Sunflowers: how to make them grow to the sky!
I do not remember exactly where I was when I saw them for the first time but, I am sure, it was love at first sight! I remember endless highway and endless fields painted yellow with the looks turned towards the cars running.
Thousands of glances. Everyone turned to look at the same side as if it would assist to a wonderful show.
The sunflower is like that: it grows towards the ‘top almost touching the sky and blossoms only to observe the sun!
I had to cultivate that flower and let it get to the clouds!
The beginning
If you want to grow well your small sunflowers, it would be good to start sowing in small pots or otherwise in some clod which give them the time to grow a few centimeters and strengthen. In these early stages, approximately around April (but do not worry because some even grow later), when the leaves may already be prey of the snails, which are the first enemy of your plants … Then reached 15-20 cm height, you can bury your sunflowers, taking care to protect them with a good slug pellets, product that, unfortunately, will exterminate the poor snails but will save your sunflowers. In life you have to make choices!
Cultivation
The location is another important element because the sunflower, as such, needs to sunny places to grow so well, when you move from little jar to the ground (or on the balcony), always opt for a corner with a little ‘sunshine.
The sunflower drink! It absorbs a lot of energy. It happens that the soil in the pot from which will extract the seedlings is completely dry because “exhausted” so if you want, a bit ‘of fertilizer to flower is not bad, in this case … Take a couple of watered mix (liquid fertilizer + water) to give a little ‘of life to your flowers then take care of the watering at regular intervals making sure that does not dry out or do not suffer.
The results
Sunflowers are never a disappointment, even if planted late because, going badly, you will come out of the big 40-50 cm and yellow daisies in a garden certainly not disfigure.
Personal experience teaches me that, however, both yellow and red (see picture), have always met or exceeded 2 meters in height beyond the confines of the hedges that bordered the garden.
The records and the techniques of cultivation around the world tell of much greater heights: Mrs. Wakefield that in 30 years of sowing and risemine has made its sunflowers (heliantus-giraffe) of more than 5 meters or Mr. Barnabò that thanks to the Malvasia wine, which watered the flowers on for weeks, has exceeded the record height of 6 meters!
Try then, who knows what will happen to you, establish a new incredible record !!!
