Content
- 1 Description of decorative sunflowers
- 2 Varieties of decorative sunflowers
- 3 When to plant decorative sunflowers
- 4 Planting and caring for decorative sunflowers in open ground
- 5 Propagation of decorative sunflowers
- 6 Diseases and pests of ornamental sunflowers
- 7 Photo of decorative sunflowers
- 8 Conclusion
Decorative sunflower, or helianthus, is an unpretentious herbaceous annual from the Asteraceae family, the varietal variety of which includes more than 150 names. The seeds of this flower, unlike its seed namesake, are not eaten. It is famous for other things - for its decorative qualities, decorating hedges, flower beds and front gardens, decorated in country style, or creating a cozy atmosphere, blooming in a container on the window of a city apartment. In addition, decorative sunflowers look great in bouquets. Helianthus is unpretentious and requires minimal care, so even a novice gardener will not have any difficulty growing bright little “suns” of the desired shade, shape and height on a windowsill or in the garden.
Description of decorative sunflowers
Southern Mexico is considered to be the birthplace of the decorative sunflower. Today this plant is successfully grown all over the world.A huge number of its varieties differ in a rich palette of colors, variety of shapes and sizes of petals, diameter of inflorescences, and height of stems.
All kinds of decorative sunflowers share the following features:
- large, bright, beautiful flowers that invariably attract the eye;
- multi-petaled inflorescence-basket;
- dense, strong stem, covered with a small amount of bristly-pubescent, wrinkled, hard leaves located opposite or alternately;
- fruits – small oblong seeds in a dense outer shell;
- subtle pleasant aroma;
- ease of reproduction;
- long flowering - from mid-summer until autumn frosts;
- ease of care.
Decorative sunflower is a charming bright annual flower that grows equally well both in an outdoor front garden and in a flowerpot on a sunny window.
All varieties of this flower, so beloved by landscape designers and florists, can be grouped according to various characteristics.
So, if we base the classification on the height of the plant, we will be able to distinguish the following decorative sunflowers:
- giant, the stems of which grow up to 2-3 m;
- medium-sized, 1-1.5 m in height;
- low, from 0.6 to 1 m;
- compact, not exceeding half a meter in height.
According to the shape of the inflorescences, helianthus are:
- ordinary;
- semi-double;
- terry.
The petals of decorative sunflowers can be long or short, thin or thick. Depending on their shape, we can also distinguish:
- round;
- straight;
- wavy;
- elongated;
- twisted.
The size of the inflorescences varies from 5 to 50 cm. The stems are straight and branched, each of them can have from 1 to 10 flowers.
The inflorescences of decorative sunflowers can be plain or painted in two or more colors. The outer petals can contrast with the middle or match it tone on tone.
Most often, the colors of decorative sunflowers contain shades of the following colors:
- yellow;
- pink;
- orange;
- peach;
- creamy
Varieties of decorative sunflowers
Specific examples will help you visualize the variety of decorative sunflowers. It is worth dwelling in more detail on a brief description of the most common varieties.
Teddy Bear
Dwarf Sungold or Teddy Bear (Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear) is one of the most popular low varieties of decorative sunflowers in domestic gardens. Densely double flowers 10-20 cm in diameter are located on compact (0.4-0.6 m) stems. Outwardly, they resemble fluffy fur pompoms of yellow-orange color, the middle of which is almost invisible. They are planted one by one or in groups. Often used in mixborders, ridges, alpine slides, for decorating fences and buildings in the interior of a “rural landscape”. Grows in pots on sunny balconies. Looks great when cut.
The flowers of the terry variety Bear look like fluffy yellow-orange pompoms
Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice, or Vanilla Ice, is a very beautiful variety of decorative sunflower, which is most often grown for bouquets. Simple inflorescences on tall one and a half meter stems have delicate pale yellow petals, contrasting with a large dark brown core.This variety is often planted in flower borders. It also looks good on the patio in pots.
Delicate Vanilla Ice inflorescences look great in bouquets
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge refers to decorative red sunflowers. Its height is 1-1.5 m, the shape of the basket is simple, and the color of the petals is a rich beetroot-burgundy, with a transition from lighter edges to a dark center. It performs as an excellent soloist in the background of a multi-tiered border or flower bed. Very effective when cut.
The uneven coloring of the beetroot-burgundy petals of the Moulin Rouge resembles a velvet theater curtain
Red sun
It is somewhat reminiscent of the previous variety, but is classified as gigantic (about 2 m in height). On thick, massive stems there are red-brown flowers with a dark center and contrasting yellow “tongues” along the outer edge of each petal. The diameter of the inflorescences of this decorative sunflower is 20-30 cm. The variety is very good in decorating hedges and creating flower walls.
The bright fiery flowers of the tall variety Krasno Solnyshko are perfect for a hedge.
Kong
Giant Kong is the tallest variety of decorative sunflower: its stems reach 5 meters in height. Bright yellow flowers with a dark center beautifully set off the large dark green leaves. Looks great in a hedge.
Giant Kong - the tallest of the decorative sunflowers
Pacino
Pacino is a group of dwarf varieties of decorative sunflowers, the height of which does not exceed 0.4 m. Each stem forms many shoots that support simple inflorescences. Their color depends on the variety. Pacino-Cola has golden petals combined with a brown center. Pacino-Gold has a greenish flower center.Pacino-Lemon is characterized by lemon-yellow petals and a yellowish-green core. Often a mix of these varieties is planted in flower beds. Grows well in pots.
Pacino-Cola is one of the varieties of decorative sunflower of the dwarf group Pacino
Music Box
Music Box, or Music Box, is a low-growing (up to 0.4 m) branched decorative sunflowers, the variegated petals of which are painted in bright yellow, golden and reddish-brown tones. Used in group plantings, flower beds and flower beds. Good for cutting.
Music Box - low-growing, variegated sunflowers that look great in a group
When to plant decorative sunflowers
In most regions of the country, decorative sunflower seeds are sown directly in open ground when it is warm enough and the air temperature does not fall below + 10-12 °C. This usually occurs at the end of April or beginning of May.
In regions with a harsh climate (in the Far East, the Urals, Siberia) it is also possible to grow decorative sunflowers in the garden, but for this it is advisable to resort to the seedling method. Seeds are sown in small pots and placed on a lighted window, watering periodically. Seedlings begin to germinate about a month before the date of their intended planting on the site.
When growing decorative sunflowers at home, it is best to sow 2-3 seeds in small containers at the very beginning of spring.A couple of weeks after the emergence of seedlings, you need to leave the strongest seedling in the pot, and at the beginning of summer, transplant it into a box or flowerpot that is suitable in size.
Planting and caring for decorative sunflowers in open ground
Decorative sunflower is not a capricious plant that needs constant care and attention. However, he also has preferences regarding planting and care, which should not be ignored.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
An area with the following characteristics is best suited for growing decorative sunflowers:
- abundantly and brightly lit;
- protected from strong winds;
- with fertile, light and moist soil, ideally sandstone;
- the soil should be well-drained, preventing stagnation of water at the roots.
It is best to prepare a place for planting helianthus in the fall. It is recommended to manually remove dry leaves, stems and rhizomes of plants from the area, and then dig the soil to the depth of one spade bayonet. At the same time, it is recommended to enrich it with organic fertilizers or ready-made complex compounds.
Most often, decorative sunflower seeds are planted in open ground, although in cold regions the seedling method is also practiced.
Landing rules
A day before planting in the ground, decorative sunflower seeds should be prepared. To do this, you need to prepare a solution of wood ash (1 tbsp per 0.5 liter of water) and generously soak a cotton napkin in it.Decorative sunflower seeds should be wrapped in this cloth and left there for 24 hours, additionally moistening it with the solution as they dry.
After this you can land:
- You should dig holes about 6 cm deep in the area. It is advisable to leave a distance of 70-80 cm between rows, and 30-70 cm between holes in one furrow, depending on whether the variety is compact or large.
- In each hole you need to put 2-3 seeds of decorative sunflower and lightly bury them (but no more than 3 cm).
- After sowing, you should roll the bed a little.
The first shoots can be seen in approximately 6-10 days.
Watering and fertilizing
Decorative sunflower loves abundant and regular watering, but the moisture should not stagnate. Usually it is watered once a week, in dry periods - somewhat more often. After each moistening, the soil needs to be loosened, while getting rid of weeds.
If the seeds were planted in fertile soil, then it is not necessary to fertilize the plantings of decorative sunflowers. If the soil is poor, it is worth feeding the plants with organic matter or complex compounds at the beginning of growth.
Propagation of decorative sunflowers
Ornamental sunflowers are propagated by growing from seeds. Assembling them yourself is not difficult. At the stage of seed ripening, the inflorescences from which it is planned to obtain a “harvest” must be carefully tied with gauze or a light net, protecting them from birds.When the time comes, the heads of decorative sunflowers need to be carefully cut off and dried well in a ventilated area. After this, the seeds can be removed from the baskets, but this is not necessary: they can also be stored in dry inflorescences.
Diseases and pests of ornamental sunflowers
In order for helianthus to bloom long, beautifully and abundantly, you should regularly inspect the plantings for diseases or pest damage.
Among the most common ailments of ornamental sunflowers:
- Rust. It is characterized by the appearance on the leaves and stems of numerous orange pustules with fungal spores, which ripen and burst, infecting new plants. The young foliage of decorative sunflowers dies prematurely, and the baskets do not have time to develop. The source of infection is plant debris, as well as the cocklebur weed, which is susceptible to this disease. Disease prevention is facilitated by timely weeding and loosening of the soil. Treat rust with fungicides (Ultrafit).
Rust is characterized by the appearance of numerous orange pustules on the leaves.
- White rot. A fungal disease that affects all organs of decorative sunflowers. In the root form, the shoots soften and become wet, and a white coating appears on them. The stem form appears as brownish-gray spots on the surface of the stems; they quickly become macerated and break. Their core dries out, and mycelium develops in the resulting voids. With the basket form, light brown spots with a white coating appear on the back of the inflorescences, which lose their shape and dry along with the seeds.Spreads in high humidity. Prevention – compliance with the rules of agricultural technology during planting and care, timely loosening of the soil, and removal of plant residues. Treatment is treatment with fungicides (Piktor, Rovral) during the growing season.
White rot affects the roots, stem and inflorescences with seeds
- Downy mildew. Often carried by insect pests (aphids, scale insects, scale insects). It affects leaves, on the outside of which dark spots appear, and on the inside - a white coating. Plants change color and lag behind in development and growth. Thickened plantings should be thinned out and affected areas should be removed using sterile instruments. Next, decorative sunflowers need to be sprayed with an aqueous solution of copper sulfate (3 g per 1 l) with the addition of laundry soap, steamed in boiling water and cooled with wood ash (350 g per 1 l), or with chemicals (Fitosporin-M, Previkur).
A white coating on the back of a leaf may be a sign of downy mildew.
Often, plantings of decorative sunflowers (especially those near which their industrial “brother” grows) suffer from broomrape. It is a flowering plant that does not have its own roots. It parasitizes sunflower, inhibiting its development and slowing down its growth, increasing its vulnerability to fungal diseases. It is advised to give preference to varieties resistant to broomrape. Affected plants should be dug up and destroyed, and the soil in the area should be treated with herbicides to a depth of 20 cm.
Broomrape is a parasitic plant that seriously harms sunflowers.
A dangerous enemy of decorative sunflowers is aphids. Leaves, flowers and buds affected by it turn yellow and curl, and sticky insect secretions can be seen on their undersides.For mild damage, treating plants with a soap solution will help. If there are a lot of parasites, you should use insecticidal preparations (Aktellik, Zubr, Iskra, Biotlin, Komandor).
Curled and yellowed leaves may be infested with aphids
Photo of decorative sunflowers
Decorative sunflowers are an excellent material for creating unique compositions in landscape design. They look great in pots on windows or balconies, as well as cut flowers as part of bouquets.
Bright, colorful sunflowers form stunning hedges
If you sow seeds in groups with an interval of 1-2 weeks, you can get a continuously blooming flower bed.
Tall varieties look great in the background of a flower garden
A country-style plot is unthinkable without decorative sunflowers
Planting with double helianthus varieties looks very impressive
A bouquet of cut sunflowers in a vase will wonderfully decorate a room
Conclusion
Decorative sunflower is an unpretentious annual plant with large, beautiful flowers that grows equally well in an outdoor flower bed or indoors on a sunny window. The variety of varieties, shapes and colors of helianthus is amazing, and caring for it is not difficult. If you plant the seeds in fertile, light, well-drained soil, water regularly and fertilize as needed, the charming, bright flowers will decorate your room or garden from July to October.
