Sunflower
The sunflower, from the Asteraceae family, is an oilseed plant that comes from North America. The giant sunflower can reach a height of four meters. It is used in cooking, of course for its oil, but also for its petals, with a sweet taste, which give color to a salad. The buds can also be steamed and added to a vegetable garden. The delicious roasted sunflower seed is a very good antioxidant. There are dozens of varieties of sunflowers: Russian Giant sunflower, Soraya sunflower, Spanish sunflower...
Sowing can be done in a bucket or in the ground. The sunflower is very easy to cultivate and does not fear wet soils. The plant likes the sun and the heat, also, it is preferable to sow the seeds in poquet (several seeds in the same hole) from May. The seeds rise very quickly. The plants should be spaced fifty centimeters apart in fresh, well-drained soil mixed with compost.
In a garden, a stake allows a rectilinear growth. The addition of a fertilizer (potash) boosts the plant and encourages the flower to bloom. The seeds are harvested at the end of September when, under their weight, the flowers bend and the stems dry up. Once the head is cut off, the plant must be pulled out. It does not grow back. The sunflower is not very sensitive to diseases. The young shoot is especially afraid of slugs and snails. Abundant and regular watering is essential during hot weather.
Sunflower
- Type : Flowers
- Botanical family : Asteraceae (composites)
Characteristics
- Exposure : Sun
- Hardiness : Not frost resistant
- Very easy to grow, requires little maintenance (difficulty : 1/3)
Sowing & planting
- Sowing depth : 3 cm
- Plant spacing : 40 cm
- Row spacing : 40 cm
- From sowing to harvesting : 140 days