Sunflowers are one of the most beautiful flowering plants seen in nature. That is why it is not surprising that many want to have it in their garden, or even indoors. But, How to grow potted sunflowers?
If you want to have an inflorescent flower that we almost always associate with the sun (in fact, it symbolizes love, admiration, energy and positivism) and you don't have a garden to put it in, we are going to show you how to grow sunflowers in a pot. You will see how easy it is!
Sunflower characteristics
First of all, you should know a little more about sunflower. Its scientific name is Helianthus annuus, and it is one of the most beautiful plants, but also with many uses. To give you an idea, the fruit of the plant has up to 58% and is used both for cooking and also to make biodiesel.
One of the characteristics of the sunflower is that is always oriented in the direction of the sun, That is why it is told that it is the symbol of this star, and so many associate it with it. This is called heliotropism, which is the ability of plants to react to natural light and follow it (it is as if the plant is moving on its own. Therefore, you should provide it with at least 6 hours of direct light a day.
The plant is native to North America and reaches between 2-3 meters in height (but in a pot it stays between 30 centimeters and one meter). It only produces a single stem from which both the leaves and the flower come out (in some species there may be several flowers from the same stem). Now, as much as we want to, it is an annual plant, once it has grown, flowered and borne fruit, it dies. But that doesn't mean you can't have it again in spring.
And speaking of types of sunflowers, you should know that there are more than 70 different varieties, all of them with their special characteristics.
What sunflowers are the best to grow in pots?
As in your case you are looking for how to grow sunflowers in pots, we have to tell you that the best choice are the dwarf varieties, because they are perfect for growing in pots without requiring too much space. Among the species you have, we recommend:
- Sunspot. It is a species that, at most, reaches one and a half meters. What is most striking about this variety is the flower it produces, which is quite large. In addition, it will give you many seeds (ideal to plant and enjoy them again).
- Teddybear. This is one of the most sunflower-like varieties that everyone recognizes. It has many fine petals, but so many that it is sometimes able to cover the center. As for this, it is greenish-yellow in color and somewhat smaller than usual.
- Big smile. It is the smallest of all, because it will not reach 30 centimeters. The center, instead of yellow or orange, will be brown while the petals will be bright yellow.
How long does a potted sunflower take to grow?
Imagine that you plant a sunflower. The seed will take about 10 days to germinate. In fact, if it doesn't come out in that time, it won't come out. Once germinated, the plant will begin to grow for 3 months, which is when it becomes "adult" and reaches its final size.
At that moment you will have the flower, the seeds and, from there, it will wither. In fact, no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to avoid it, because it is a seasonal plant.
How to grow sunflowers in a pot and keep them from dying
There is no mystery to growing sunflowers in a pot, nor are there many variations from doing it in the garden. So if you follow sunflower care, you won't have any problem enjoying them for a while.
And what are those cares? We will tell you about them:
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Sunflower seeds can be sown in pots, seed trays, etc., during the spring. You only need a little soil, water and sun to get beautiful plants. Here we explain how they are sown:
Location
You must make sure that the pot is as long as possible giving it direct sunlight. Otherwise, the plant cannot develop and could even die. Therefore, if you are going to have it in a pot, keep in mind that its best place is going to be outside, and in areas where the sun shines as much as possible.
Flower pot
If you have chosen a dwarf sunflower variety, it may not grow much, but they do appreciate having a very deep pot. If it is also spacious, then you can put up to three sunflowers in it (if not, put only one).
Remember one thing: sunflowers do not tolerate transplants well, they get too stressed out and may eventually die. That is why it is best that they are always planted in their final location, even if at first it seems too big for that flower.
Temperature
Taking into account that they like to be in full sunlight, you may have already noticed that it is a plant that tolerates high temperatures very well. However, cold and frost do not take them well at all.
Earth
One of the most important points of sow sunflowers potted is the substrate you are going to use. In this case, you need a land with great drainage, for example mixing soil with sand, pebbles, gravel, etc. In addition, the soil you use should be very nutritious, because the plant is demanding, so consider making a combination of worm castings, coconut fiber or similar with pebbles, perlite, gravel or vermiculite to improve drainage.
Irrigation
Watering is one of the most complicated ways to grow potted sunflowers out there. It is true that, when the plant is growing, it needs a good supply of water, because you need it. However, when the stem is already formed, and you do not want it to become soft or not support its weight, you have to water frequently but with a moderate amount. That is, it is better to keep the soil moist than to puddle it with water. In addition, if you water it a lot, what you will do is that the fungi come into action and also the roots rot.
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As for the subscriber, we recommend that you use ecological fertilizers. You have to put them on only when the plant is growing, afterwards they are not of much use.
Do you dare to grow potted sunflowers?