How To Grow Sunflower Near St. Petersburg

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Agricultural technology and varieties of sunflower

The well-known sunflower, otherwise helianthus (helios- “sun” and anthos- “flower”) is so named because its flower basket resembles the sun in its shape and, in addition, the plant also shows the ability to turn the inflorescence behind the heavenly body … In Belarusian dialects, for this property, it even received the name "a cup of the sun".

The sunflower seems to be a typical plant for our rural landscape, but meanwhile, its homeland is distant North America, where for a long time it was a savage, a weed.

But he was noticed, and at the beginning of the 16th century, when the sunflower was introduced to the European continent, even a fashion arose for it as an ornamental houseplant.

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In the second half of the 18th century, decorative forms of sunflower began to be widely cultivated in Russia, first in the gardens and parks of noble nobles of that time. So it was until, in the thirties of the XIX century, the main secret of this plant was not revealed - a simple and affordable way of obtaining golden, fragrant oil from seeds was discovered. It was discovered by a Russian serf from the village of Alekseevka, where the world's first oil mill was built.

Since then, in Russia, sunflower has traditionally been considered primarily a vegetable plant, its decorative role has always remained in the shade. But in Europe it is still very much appreciated for its beauty. A wide variety of sunflowers can be bought on the street, not to mention the shops selling plants. Everyone loves the “flower of the sun”: from famous florists to the most ordinary residents of cities and towns.

Sunflower is the most popular plant in the United States. His images can be seen everywhere, bouquets of sunflower inflorescences are displayed at the most famous exhibitions.

Sunflower. Variety Red sun

Recently, we also have a lot of different decorative varieties that differ from each other in color, height, number of inflorescences-baskets on the stem. There are sunflowers that are not at all similar to the familiar image of a sunflower, for example, the varieties Bear Cub, Yellow Pygmy. You can find a compact plant, the height of which does not exceed 40 cm, or you can find a five-meter, or even more, giant.

Spectacular (up to 20 cm in diameter) dark red inflorescences of the Red Sun variety - among the tall varieties, perhaps one of the most attractive, will become an original decoration of your garden. The plant reaches a height of 150 cm, which makes this variety suitable for decorative walls and hedges.

The Leto mix is distinguished by shades that cover all the transitions from yellow to light brown and red. Large inflorescences of two- and sometimes even three-color colors will decorate not only your garden, but also your house - the plants of this variety look great when cut.

But the traditional vegetable sunflower "for seeds" is also very effective. The main heroine of Chatelet's novel "Girl and Sunflowers" froze with delight when she first saw the vast golden field of these beautiful plants.

Among the vegetable varieties of sunflower, suitable for growing in our region, I can recommend the ultra-early ripening variety Lakomka. The growing season is 65-71 days. Seeds are large, oval-elongated, black with a gray stripe along the edge. Plant height 170 cm.

Sunflower. Yenisei variety

The mid-ripening variety Yenisei - the growing season from germination to harvesting ripeness of 85-90 days. The basket is large, up to 25-40 cm, slightly or strongly inclined. The plant is medium-sized - 140-170 cm. The old Allegro variety is also good.

Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamins B ₁, B ₂, B ₃, B ₆, which strengthen the skin and mucous membranes, normalize acid-base balance, remove salts, increase blood circulation and have a beneficial effect on the brain. Only 30 g of seeds contain 71% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. And 100 g of sunflower seeds contain almost 100 mg of potassium, while bananas - 23 mg, oranges - 8 mg.

Sunflower oil is a product unique in its properties, which far surpasses other vegetable oils in terms of nutritional value and digestibility. It contains vitamins: A, which ensures the normal development of the body; vitamin D - regulates mineral metabolism, has a beneficial effect on the general metabolism; vitamin E, which is necessary for tissue regeneration, strengthens the capillary walls, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.

Sunflower seeds can be sown directly into open ground in May-April, but in the conditions of St. Petersburg it is better to sow it for seedlings in early-mid May.

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Sunflower. Variety Black magic

For growing seedlings, it is very convenient to use cups that are obtained from ordinary plastic carbonated drink bottles. It is easy to shake out seedlings from such cups directly with a clod of earth and, in addition, they are suitable for repeated use.

Cut off the top of the bottle so that a cup with a height of 18-20 cm remains. Poke holes in the bottom of the cup with a hot awl to drain excess water. In each glass, pour fertile soil in half with humus and plant one sunflower seed at a depth of 3-4 cm, sprinkle with earth and be sure to lightly press so that the earth squeezes it from all sides.

Water the seedlings, cover with plastic wrap so that the top layer of the earth does not dry out, and put in a warm place. Make sure that the ground always remains moist, and as soon as the first shoots appear, move the seedlings to a bright place, for example, on a windowsill.

Plant seedlings in open ground in early June, when the weather is warm. The sunflower grows well on any garden soil, but it is advisable to choose a place for this originally southern plant that is sunny and protected from cold winds.

And remember that sunflower seeds are very loved by birds, therefore, even in the phase of their formation, do not be lazy, tie the sunflower basket with gauze. Otherwise, you run the risk of being left without a tasty and healthy crop from your sunny flower.