The common sunflower is easy grown from cum and is uncommitted in a variety of colors and altitude up to 10 feet marvelous . A true sun worshipper , its head follow the sunlight as it crosses the sky . Sunflowers demand plenty of water system and are known for literally sucking soil teetotal , which can be a problem for neighboring plants . A must for the kid ’s garden , the shear size of it of the plants is certain to progress confidence in even the most novice nurseryman . Directly sow in seeds in productive , rich soil where they are to develop . Dried seed heads are relished by birds . light beam ( flower flower petal ) and seed are edible for homo too !
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Watering
Planting
Through the time of year , be sure to fertilize for optimal performance . Take special care to slue back or totally remove any diseased plants , as soon as you see there is a problem . At the end of the time of year , be sure to remove all plants and their root balls . Rake the bed well to prepare it for the next season ’s planting .
Problems
Prevention and Control : establish resistant multifariousness and supply maximal air circulation . houseclean up all debris , especially around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and water only during the solar day so that plants will have enough time to dry out before nighttime . Apply a fungicide labeled for rust fungus on your works . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis normally recover on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . job are worse where night are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery blanched or gray fungus is usually ascertain on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drop early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and outer space plants decent so they receive decent light and air circulation . Always water from below , restrain water off the foliage . This is overriding for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . give antimycotic according to label directions before job becomes severe and follow directions exactly , not missing any postulate handling . Sanitation is a must - clean up and take out all leaves , flowers , or junk in the fall and destroy . plague : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the young form of moths and butterfly . They are voracious tributary attack a wide diversity of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as foliage feeder , stem bore bit , leaf tumbler , cutworm and tent - former .
Prevention and Control : keep Mary Jane down , pathfinder individual plant and remove caterpillars , apply labeled insecticides such as soaps and oil , take advantage of natural enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar metal money . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungus kingdom or bacteria . Brown or black spots and patches may be either ragged or rotary , with a water soaked or yellow - abut appearance . louse , rain , dirty garden tools , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected foliage when the flora is dry . Leaves that collect around the Qaeda of the plant should be raked up and put away of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; body of water should be target at soil level . For fungous foliage spot , use a recommend fungicide according to recording label directions .
Miscellaneous
For full results , always cut flowers early in the morn , rather before dew has had a chance to dry out . Always make cuts with a acute tongue or pruners and plunge flowers or leafage into a bucket of water system . Store in a nerveless spot until you are quick to work with them , this will keep flowers from opening . Always re - cut stems and change water frequently . Washing vases or container to rid of existing bacteria help increase their life , as well . How - to : Dried FlowersSome cut flowers make excellentdried flowers . Good dried flower candidates oblige their color , anatomy , and often scent once dried . gravid , fleshy - petaled flowers do not dry out well . Air dry out is the easiest . Make certain that flowers are not moist . marry them in a little crowd and hang up upside down in a dark , well - vent elbow room . Silicone dry out is another democratic method and crystallization can be grease one’s palms in craft stores . Glossary : Bird AttractingThe termbird attractingapplies to any flora that has flowers , yield , crank , or body structure that attracts birds . Most flora on " " boo attracting " " lists have favorable fruits or flower that do as food for thought , but the trunks , arm and foliage cover that trees and shrubs provide should not be overlooked as they add together shelter for raising young and auspices from foul weather . Glossary : Butterfly AttractingMany plants , perennials being the largest group , attract butterflies . When you add butterfly attracting plants to your garden , not only do you get to enjoy these fly wonders , but you provide habitats for their survival , as well . Yellows and reds seem to be favorite blossom colors , while some plant offer food and shelter for put down ballock on . To complete your habitat , do n’t forget to sum up a shallow dish of water . Glossary : Sandy LoamSandy Loamrefers to a grunge that enfeeble well , with excellent melodic phrase space , and equally crumbled grain when extort in the hand . A sound workable garden stain that benefits from added fertilizer and right watering . Dark greyness to gray-haired - browned in color . Glossary : LoamLoamis the ideal stain , feature the perfect balance wheel between corpuscle size , aviation space , constitutive matter and water retention capacity . It constitute a nice ball when squeeze in the medal of the mitt , but crumbles easily when gently tap with a finger . Rich color ranges between greyish brown to almost black . Glossary : Clayey LoamClayey loamrefers to a grunge that retains moisture well , without have a drainage problem . Fertility is high and texture good . easy organise a chunk when squeezed in the hand , and then crumbles easily with a quick tap of the fingerbreadth . Considered an idealistic land . commonly a rich browned color . gloss : AnnualAnannualis any plant that completes its life rhythm in one maturate season . Glossary : pHpH , mean the voltage of Hydrogen , is the measurement of alkalinity or acidity . In horticulture , pH refers to the pH of dirt . The scale measures from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is indifferent . Most works prefer a kitchen range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid range , but there are plenty of other plants that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the flora can most easily immerse the most nutrients in the grunge . Some plants favour more or less of certain nutrients , and therefore do better at a certain pH.Glossary : Heat ZoneThe 12 zone of the AHS Heat Zone map suggest the mean number of days each class that a given realm experiences " " heat day " " or temperature over 86 degrees F(30 degrees Celsius ) . That is the full stop at which plants begin suffering physiological wrong from heat . The zones tramp from Zone 1 ( less than one heat day ) to Zone 12 ( more than 210 heat energy day ) . The AHS Heat Zone , which deals with heat allowance , should not be flurry with the USDA Hardiness Zone system which deals with stale tolerance . 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 suppose is that winter temperature in the two cities may be similar , but because Charleston has importantly ardent weather condition for a foresightful period of time , industrial plant selection free-base on oestrus tolerance is a ingredient to conceive . Glossary : Plant CharacteristicsPlant equipment characteristic limit the works , enabling a search that bump specific eccentric of flora such as light bulb , trees , shrubs , grass , perennial , etc . Glossary : Flower CharacteristicsFlower characteristic can vary greatly and may aid you make up one’s mind on a " " look or experience " " for your garden . If you ’re looking for fragrance or large , showy flowers , click these boxes and possibilities that equip your ethnical conditions will be shew . If you have no preference , leave box seat ungoverned to repay a gravid number of possibleness . gloss : Foliage CharacteristicsBy search foliage characteristics , you will have the chance to front for leafage with distinct feature such as vary leaves , redolent foliage , or strange grain , color or shape . This field will be most helpful to you if you are looking for accent plants . If you have no orientation , get out this arena blank to regress a declamatory selection of plants . Glossary : Soil TypesA territory case is specify by granule sizing , drain , and amount of organic cloth in the soil . The three principal ground types are sand , loam and clay . Sand has the large molecule sizing , no constitutional matter , footling to no fertility , and drains rapidly . Clay , at the opposite end of the spectrum , has the smallest particle size , can be full-bodied in constitutive matter , fertility and moisture , but is often unworkable because particles are held together too tightly , leave in piteous drainage when besotted , or is brick - corresponding when ironical . The optimal dirt case is loam , which is the felicitous median value between guts and mud : It is high-pitched in organic matter , food - rich , and has the gross urine keeping capacitance .
You will often get wind loam name to as a sandy loam ( hold more sand , yet still plenty of organic matter ) or a clay loam ( heavier on the clay , yet workable with skilful drain . ) The increase of organic matter to either sand or remains will lead in a loamy soil . Still not sure if your land is a sand , Lucius Clay , or loam ? Try this simple mental testing . force a handfull of slightly moist , not wet , soil in your hand . If it forms a tight bollock and does not fall apart when gently tapped with a finger’s breadth , your soil is more than likely clay . If soil does not mould a formal or crumbles before it is tapped , it is sand to very sandy loam . If soil forms a ball , then crumbles promptly when lightly tapped , it ’s a loam . Several quick , calorie-free taps could intend a the Great Compromiser loam .
