12/18/2023 0 Comments Sunflower seedlings falling over![]() ![]() Prepare for these stakes by starting small holes along the length of your flowerbed, before planting the sunflowers themselves. To properly stake a sunflower, you need a large bamboo pole or rod driven into the ground to attach it to. A really bad storm can destroy a whole crop of sunflowers if you aren't careful. Staking isn't usually necessary for sunflowers, but it can be helpful in extremely windy areas or if they must be grown in conditions that are too crowded or in too much shade.If your sunflowers are located near a tree line, fence, or building, staking can also help in the event that these surrounding structures fall and cause damage during inclement weather. When heavy winds are predicted, delay watering to reduce their chances of blowing over. Be attentive to weather reports, especially, as your plants become taller and more top-heavy. ![]() Tom recommends that you care for giant sunflowers as members of your family. Tom uses Miracle Grow or Schulz's growing solution, but as an organic gardener, you can use properly diluted fish emulsion or other liquid organic fertilizers. Fill the holes with properly diluted liquid fertilizer. Avoid pouring fertilizer directly on the stems, since this can cause them to rot.Īnother feeding method for larger plants is to make several holes by driving a steel stake into the ground about 3-4 feet deep and about 1½ feet from the plant. Sunflower roots can grow to 4 feet below the soil surface. Pour several gallons of properly diluted fertilizer into the moat every week. For larger plants, scrape out a small doughnut-shaped moat about 18 inches around the plant and about four inches deep. from the plant with about 2 gallons of properly diluted liquid fertilizer solution per week. While the plant is small, water around the root zone, about 3-4 in. If you have limited space, Tom recommends sowing in a small clump that will eventually be thinned to one plant.įeed often and water regularly. ![]() If you plant farther apart, the seed head may be larger, but possibly too heavy for the stalk to bear. If you plant closer, you might get taller stalks but smaller heads. The ideal spacing in rows for giant sunflowers with large seed heads is 20 in. In the shorter-season, cold winter areas of the U.S., this means late May to early June. Since sunflowers that are planted in midsummer often flower on shorter stalks, sow your giant sunflowers earlier-as soon as all danger of frost is past and night temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit both day and night. Despite many gardener's best intentions, transplanting often gets postponed – so beat the odds and plan to sow seeds in the ground. Peat pots in particular often dry out and block off root growth. This is because sunflowers have long taproots that grow quickly and become stunted if confined. To grow the largest sunflowers, it is essential to direct sow seed directly into the garden, rather than start them in pots of any kind. Depending on your soil, you may wish to add, in addition to composted manure and an organic slow-release balanced fertilizer, an organic amendment containing trace minerals such as greensand or dried seaweed. Tom uses Osmocote, but since I'm an organic gardener and raise rabbits, I plan to mix in a bucketful of composted rabbit manure plus a balanced slow-release granular fish fertilizer. Work in a slow release granular fertilizer – one that also contains trace minerals – about 8 in. Sunflowers are heavy feeders and deplete the soil more than many other crops – especially if you are growing them to reach a massive height so the nutrient supply must be replenished each season. Choose a well-drained location, and prepare your soil by digging an area of about 2-3 feet in circumference to a depth of about 2 feet. Sunflowers need full sun see 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day – the more the better if you are trying to grow them to their maximum potential. ![]()
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