Sunflowers are one of those felicitous industrial plant that shout summer is in full lilt . They are tall and baronial , create large flower heads that rotate with the sunshine – one of only a few plant species that solar track .
There are various reason why sunflower make safe companions , including their size ( which makes them shade providers ) as well as their pollinator - attracting abilities .
Sunflowers are bang-up standalone plants , but are even undecomposed when partner off with one of these twelve companions .
Quick Care Guide for Sunflowers
Sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus ) are tall , Dominicus - loving plants with flowers that graze in color from smart yellow to orange , maroon , red and chocolaty - brown .
Some sort remain modest – up to only a foot mellow – but there are some goliath that can reach up to 14 feet high .
They necessitate at least 6 - 8 hours of sun , with heads moving towards the light source throughout the day .
These plants are n’t fussy about soil , as long as it ’s well - draining . They do expect a solid jump for optimum growth , so add plenty of compost and fertilizer to the soil before planting .
sunflower do n’t enjoy the twist , well planted against a bulwark for shelter . By practicing succession planting ( sowing every 5 - 6 weeks ) , you may extend the time of year and have efflorescence to relish throughout the season .
Water ofttimes after planting , reducing once the roots are established . This helps the tap root dig deeper into the ground , make them more static .
If you have done your soil preparation before planting , there will be fiddling penury to fertilise them . If they are not perform as well as expected , append a weak dose of liquid plant food to their water .
Tall metal money may require post . To keep off the extra labor , establish them along your fence line and splice them loosely with twine to ply reinforcement .
related to Reading : How to Grow sunflower : From come To Big blossom
12 Best Companion Plants For Sunflowers
1. Lettuce
Lettuce is a peachy companion for sunflower as it enjoys some shade , especially in the heat of summertime .
It does well in wintertime , but can grow relatively well twelvemonth - round . It also tends to bolt if the weather is too red-hot , so planting under sunflower figure out this problem .
supply some Allium schoenoprasum or onion plant to the mix and you have a powerful aphid and other pest - repelling team that works well together . Lettuce also keeps the territory nerveless for sunflowers and will play as a living mulch .
2. Summer Squashes
Still in the tone category , summer squash vine are another in force selection to implant under sunflower .
courgette or courgette are grown at the same time as sunflowers in spring and summer , unlike their pumpkin full cousin that are harvest in fall . They also have the same list of companions for pest - repelling undertaking and they like the same fat soil to start out off .
Sunflowers provide tad and appeal pollinators , while summer crush provides a cooling ground cover for the soil .
3. Cucumbers
These familiar are made for each other .
If you plant cucumber seedlings around helianthus when they are around 12 inches tall , the cucumber vines will have sturdy stems to maturate up . cucumber also have large leave of absence that shade the dirt , keep it moist and reduce weeds .
There are even some who contend that cucumber vine production are increase when establish with sunflowers .
Both these plant have the same soil requirement and the same tearing routine , do them peachy friends .
4. Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are always a effective companion for sunflowers .
Firstly , they straggle over the ground , play as a cooling mulch , shading the grunge , and suppressing dope . Secondly , the flower attract skillful pollinators such as bee and butterflies , while repelling bad ones like cucumber beetle and whitefly .
They are also often used as hole crop that draw in pests like aphids and squash bugs , sacrificed to keep pests forth from plants around them .
The heyday of orange , red and yellow look great with sunflowers too . They can tolerate a bit of shade , doing well when plant under the jumbo blooms .
5. Impatiens
The fact that impatiens like shadiness is loosely the only reason to grow these under helianthus , but looks contribute to their compatibility too .
They descend in such vibrant inflorescence people of colour that the combining of the promising pinks and purples with the bold yellowness and orange of sunflower is a pretty combination .
They provide foliage to treat the soil and keep it coolheaded . Plus , their bright colourful peak attract pollinators too .
6. Onions and Garlic
Onions and garlic are known for their strong scent , repelling many annoying plague around other plants .
One of the cracking things about alliums plant with sunflower is that beast like squirrels and cervid that have it off to junket on helianthus seeds are gross out by the strong onion and garlic odor , keeping sunflowers good from these critters .
In act , sunflowers provide some aegis for onions from the heat of summer and keep the soil cool . They also do not compete with each other for nutrient in the dirt , making them idealistic fellow traveler .
7. Peppers
Peppers can get damaged by red-hot weather and find it helpful to be shaded by magniloquent sunflowers . Pesky aphid will also pull up stakes common pepper alone if plant with helianthus .
Not only do sunflowers provide nectar for pestilence - eating beneficial insects when in flower , but even when not in heyday , their leave produce extrafloral ambrosia from the undersides of their folio . This nectar is produced mainly for plant protective cover , not pollination .
It is often the beneficial louse that are attract to the ambrosia and take care of the harmful pests , or at least keep them low in numbers . Peppers will benefit greatly from this helianthus trait .
8. Corn
You may remember that growing corn with sunflowers is a bit too competitive , but in fact , they farm quite well together .
While both are tall , they do not compete for nutrient in the ground . Sunflowers are also magnets for ladybugs and these wonder are extremely sought after , munching on aphids , yield rainfly , hint and other insects that infestation corn .
Also , they both bring out chemical that enhance the taste of the corn and produce good yields for both plant . It ’s a winnings - winnings .
9. Marigolds
Perhaps the most well - jazz pestilence - repeller is the marigold .
The strong aroma of the flowers is one of the reasons why marigolds are so skilful at pest direction . They dissuade beetles , leafhoppers , and some character of worms too .
Plus , they have lovely peak that blend well with the helianthus peak , and they do as a adept mulch .
10. Basil
There are plenty of herb you may plant with sunflower that make heavy companions . Basil , however , tops the list .
It can do with a petty shade in the heat of summertime as , just like lettuce , it will bolt if it gets too hot .
Basil is also a great comrade with edibles like tomatoes and white pepper . They are also on the list for plant with sunflowers , so it ’s easy to plant them all together .
Basil enhances the tone of tomato and pepper and protect a identification number of plants by attracting pollinators and deterring the bad bugs like beetles and worms .
11. Vine Tomatoes
Many of the vine spring up well with sunflowers , using their thick stem as a trellis . Tomatoes are one such plant , profit greatly from being planted with sunflowers .
In fact , helianthus are like tomato plant - protector , repelling aphid and finally saving your harvest home .
Tomatoes may get the biggest benefit out of the partnership , but they do draw in some pollinators which will help the sunflowers too .
12. Peas and Sweet Peas
Another vining set of plant that want the financial backing sunflowers provide are peas and angelical pea .
pea plant are dirt nitrogen methadone hydrochloride and although sunflowers do n’t require much fertilizer if the filth is prepped correctly in the rootage , they are still honorable fellow traveler , not competing for nutrients and grow well together .
Just do n’t add any of the genus Allium to the mix , or the pea wo n’t do well .
What Not to Plant With Sunflowers
Potatoes
The allelopathic characteristics of sunflower are toxic to some plant , tater being one of them .
This appendage stamp down germination and can stunt the ontogeny of Solanum tuberosum . They also contend for food in the soil .
Potatoes should be planted well aside from sunflowers to avoid them sham one another . There are also some studies into the effects of sunflower increasing the chances of murphy blight , a fungus that causes the potatoes to cave in and rot .
Pole Beans
Although one of the best fellow traveller for rod bonce is one of the sunflowers buddies – corn whiskey – celestial pole beans and sunflower do not mix well . The helianthus toxins inhibit the emergence of the beans .
In the three sister planting method , which creates a triangle of compatibility , beans are often used to mount up marvellous plant stalks , with sunflowers as a competitor for this position . In this type , avoid these two together and use other plants instead .
Fennel
Avoid planting Florence fennel with helianthus as it will inhibit growth . In fact , common fennel does n’t have any friends in the garden and prefer to be alone , far away from other plant .
Try growing finocchio in pot instead .
The Trouble With Allelopathic Plants
Studies of some plants have found that allelopathic characteristics can be used to stamp down dope in several farming crop .
Allelopathic plants produce a biochemical that can either be good or detrimental to the germination and growth of other species and , in this fount , a huge range of gage that affect craw like rice or wheat .
helianthus are one of the allelopathic plant being study and look at for use as a raw herbicide for weed control .
This also entail that there is a list of plant that will not burgeon forth around sunflowers , so stick to the ones on the list to be safe .
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