowers also have a huge variety of seeds. The annual has an achene-fruit consisting of a core and a shell. contain an average of 22-27% oil, and the most the best varieties- 46% or more. One basket, depending on the variety and nature of sunflower care, has from 200 to 7000 seeds.

Has wonderful medicinal properties(astringent, anti-inflammatory, etc.) annual sunflower. Flower formula: *L(5)T(5)P1.

Sunflower in Russia

Sunflower - typical plant steppe and forest-steppe zones with any climatic conditions. Approximately 70% of all crops in the world are concentrated throughout Russia. This plant is the main oilseed plant crop, cultivated in Russia. Edible and industrial oils are produced from its seeds in the country.

The processing residues are also not lost: the cake is used in the preparation of feed for farm animals; potash is obtained from the ash from the stems, as well as fertilizer; the tallest varieties (up to 3-4 m) with huge green mass are cultivated as silage crops.

Cultural history

The plant's homeland is the southern territory North America. Annual sunflower was brought to Russia in the 18th century from Western European countries. Initially, it was grown as an ornamental plant, but subsequently sunflower seeds began to be used as a delicacy, and therefore they began to grow it more and more in gardens and vegetable gardens.

It is known that the cultivation of sunflower specifically as an oilseed plant in field culture is associated with the name of the peasant serf Bokarev, who first produced oil from it in 1835.

The sunflower culture was initially especially widespread in the Voronezh and Saratov regions, and then appeared in other Russian regions.

The forms of annual cultivated sunflower are divided into 3 groups:

• rodents that have large achenes with a small kernel, and therefore they have a reduced oil content. In the pericarp of such a sunflower there is no armor layer, therefore this plant relatively easily damaged by sunflower moth caterpillars;

• oilseeds have smaller achenes with an armored layer in the pericarp;

• mezheumki, representing transitional forms between oilseed and gnawing varieties.

In Russia, oilseed sunflower varieties are of greatest production interest.

About sunflower varieties

Annual sunflower has a wide variety of varieties cultivated in our time, fully meeting the requirements of existing production.

There are early-ripening and mid-ripening varieties. There are also decorative ones, widely used to decorate garden and park areas. Below are briefly presented some of the most common varieties of sunflowers in cultivation.

Early ripening varieties

The Albatross sunflower is distinguished by its rather high oil content. The variety is drought-resistant, resistant to diseases and damage from pests. It responds well to extensive cultivation methods. This variety grows up to 195 cm in height.

Buzuluk contains 54% oil in the seeds. It is a fairly drought-resistant variety and has stable yields in different climatic conditions. Requires fertilizing with fertilizers and high-quality agricultural technology. Its height reaches 168 cm.

Mid-season varieties

The Flagman variety is distinguished by large harvest volumes. The oil content in it is 55%. Quite a tall plant, reaching 206 cm.

The favorite is also distinguished by its high oil content - 53%. The variety is also resistant to hydrolytic decomposition of oil, and therefore the resulting raw material has a low acid number. The plant grows up to 200 cm in height.

The highly productive Master variety contains 54% oil in the achenes. It responds gratefully to the application of appropriate mineral fertilizers.

All listed varieties are highly tolerant to Phomopsis, resistant to broomrape, sunflower moth and powdery downy mildew.

A little about tuberous sunflower (Jerusalem artichoke)

This species is grown as fodder, technical or ornamental culture. The plant grows well in more southern climatic zones. This is due to the fact that its ripening occurs only from September to November, depending on the variety. The yield of Jerusalem artichoke is up to 35 tons of ripened tubers per hectare.

There is another plant obtained by crossing - Jerusalem artichoke. This sunflower has large oval-shaped tubers.

Growing sunflowers: conditions

The plant is demanding on soils, the best of which are sandy loam chernozems, loamy soils, and rich in various nutrients. Sandy soils are unsuitable. Excellent precursors for sunflowers are spring barley, corn and legumes. Sunflowers are sown again in the same place no earlier than after 7-9 years. It is not at all worth sowing it in the place where root crops, Jerusalem artichoke, were grown last year, perennial herbs, namely after crops that have common diseases.

Sunflower responds well to fertilization. The most dangerous pests for the plant are wireworms, red beetles, thorn beetles, and sunflower longhorned beetles. Used against pests and diseases (white rot and rust) different ways: agrotechnical, chemical, mechanical.

Sowing

How is annual sunflower cultivated? Growing from seeds directly in open ground is the main method. You can also plant pre-prepared seedlings.

For sowing, seeds of zoned varieties with fairly high germination and good quality are used, as a rule, they must be calibrated, because it is the same size that germinates evenly and amicably, and this increases the yield.

It is imperative to sow sunflowers after warming the soil to +10... +12 °C, otherwise a decrease in seed yield will be observed.

This is interesting

Annual sunflower is grown all over the world. But the sunflower is a truly Russian plant, and this is recognized abroad. An integral part of rural landscapes are these yellow flowers with black seeds located in the center.

The German amusement park Europa-Park (the largest in Germany and the second in Europe in terms of the number of visitors) has a Russian zone where sunflowers grow. And in Berlin, in one of its districts, in the summer there is a “Sunflower Labyrinth”: a sunflower field with intricate paths. In Austria there is a sunflower park with these plants, and the most different types and varieties.

Conclusion

Vast fields covered with blooming golden sunflowers look picturesque, bright and cheerful even in inclement weather. For those who want to decorate their personal plot And you can use beautiful decorative annual sunflowers to create the same bright, cozy and cheerful environment.

They have surprisingly fluffy yellow flowers with almost no seeds visible. Even their varieties have pleasant soft names: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Bear, Teddy Bear. Indeed, the flower is a neat golden ball, more like a fur pompom. These sunflower bears look quite impressive in flower beds and bloom for a long time.

This one is cute unpretentious flower with bright yellow petals will bring more light, freshness and a lot of solar energy to the garden.

Growing decorative sunflowers in your garden will help decorate almost any well-lit corner of the garden. This species, belonging to the Asteraceae family, has more than 150 different varieties, differing in color, bud size, and stem length. In Europe, the first sunflower seeds appeared thanks to Columbus's expedition to Mexico. This plant aroused the admiration of not only amateur gardeners, but also many artists and poets, after which it received the name Helianthus, or “sun flower”. Peter I brought sunflowers to Russian territory from Europe. By his order, the culture became widespread and began to be used in agriculture. Decorative sunflowers appeared only many years later.

Varieties of decorative sunflowers

Helianthus have spread throughout the globe: they can be found in North and South America, European countries and the African continent. In Austria there is even a “Sunflower Park”, where you can find various wild varieties and hybrids of this plant. Sunflowers can grow either in a pot on a windowsill or in the garden. They make great summer bouquets and floral arrangements.

Currently, the species is divided into 2 subspecies:

• agricultural,
• decorative.

Some decorative varieties are difficult to correlate with their ancestor, they look so unusual. The color can be not only yellow, but also white, beige, brown, and reddish. There are double and non-double flowers in shape; their petals can be twisted, wavy, or oblong. The diameter of the inflorescence reaches 30 cm.

Plants differ in stem height. Conventionally, sunflowers can be divided into several groups according to this criterion:

1. large-sized, reaching a height of 3 meters;
2. compacts - stem height reaches 60 cm;
3. medium-sized, 1-1.5 meters high.

The most famous varieties in Russia are:

• Teddy bear is one of the best medium-growing varieties, blooms with large double orange flowers;
• Vanilla Ice - variety with non-double light beige flowers;
• Big Smile - compact variety (maximum 30 cm) with lemon petals and a black center;
• Sunspot is a miniature plant with huge inflorescences up to 25 cm in diameter.

Planting and care

Growing decorative sunflowers begins with choosing suitable place: it must be sunny and with fertile soil, then caring for the flower will be easier and you will not need to regularly fertilize it. It is advisable to choose an area protected from drafts so that sharp gusts of wind do not break the fragile stem. In the territory middle zone In Russia, mainly annual decorative sunflowers are grown from seeds.

Seed material must be prepared in advance for planting: dissolved in 0.5 liters of warm water wood ash, soak a small piece of cloth in the solution and wrap the seeds in it for a day. Seeds are planted in May, they are planted to a depth of no more than 3 cm. For compact varieties, the distance between plants should be about 40 cm, large varieties planted 70 cm apart. The first shoots appear within 7 days after sowing. Young plants bloom in mid-summer, new buds continue to open until the end of September.

To prolong the flowering of sunflowers, you can plant plants 2 weeks apart throughout the summer.

Caring for a sunny flower does not cause any special problems - these plants are unpretentious. It is necessary to water as the top layer of soil dries, avoiding stagnation of moisture, approximately once every 7 days. It is advisable to loosen the soil around the sunflower and remove weeds. After flowering, wilted inflorescences are removed without waiting for the seeds to speed up the formation of new buds. It is possible to plant and grow several plants in one container, then blooming helianthus will look like a living bouquet. To remove a dried stem, the flower is cut at the root, but not dug up - this can damage other plants.

Growing at home

It is possible to grow compact varieties of decorative sunflowers on a windowsill in ordinary apartment. This is such a simple process that you can entrust it to a child. Having chosen the variety you like, you need to purchase a regular one flower pot up to 40 cm in diameter - this size is usually sufficient for a miniature plant. But if the variety is large or you plan to plant several plants in one container, it is better to take a larger container, otherwise the flowers will be crowded and will have to be replanted. For medium-sized varieties, it is better to take a large balcony box with a volume of 18 liters or more.

Planting is done in a disinfected nutrient soil, a drainage made of expanded clay or pebbles is placed at the bottom of the pot. After planting, the soil is moistened. You can add special additives to it - aqua soil, which will retain moisture and prevent the root system from drying out, mineral fertilizers or rotted compost. Decorative sunflower seeds are planted in pairs, deepened by 2.5 cm. After emergence, the seedlings are watered every 2 days. Growing sunflowers in open ground takes place in well-lit areas, so you need to place the flower pot on a very bright windowsill.

Proper care of the plant is the key to its health and strong immune system. Helianthus can be attacked by pests - moths, longhorned beetles and thornbugs. At the first sign of insects, plants should be immediately treated with insecticides. Dangerous and bacterial diseases, such as brown spot, powdery mildew and rust. The causes of their occurrence may be pests, excessive soil or air moisture. The affected areas must be removed, and the stem and leaves treated with fungicides.

Conclusion

Decorative sunflower It is unpretentious; its planting, cultivation from seeds and care do not cause difficulties for amateur gardeners. There are many beautiful varieties, differing from each other in the size and color of the inflorescences, and the height of the stem. Large varieties capable of reaching 3 meters in height, and compact ones can be grown as indoors. Sunflowers love a bright location, regular watering and fertile soil.

You can sow seeds directly permanent place, shoots usually appear within a week. At first, the seedlings need regular watering; top dressing is applied only on poor soils. Sunflowers bloom in mid-summer and continue to delight with new buds until September. At home, pots with plants are placed on a bright windowsill and watered regularly. Helianthus can be damaged by pests and get sick. At the first signs of illness or when insects appear, flowers are treated with special preparations.

Do you want to have a little sun in your flowerbed? Then plant a decorative sunflower.

Helianthus seeds, as this plant is correctly called, came to Russia thanks to Peter I, and they come from Mexico. At first, sunflowers were grown precisely as ornamental plants - they were highly valued for their large and beautiful flowers, capable of turning their “heads” following the sun’s rays. And although these were the most ordinary, as “technical” plants are now called, they aroused the well-deserved admiration of amateurs.

Decorative varieties of the famous oilseed crop appeared relatively recently and quickly gained popularity among gardeners.

The baskets of this extraordinary flower are up to half a meter in diameter, but there are also very small ones - only 10 cm. Unlike an ordinary sunflower, its entire cup is filled with small flowers, completely covering the brown base. The flower basket is like a crown with multi-colored tubular flowers, the color of which, depending on the variety, can be not only yellow, but also cream, orange, and even white. The shapes of the petals are also very diverse - long, round, twisted or curved.

This plant is an excellent honey plant; insects love to visit it. Therefore, when flowering ends, a large number of seeds are formed, which taste no worse than those that grow on industrial varieties of sunflower.

Helianthus is very unpretentious, but loves open sunny areas. If the soil is fertile enough, you can not fertilize it at all, or feed it with organic matter at the very beginning of the growing season. But we must remember that next year in the place where the sunflowers grew, it will be possible to plant only beans or beans. They deplete the soil so much that even fertilizer cannot immediately improve the situation.

Ornamental sunflowers are propagated in the same way as ordinary ones - by sowing seeds directly into the ground, and perennial species- by dividing the bush, which is done in spring and autumn.

Divide the bushes in the second or third year. This not only rejuvenates the plant, but also promotes lush flowering.

Planting decorative sunflowers

For sowing it is advisable to choose sunny place with well-draining soil. Seeds are sown no deeper than 2.5 cm. Sufficient distance must be left between plants, which depends on the size of the selected variety.

Shoots appear in one or two weeks. And flowering begins after another 75 or 80 days. To ensure flowering continues until frost, most varieties can be sown sequentially, starting in May.

Faded inflorescences should be removed immediately. This will speed up the opening of new buds, and the stems will bend less to the ground.

Sow decorative sunflower It is necessary as early as possible - so that it has time to grow and bloom before autumn. But it must be taken into account that all of it annual species They are very thermophilic and therefore afraid of frost. But there is one trick here: to speed up flowering, you need to remove all the stepsons and small buds that are located under the main central one.

If you want to receive abundant and beautiful bloom, in dry weather, sunflowers need to be watered generously at least once a week. It is also important to protect the plant from the wind, which can simply break the tall, thin stems with heavy flower heads.

In the northern regions perennial varieties helianthus need extra winter care. If there is not enough snow in winter, they can freeze, so the bushes should be covered.

There are many attractive varieties of ornamental sunflowers. They are great for both garden decoration and cutting. One of the most beautiful is “Teddy Bear”. It is low, no more than a meter, with double flowers, blooms well even in the capricious climate of the north-west. If you plant it at the end of May, it will bloom in the last days of July and will delight you until the frost.

Decorative sunflower - planting and care

Other interesting varieties domestic selection:

The summer resident is a charming, sturdy man no more than 40 cm tall; he looks impressive both in flower beds and in separate groups.
- Red Sun is a tall variety with velvety burgundy inflorescences with a dark center.
- Light of the Moon – huge lemon-colored inflorescences, up to 45 cm in size; In addition to the central one, the largest, it has a number of lateral inflorescences, which are slightly smaller, but make the plant look like a large bouquet.

Varieties from foreign companies are also popular:

Giant Single - a two-meter giant with golden petals;
- Ginge Nat (Ginger Nat) – yellow, terry, one and a half meters high;
- Moulin Rouge – velvet, dark burgundy color;
- Vanilla Ice – with a black center and pale yellow edges.

All sunflowers are great for making bouquets. And from tall varieties Decorative sunflowers can be used to create unique screen walls that protect the garden from the wind and prying eyes.

Decorative sunflower is an annual herbaceous plant. Its sunny flowers will decorate any area. There are more than 150 varieties of sunflowers, which gives each gardener the opportunity to choose flowers to suit his own taste.

The decorative sunflower, called helianthus, differs from the agricultural species in its rich sunny flowers. It is grown to create on the site unique rustic flavor.

It is worth considering that helianthus does not ripen and should not be eaten.

Quite often, sunflowers can be planted for:

• creating hedges around the circumference of fences;
• flowerpots;
• creating bouquet arrangements;
• flower bed decorations.

The most popular sunflower varieties

To the most popular varieties helianthus should be included:

• . The annual plant has a compact size (up to 1 m) and blooms with fairly large double flowers, painted in bright yellow tones. The flowering period lasts until autumn.
• . A variety of sunflower that has bright red-brown petals. The height of the plants reaches 2 m, and the flowering period is quite long.
• grown to create bouquets. The flowers have a delicate vanilla color and very favorably emphasize the delicacy of the floral arrangement.
• . Sunflower with unusual color scheme. Petals of burgundy-red tones become lighter closer to the edges, and become very dark towards the middle part of the flowers.
• Kong- the tallest representative of the sunflower. The plant reaches a height of 5 m. As a rule, such plants are planted near fences and tied up, since sunflowers break during strong gusts of wind. This variety makes wonderful and colorful hedges.
• . U of this variety the flowers look incredibly rich - double, fluffy with a bright yellow tint, they look spectacular in flower arrangements.
• . Decorative sunflower begins its flowering period in July and delights with its dark red flowers until September. It is worth considering that the plant loves open sunny areas. It tolerates drought well and loves sunny, warm days.

Landing rules

Before planting, you need to choose the most favorable area for growth. ornamental plant. When choosing a location, you should remember that the best areas for planting decorative sunflowers are:

• protected from gusts of wind;
• located in the open air;
• with a good level of drainage.

Decorative sunflower cannot grow in highly acidic soil. Planting seeds is possible from early May to mid-July.

To obtain a flower garden with a continuous flowering process, it is best to plant seeds at intervals of 7-14 days.

When planting helianthus, it is necessary to strictly follow the sowing technology:

• First thing soak the seeds. To do this, we wrap them in material soaked in an infusion of tree resin. Infusion recipe - per liter warm water you will need a couple of tbsp. ash.
• We dig holes the depth of which reaches 5.5-6 cm.
• We deepen several seeds into each hole by 2-2.5 cm.
• The distance between sprouts should be approximately 45-50 cm depending on the variety. The largest varieties should be placed at a distance 70 cm apart.
• Rows should be spaced apart 70-80 cm.
• After sowing the beds, they should be rolled.
• The first seedlings appear after 7-11 days.

Caring for a decorative flower

Decorative sunflowers require timely care:

• Flowers should be watered enough often and abundantly, since the root annual plant reaches a depth of 2-2.5 m. In hot weather, the soil is moistened several times a day. It is especially important to water the plants before the period of complete formation of 4 pairs of foliage, budding and flowering.
• Helianthus requires enhanced nutrition. For these purposes, you should purchase granulated superphosphate, which you will need to feed the sunflower and water it abundantly at the moment the 5th leaf develops. As soon as baskets begin to form, the plant is fertilized with mullein infusion in a ratio of 1:10. Potassium sulfate is also added. If bubbles begin to form on the helianthus foliage, you should feed the plant with a boron-containing solution.
• It is necessary to periodically inspect the condition of the plantings in order to timely detect pest activity or the onset of disease development.
• Every 7-10 days it is required to carry out loosening the soil and removing weeds.

Diseases and pests

Despite the external power and invulnerability of plants, it is worth considering that insufficient care can provoke the occurrence of diseases such as:

• peronosporosis;
• black spot;
• gray spotting;
• Alternaria blight;
• stem blight;
• ascochyta;
• rot.

As soon as signs of one of the listed diseases are detected on one of the plants, it is necessary to spray the plantings using systemic fungicides.

Perfect for these purposes Apron and Cruiser.

Helianthus can also affect viral infections:

• mosaic;
• greening of inflorescences.

When growing helianthus, you need to beware of the following: pests:

• May beetle larvae;
• bedbugs;
• weevils;
• wireworms;
• meadow moths.

To destroy pests, it is advisable to use insecticidal and acaricidal preparations, which include Agravertine, Volley, Akarin.

Application in landscape design and combination with other plants

When using flowers of 2-3 types of different heights, you can make up with bright colors colorful helianthus flower bed. Planting compact sunflower varieties along the edges garden paths you can make them especially amazing during the daytime. Tall views sunflowers will be great hedge.

When decorating a flower bed, you should consider the basic rules of landscape design:

• It is better to plant yellow inflorescences of plants next to flowers in blue, purple and white shades.
• Decorative sunflowers will create a unique composition in combination with chrysanthemum, chamomile, white liatris, lavender and delphinium. If desired, you can complement the composition with wildflowers of bright colors.

By decorating garden plots with sunflowers, you can give the surrounding areas coziness and richness.

Sunflowers have gained widespread popularity in recent years. in creating bouquets. When composing the composition, chic sunny inflorescences are complemented by asters, gladioli, chrysanthemums and roses. The main advantage of using sunflowers in bouquets is the preservation of their freshness over a long period of time.

Growing decorative sunflowers does not require much time or physical investment. The most important thing is not to forget about systematically watering the plants, weeding the beds and loosening the soil.

Once the inflorescences have wilted, they can be removed with a knife. After this, helianthus should be cut at the root. If desired, you can collect seeds for the next planting work.

Unpretentious plants of extraordinary beauty will highlight the individuality of the garden plot. Sunny inflorescences will delight their owners every day with their appearance and create a cozy homely atmosphere.