Will Sunflowers Grow In Ericaceous Compost?

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Sunflowers are among the most beautiful flowers to grow in your garden, with many people attracted to their colorful blooms. But if you want them to thrive, you will need to ensure that you provide the right soil conditions.

So, will sunflowers grow strongly in ericaceous compost? 

Yes. Sunflowers generally like to be planted in slightly alkaline soil, with an ideal pH range of 6 to 7.5. Because of this, it’s common to use ericaceous compost to lower the pH of alkaline soil. If it’s already in the right pH range, it might be best to use multi-purpose compost instead. 

While ericaceous compost might not be a good match for sunflowers, other types of compost will be perfectly suited. If you keep some basic information in mind, your sunflowers should grow strongly. Keep reading to learn the basics of growing sunflowers. 

What Type Of Compost Do Sunflowers Need?

Ericaceous compost will have a pH of between 4 to 5. This is the ideal choice for plants that love acidic soil. However, this isn’t what a sunflower will require. Sunflowers are hardy, allowing them to adapt to a wide range of conditions. However, the ideal pH range is between 6 to 7.5. 

Depending on the conditions, it might be acceptable to use ericaceous compost. If the soil is naturally highly alkaline, above 7.5 on the pH scale, ericaceous compost can be used to lower the pH level. Most hardware stores have a test you can use to identify the pH within your soil. 

In most cases, though, sunflowers will need compost that can create the alkaline soil conditions that they prefer. Because of this, it’s best to stick to multi-purpose compost. As we’ll discuss, it’s important to make sure that you have plenty of drainage in the soil, so you’ll need to choose a loamy mix. 

While the pH is important, there are a few other things you should consider when choosing compost. These include:

• Choose a compost that is rich in nutrients. Many sunflowers will be quite hungry. As a result, they will need to get compost that will contain all the nutrients they need to grow. Sometimes, gardeners will prefer to mix organic materials into the compost. This is commonly manure. 
• Avoid compost that is low in peat. Sunflowers can adjust to almost any environment. But one of the things that will affect them is a high amount of moisture within the soil. 
• You might want to add sand. Sometimes, you might want to add some sand to the soil. This will increase the drainage even further. At other times, you might want to insert rocks at the base of the pot. 

In addition to compost, you might want to add some fertilizer to the soil. Because they have long tap roots, sunflowers will need a lot of food. You’ll need to use slow-release fertilizers, though. This reduces the risk of releasing too many nutrients into the soil and causing weak stem growth. 

What Are The Best Growing Conditions For Sunflowers?

Sunflowers will need an area that gets plenty of sunshine and will be protected from high winds. Younger plants will need to be watered frequently, while older ones will be able to withstand droughts. Generally, though, sunflowers will be praised for their hardiness. 

The soil and compost chosen are important for a sunflower. Though it’s also important the conditions in your garden. Here are some of the things you should be looking for: 

• Choose a sunny location. One of the most important considerations is the amount of sunlight that the flowers will be receiving. These plants orient themselves to track the sun during the day. Because of this, the planting location will be getting full sun throughout the day. 
• Taller varieties need to be staked. Sometimes, you will need to stake sunflowers. Some varieties can reach up to two meters tall and will need additional support.  
• Protect them from the wind. If the wind is too strong, there is a chance that it can knock over a top-heavy sunflower. Because of this, you might want to put it close to a fence or building. 
• Choose deeper pots. Taller varieties will often need to be planted in the soil. However, a shorter sunflower can thrive in a pot. You just need to make sure that it’s deep enough to accommodate their root system. 
• Water weekly. While sunflowers don’t like sitting in damp soil, they still need to be watered frequently. To check if they need water, stick your finger a few inches deep into the soil. It should be moist but not damp. A mature plant will be able to survive drought conditions.

The good news is that sunflowers will be able to tolerate a wide range of conditions. This is why they are often used as a starter crop with children, helping them get interested in the world of gardening. 

How To Plant Sunflowers

Sunflowers tend to be fairly easy to plant. Here are the steps that you will need to follow: 

1. Prepare the soil. Before you plant the sunflowers, you should mix some manure into the soil. This ensures that they have plenty of food to eat. 
2. Plant the seed. You can transfer seedling sunflower seeds into the soil. But it’s usually best to grow them from seed, as they don’t like to have their root systems disrupted. If you want to grow seedlings, you can start planting in April. It’s best to use a biodegradable pot, which can be planted directly in the soil. 
3. Plant in the spring. You’ll need to wait for the worst of the winter frost to pass before you start planting sunflower seeds. They won’t perform well in the frozen ground. 
4. Plant an inch deep and six inches apart. It will be a few weeks before the seedlings start to emerge. When they do, you’ll need to narrow down the selection. Look at the two seedlings that are next to each other and use scissors to get rid of the weaker ones. After this, each of the seedlings should be 12 inches apart.  
5. Water the plants in. 
6. Protect the seedlings from animals. Lastly, you will need to ensure that you protect them from animals. The best way of doing this is to sprinkle some eggshells around the base. If birds are attacking the sunflowers, you can string a net across the top of the crop. 

It can be a good idea to stagger the planting, putting seedlings in the ground every six weeks. This will allow you to have multiple blooms. 

It’s also recommended that you do a little research into the type of sunflower you want to grow. There is a wide range of sizes available, from ones that grow indoors in pots to those that will be sown outside and tower over the other plants in your garden. 

Final Thoughts

Sunflowers can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. Because of this, they shouldn’t have too many problems with ericaceous compost. But you will need to pay attention to the pH levels.

If the soil becomes too acidic, it might make it harder for the plants to get the nutrients they need. This can begin to stunt growth. 

Sources

• https://horticulture.co.uk/ericaceous-compost/
• https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-sunflowers/
• https://homeguides.sfgate.com/types-environments-sunflowers-grow-in-69352.html
• https://horticulture.co.uk/sunflower/containers/
• https://www.almanac.com/plant/sunflowers
• https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/flowers/growing-sunflowers-when-to-plant-and-how-to-grow-sunflowers