Sunflowers are famous for their tall stalks and bright yellow blossoms. Despite its beauty, the flower's seeds are incredibly nutritious. Sunflowers like full sunlight, but they are a hardy plant that can endure dry conditions and most soil characteristics. The minimal care necessary to grow a sunflower from germination to full maturity will appeal to both novice and experienced gardeners. Sunflowers bloom from late July through early October. The beautiful color of this well-known plant will definitely enliven any surroundings. Let us know more about sunflower, its maintenance and stages of development.

Sunflower maintenance
•    Watering: Once planted, they can withstand a period of drought. However, they operate better with deep, frequent watering before, throughout, and after flowering.
•    Fertilizers: In most circumstances, fertilizer will not be required. However, if the soil is particularly poor, they may stimulate bigger blossoms by using a slow-release powdered fertilizer. Be cautious, since too much nitrogen might prevent flowering.
•    Staking: When exposed to the stresses of midsummer winds and rain, sunflowers that grow taller than 3 feet or have massive, heavy blooms are prone to flopping or breaking. To avoid this situation, loosely tie the plant's twigs to supports with cloth or thread. Sunflowers grown from seed placed directly in the soil will have well-established foundations and thicker stems, making them less prone to fall. To stimulate good root development, supply well-draining, organically-rich soil and enough of space among plants.

Stages of Sunflowers
During its life span, the sunflower passes through five phases. The life of a sunflower commences with germination. The plant subsequently enters the vegetative stage, during which it develops leaves. The reproductive period starts soon after, and the floral bud develops. After that, the flower blooms and matures.  People can retrieve the seeds once the season is ended for personal purposes.
•    Stage of Germination: The germination stage of the flower's life span will start after the sunflower seeds are planted. This stage might last up to 8 days. During germination, roots form from the seeds and a shoot emerges from the soil's surface. Since all plants require sunlight to flourish, the shoot is seeking for it. Germination normally happens between mid-April and late-May, dependent on when the seeds are planted.
•    Stage of Vegetation: The vegetative stage of the sunflower's life span begins after germination. After breaking through the dirt, the plant will still remain a seedling for around 13 days. Vegetative appearance refers to the first stage of the growing season. The plant is recognized in vegetative phase one (V1) when it produces its first leaf that is at least four centimeters long. The plant advances to vegetative stage two (V2) when it has two leaves that are at least 4 centimeters long, and so on. The vegetative stage of the sunflower will begin in May or early June if planted in April or May.
•    Stage of Reproduction: When a bud grows between the plant's clumps of leaflets, the reproductive period begins. The bud may seem star-like at first, but once the reproductive stage is finished, the bud will convert into the long stemmed, yellow blooming plant. A sunflower takes roughly thirty days to blossom. The reproductive period will start in June and will go until July or August.
•    The Blooming Stage: You'll have around 20 days to appreciate the beauty of the sunflower after its fully bloomed. Bees have the chance to pollinate the flower and fertilize the seeds throughout the blossoming period. When the rear of the sunflower head becomes yellow, the seeds are ready to harvest.
•    Stage of harvesting: Wait till the sunflower hangs down and goes brown before harvesting the seeds. After that, remove the stem 4 inches from the sunflower's top. The sunflower head must be stored upside down in a dry, ventilated bag. Within 110 to 125 days of planting the bloom, the seeds should be ready for harvesting.

#sunfinitysunflowerseed #eveningsunflower #redsunflowers #sunflowerbeforebloom #sunflowerlookingflower #sunflowermultipleflowers #cutflowersunflower #sunfinitysunflowerinpots #sunflowerplantbeforebloom #sunflowersandcallalilies