Sunflowers are quite famous plants throughout the world for being those whose flowers are oriented according to the direction of the sun. You can have both a sunflower in the garden and in a pot. Depending on how you have it, it will require different care. Many people don’t know how to care for a potted sunflower but they want to have it, since it takes up less space in the home.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you how to take care of a potted sunflower and what aspects you must take into account for it.
potted sunflowers
As the name of the plant suggests, the most important thing in caring for sunflowers is the sun. The plant will not develop properly without a lot of direct light. Thus, the ideal site for planting sunflowers is usually outdoors, in the sunniest possible area of our garden, orchard or patio. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t grow sunflowers indoors. If we want to know how to care for potted sunflowers, the most important thing is to find a sunny place for them, near a window or light source. Ideally, it should receive at least 6 hours of direct light per day.
A deep pot is recommended. In fact, if the pots are roomy enough, we can put several of these plants in each container, up to three. Of course, these plants tend to tolerate transplanting quite poorly, so the process of transplanting a sunflower is very risky and we have a good chance of losing the plant. For this reason, it is advisable to always plant them in what will be their final location.
How to care for a potted sunflower
These plants are very resistant to most climates and have no problem with hot or even very hot climates. If you live in a temperate or even slightly chilly climate, you shouldn’t have any problems with your sunflowers, though it is advisable to expose them to extremely low temperatures. So if winter frosts and temperatures below 0 degrees are common in your area, plant your sunflowers in pots indoors.
One of the main points to take into account when caring for sunflowers grown in soil: the soil. These plants develop a very extensive root system, where it is not uncommon for the roots to become deeper than the height of the plant stem. For this reason, they need deep, loose soil, and if planted in pots, they need a fairly tall container for adequate depth.
On the other hand, it is also very important that the soil or substrate has very good drainage, where a mixture with sand, gravel or pebbles, etc. help to. as well they are very demanding in terms of nutrientsit is convenient to prepare a loose and very rich substrate, such as one made up of a part of coconut fiber, a part of peat and another part of earthworm humus, so that we can add vermiculite and pearls. rock to improve its draining and moisturizing properties.
how to water it
Sometimes it can be difficult to know how much to water a sunflower. The plant needs more water in its early stages of growth, but despite its large root system, it is not recommended to subject it to drought.
If we do not want the stem to lose strength, something very important considering its large size, we must maintain frequent but moderate watering so that we maintain a certain level of humidity in the soil, but never overwhelm it. Wider spacing and heavy watering can eventually lead to root rot or fungal attack.
One of the important things to learn how to care for a potted sunflower is fertilizing. Regular use of organic fertilizers (such as compost or vermicompost) during the growing season is sufficient, although we can also use specialized fertilizers with long-term effects.
Sunflowers have a very rapid life cycle and growth rate. Since we planted the seeds, It usually does not take more than 10 days to germinate, and if they haven’t done it in that time, they probably won’t. Then, in just 3 months, the plants will reach their final stage of maturity and size and can be harvested in summer for planting the following spring.
How to care for a potted sunflower if it is wilting
One of the most common problems that can occur is that the sunflower can become wilted and not just a part of the plant, but the whole. Here are some reasons and what to do if your sunflowers are wilting:
- If your sunflower appears to be drooping, the leaves are dry, and the stems don’t seem to have enough strength, it may be because it needs more frequent watering.
- On the other hand, the lack of direct sunlight for at least 6 hours a day can also negatively affect the development of plants.
- Equally important, the plant has a large supply of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
- Finally, keep in mind that sunflower flowers are seasonal and won’t last forever. After they are mature and planted, it is normal for them to wilt and there is nothing to do about it but harvest and plant them again.
Sowing
There are different varieties of sunflowers, the most suitable for growing at home are those that measure about 30 or 60 cm in height, called dwarf varieties because they are vegetables that can grow very tall. At the time of planting, it is not recommended to place more than three seeds in the same pot or more than 2,5 cm deep, since it is a plant that needs space to survive.
Once the seeds have germinated and your intention is a successful crop, need to add water and fertilizer to provide them with nutrients during maintenance. The choice of land for drainage is important, and a combination of gravel and boulders can be used to obtain the best results in the development of plants.
The germination of sunflowers requires good irrigation, and this activity is carried out with a sprayer or watering can. The flowers will take more damage as the heat increases, so keep them comfortable. If there is a bouquet of sunflowers in the vase, change the water every 2 days and cut the stems about 3 cm to add nutrients.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to care for a potted sunflower and what aspects you should take into account.
