Sunflowers are one of the most beautiful and symbolic flowers in summer, providing a perfect backdrop for unforgettable family moments and stunning floral arrangements.The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.
This is why many people often hope to extend the blooming season of sunflowers through the art of withering and dying.
With this in mind, our guide will explore the most effective methods and optimal timing for decapitating sunflowers, as well as some related benefits.
How to pick sunflowers
The process of decapitating sunflowers is relatively simple. Just make sure you protect your hands with a pair of strong gloves, as you need to use sharp pruning tools to effectively remove flowers.
The first thing you need to do is carefully observe the stems of sunflowers, so that you can keep as many leaf nodes intact as possible. This is because new growth will come from these leaf nodes.
Next, you need to take some pruners or sniping tools and cut off the peduncle about half an inch above the new leaf. The peduncle is the place where the sunflower stem leads to its head.
Once you have successfully completed steps 1 and 2, be sure to remove the dead head of the sunflower and discard it.
It is worth remembering that the new flowers produced after the decapitation process may be slightly smaller than the original flowers. However, you are likely to fall in love with a gorgeous sunflower and a prolific seed, if you are very lucky - both.
When to pick sunflowers
If you want your sunflowers to continue to bloom, the best time is when the sunflowers wither. Cutting off the sunflower's head before the seeds mature not only allows the sunflower to continue to bloom, but also cleans up the garden to prevent unwanted "volunteers" from growing.
Some of the best signs to note when deciding to let sunflowers wilt include:
- When the flowers wither, they seem to wither
- When the sunflower's head droops heavily
- When the head of a sunflower loses most of its petals
- When the vitality of the flower disappears and it remains a dull head
- When sunflowers are no longer attractive or attractive in your garden
The estimated time of wilting sunflowers depends entirely on the time of year when you first start planting sunflowers from seeds or small plants. Most people usually wilt sunflowers in late summer or early autumn.
Benefits of removing sunflowers
- Extend the duration of the sunflower growing season
- Encourage more sunflower growth
- Removing spent flowers allows the plant's energy to flow to other sunflowers
- Make your garden look cleaner and more pleasing to the eye
- Prevent squirrels and birds from foraging for seeds
What should an animal do if it eats your sunflower? If an animal such as a groundhog or rabbit eats the top of your sunflower, some healthy leaves are likely to remain intact on the stem. If so, one stem can grow two new sunflowers. The best thing is to prevent these animals from entering your garden.
Should you pinch sunflowers? It all depends on why you plant sunflowers first. If you plant them for competition and want to maximize their height, it is best to avoid pinching the growth tips. However, if you plant sunflowers in your garden in order to harvest them regularly, pruning the growing tips is an effective way to hinder the plant's growth and make it bloom more flowers. If it's to look good, then you can do the same.
Why do your sunflowers have multiple heads? One of the most common causes of multiple heads in sunflowers is herbicide drift or the presence of chemical residues in the soil. For example, herbicides may float over from other parts of your garden (even the garden next door). This not only leads to the development of multiple heads, but also leads to abnormal mixing, reduced growth, and stem or petiole distortion.
Is it important to wear a teddy bear sunflower? This type of sunflower usually produces beautiful flowers with good texture, making it a perfect complement to any summer landscape. Teddy bear sunflowers usually have several flowers on a single stem, so if you want to prolong the flowering season of plants, you must let them wither.
In short, dying sunflowers is an extremely simple and rewarding process. This not only helps to extend the flowering season of plants, but also is important to keep the garden tidy.
