Sunflower is a versatile plant. It is not only used for decorations or ornaments but it also used for medicinal purposes too. Sunflower is known to be having health benefits such as it helps improve cholesterol level, controls blood sugar, promotes good sleep, and many more.
History of Sunflowers
The Sunflower was believed to be originated in America in 1,000 B.C. Since then, it was cultivated by many people and it was a good source of food. In ancient times, it has been used as ornaments and decorations in the garden because of its bright color. The Ancient Incas in Peru eve treat this plant as a sacred one because it represents the Sun-deity. And in the late 16th century, the Sunflower was first introduced to Europe by some Spanish explorers and since then, the cultivation of it began to spread all over the world.
Nowadays, Sunflower seed is used as a source of food nutrients and the cultivation of it is getting widespread across the world particularly in the tropical countries like Peru, Argentina, Mexico, and many more. And Sunflower continues to be a popular flower because of the sunny and bright color. Its seed is also a source for oils that are used for cooking. If you want to grow your own Sunflower, you can buy its seeds from an online florist.
Meaning of Sunflowers
Sunflower symbolizes a lot of meaning and depending on the culture. In China, for example, the sunflowers symbolize good fortune as well as vitality. While in Native America, it symbolizes a good harvest and good fortune. But it is commonly symbolized as hope, happiness, energy, beauty, and joy. In Ancient Christian belief, the Sunflower is believed to be a reflection of God’s great love to his people. It also symbolizes longevity because Sunflower can withstand the heat of the sun. If you want to give someone a flower arrangement of Sunflower, you can buy at Best florist.
Facts About Sunflowers
- Sunflowers have 70 species. They all belong to the genus Helianthus. Some varieties grow as tall as 13 feet.
- Sunflowers has two commercial uses, namely: confectionery and oil. Confectionery sunflower seeds have oil-poor seeds while Oil sunflower seeds have oil-rich seeds and rich in unsaturated fatty acids that is why it is known for cooking and margarine production.
- Van Gogh, the famous painter, even featured Sunflower on his paintings.
- The native continent of Sunflower is North America. Its production peaked during the 1970’s. They even used the seeds as a source of food and medicine by extracting the juice from its stem.
- In Greek mythology, they treat sunflower as a cursed nymph.
How to Plant Sunflower
Before planting your sunflower, you must first carefully choose where you are going to plant it. According to Singapore florist, Sunflowers like to grow in locations where there is direct heat of the sun. It is also important that the location is well-drained so that the sunflower will able to sip more water and they have long tap roots.
- Dig the soil at least 2 feet deep and 3 feet across because the roots of the sunflower need to stretch out. Sunflowers grow vigorously in a slightly acidic soil so the soil needs to be rich in nutrients.
- Then put the seeds inside it. Make sure that the spot where you will plant the seeds of the sunflower must be sheltered from future strong winds. You can put a fence around the area to prevent any damage from your sunflowers. But the most important thing is that the spot where you are going to plant the sunflower seeds must at least get 6 to 8 hours of sun a day.
- Make sure that the sunflower seeds must be apart to make room for growth. Ideally, plant them 6 inches apart from each other.
- Add a little bit of fertilizer on the soil to promote more root growth. There are available fertilizers that you can buy from your local store or from a florist online. Not only do they offer same day flower delivery, but they offer fertilizers that is best for your plants.
How to Take Care of Sunflower?
- Make sure you water the sunflowers daily. Since sunflowers need to be exposed to direct sunlight for at least 6 hours in a day, they need to be hydrated to encourage their growth. Make sure to keep moisten the soil as much as possible but not to the point that it is soaked in water.
- If the soil is not naturally rich in nutrients, add fertilizer. The tendency is that if the soil is too poor in nutrients, it will only delay the growth of your sunflowers.
- Sunflower is prone to bugs and pests, so make sure you monitor them from time to time. You can put a slug repellent around your sunflowers to prevent these pests from penetrating them.
- If you start to notice that the leaves of the Sunflower are turning to yellow, apply fungicide immediately. You need to pour minimal water on your sunflower and keep the spoil. The yellow leaves indicate that the fungus are penetrating your sunflowers so in order to avoid this from happening, act on it immediately to prevent from spreading further.
- If the taproot of the sunflowers is developed, pour a minimal amount of water on the plant. Let the soil to dry out naturally. Once they are actually mature, sunflowers start to be drought-resistant.
