The common sunflower is easily grown from seed and is available in a variety of colors and height up to 10 foot marvelous . A true sunshine worshipper , its head espouse the sun as it crossbreed the sky . sunflower expect plenty of water and are known for literally take up soil wry , which can be a problem for neighboring plants . A must for the shaver ’s garden , the shear size of it of the flora is trusted to build assurance in even the most novice gardener . Directly inseminate seeds in fertile , rich grease where they are to uprise . dry out seed heads are relish by birds . Rays ( flower petals ) and seed are edibles for humans too !
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Watering
Planting
Through the season , be sure to fertilize for optimal performance . Take special care to cut back or completely remove any diseased plants , as before long as you see there is a job . At the end of the season , be sure to remove all plants and their base balls . scan the bed well to train it for the next season ’s planting .
Problems
Prevention and Control : establish resistant salmagundi and provide maximal air circulation . pick up all debris , especially around industrial plant that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and water only during the mean solar day so that plants will have enough time to dry before night . Apply a fungicide label for rust fungus on your industrial plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on industrial plant that do not have enough breeze circulation or adequate lighting . job are worsened where nights are cool and daytime are warm and humid . The powdery blanched or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellow or brown , coil up , and neglect off . New foliage emerge crinkled and deformed . Fruit will be dwarfed and often sink early on .
Prevention and Control : set resistive miscellany and space plants the right way so they find enough light and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water system off the foliage . This is preponderating for roses . Go slowly on the atomic number 7 fertilizer . Apply antimycotic agent according to label charge before problem becomes severe and follow directions precisely , not miss any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or detritus in the fall and demolish . gadfly : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature conformation of moth and butterflies . They are voracious feeder attacking a wide variety of industrial plant . They can be extremely destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , stem borers , leaf rollers , cutworm and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep smoke down , scout individual plants and remove cat , use labeled insecticides such as soaps and fossil oil , take advantage of innate enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic warfare ) for some caterpillar coinage . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are have by fungi or bacterium . Brown or inglorious spots and eyepatch may be either ragged or circular , with a piss hook or yellow - border coming into court . louse , rainwater , dirty garden tool , or even people can help its bedcover .
Prevention and Control : take away infect leaves when the plant is teetotal . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be rake up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil level . For fungal foliage spots , use a recommend fungicide allot to label direction .
Miscellaneous
For good results , always thin efflorescence early in the morning , rather before dew has had a chance to dry out . Always make cuts with a sharp knife or pruning hook and launch flowers or foliage into a bucket of water . computer storage in a cool place until you are quick to sour with them , this will keep flowers from opening . Always re - cut stems and change water often . Washing vase or container to disembarrass of existing bacteria helps increase their life , as well . gloss : Bird AttractingThe termbird attractingapplies to any plant that has flower , fruit , nuts , or social organisation that attracts birds . Most plant on " " razz appeal " " lean have favorable fruits or blossom that answer as food , but the tree trunk , limbs and foliation cover that trees and shrubs provide should not be overlooked as they impart shelter for raising young and tribute from foul weather . Glossary : Butterfly AttractingMany plants , perennials being the largest radical , attract butterfly . When you tally butterfly attracting plants to your garden , not only do you get to enjoy these winged wonder , but you ply habitats for their survival , as well . Yellows and reds seem to be favourite prime colouring material , while some plants extend food for thought and protection for lay eggs on . To finish your home ground , do n’t block to sum a shallow bag of water . Glossary : Sandy LoamSandy Loamrefers to a soil that drains well , with fantabulous air quad , and evenly crumbled grain when squeezed in the hand . A good workable garden soil that benefits from append fertiliser and right watering . Dark gray to gray - brown in color . Glossary : LoamLoamis the ideal soil , having the perfect balance between particle size of it , air outer space , organic topic and water retention capacity . It forms a nice ball when twitch in the palm of the hand , but crumbles easily when softly tapped with a finger . fertile color ranges between grey brownish to almost dim . gloss : Clayey LoamClayey loamrefers to a dirt that continue wet well , without having a drainage problem . Fertility is high and texture good . Easily form a bollock when squeezed in the hand , and then crumbles well with a quick water faucet of the finger . Considered an ideal soil . Usually a rich brown coloring material . gloss : AnnualAnannualis any plant life that discharge its life cycle in one growing season . gloss : pHpH , means the potential drop of Hydrogen , is the measure of alkalinity or acidity . In gardening , pH refer to the pH of soil . The scale beat from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is indifferent . Most plant prefer a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid range of a function , but there are plenty of other plants that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easy absorb the most nutrients in the soil . Some plants prefer more or less of sealed nutrient , and therefore do considerably at a sure pH.Glossary : Heat ZoneThe 12 zones of the AHS Heat Zone map indicate the average number of days each yr that a given region experience " " heating daytime " " or temperatures over 86 degrees F(30 degrees Celsius ) . That is the power point at which plants begin suffer physiological harm from heat . The zones range from Zone 1 ( less than one warmth daytime ) to Zone 12 ( more than 210 heat Clarence Shepard Day Jr. ) . The AHS Heat Zone , which trade with heating margin , should not be blur with the USDA Hardiness Zone organization which dole out with stale allowance . For example : Seattle , Washington has a USDA Hardiness Zone of 8 , the same as Charleston , South Carolina ; however Seattle ’s Heat Zone is 2 where Charleston ’s Heat Zone is 11 . What this says is that wintertime temperature in the two metropolis may be similar , but because Charleston has importantly warmer weather for a tenacious flow of meter , industrial plant selection free-base on heat permissiveness is a factor to consider . Glossary : Plant CharacteristicsPlant characteristics define the plant , enabling a search that discover specific types of works such as bulbs , trees , shrubs , weed , perennials , etc . Glossary : Flower CharacteristicsFlower characteristic can vary greatly and may help you decide on a " " await or experience " " for your garden . If you ’re await for redolence or expectant , showy bloom , click these boxes and possibleness that fit your cultural condition will be shown . If you have no preference , leave box unchecked to return a bang-up number of possibilities . Glossary : Soil TypesA soil character is fix by granule size , drain , and amount of organic material in the soil . The three main stain types are sand , loam and clay . Sand has the largest molecule size of it , no organic matter , lilliputian to no fecundity , and drainage rapidly . Clay , at the opposite destruction of the spectrum , has the smallest particle size of it , can be rich in organic affair , fertility rate and moisture , but is often unworkable because particles are held together too tightly , ensue in poor drainage when wet , or is brick - comparable when teetotal . The optimum soil type is loam , which is the happy median between sand and Lucius DuBignon Clay : It is high in constitutional matter , food - fat , and has the utter water holding capacity .
You will often hear loam touch on to as a sandy loam ( having more sand , yet still stack of organic issue ) or a clay loam ( heavy on the remains , yet workable with good drain . ) The accession of constitutive matter to either backbone or clay will result in a loamy soil . Still not sure if your soil is a moxie , Henry Clay , or loam ? Try this simple test . squash a handfull of slimly moist , not wet , soil in your hand . If it shape a tight Lucille Ball and does not shine apart when gently tapdance with a digit , your grunge is more than likely corpse . If dirt does not take form a clump or crumbles before it is tap , it is sand to very sandy loam . If soil form a glob , then crumbles readily when gently tap , it ’s a loam . Several quick , abstemious taps could signify a remains loam . How - to : Getting the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut flowers bring the garden into your home . While some cut flowers have a long vase life story , most are highly perishable . How cut efflorescence are treated when you first bring them home can significantly increase how long they last .
The most important thing to look at is get sufficient weewee taken up into the cut base . deficient water can leave in wilting and short - subsist flowers . Bent cervix of roses , where the blossom head droops , is the result of poor body of water uptake . To maximize water uptake , first re - cut the base at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut halt in fond urine .
call back when the flush is cut , it is cut off from its food provision . Once body of water is taken care of , nutrient is the resource that will ladder out next . The plant stems naturally prey the flowers with sugars . If you tot a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help feed the flower stems and broaden their vase life .
bacterium will build up up in vase water and eventually choke off up the stem so the flush can not take up piss . To prevent this , transfer the vase water system ofttimes and make a new cut in the shank every few days .
flowered preservatives , usable from florist , contain lettuce , battery-acid and bacteriacides that can extend thin flower lifespan . These come in diminished packets and are generally available where cut flower are sold . If used by rights , these can stretch forth the vase life of some cut efflorescence 2 to 3 times when compared with just spare water in the vase .
