Helianthus annuus
Sunflower
Common names: Common sunflower
Photo: Jon Sullivan · Public Domain · Source
Description
The sunflower is the most cheerful summer flower in the garden: it shoots metres high within a few months and turns its glowing blooms after the sun. Bees and bumblebees love it, and in autumn the ripe seeds provide food for birds or, roasted, a snack.
Care instructions
Sow the large seeds from late April directly into the bed in a fully sunny spot, about 2 cm deep. Give tall cultivars a support stake early so they do not snap in wind, and water deeply in dry spells. In autumn leave a few flower heads for the birds or harvest them for drying as soon as the back turns yellow-brown.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Mar–May
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
Companion planting
Good neighbors
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Calendula and Tagetes next to carrots keep the carrot fly away with their scent.
For example Carrotcelery rootDillParsleyCarrot fennelCoriander and 19 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Rather not
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Sunflowers release substances into the soil that inhibit potato tuber growth, and they also compete for water and nutrients.
For example TomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberryChili and 8 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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From the magazine
Where to get this plant
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- Browse sunflower seeds at Samen.de
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