key points
- Cutting the sunflower in the fall keeps the gardens streamlined, insects are reduced, and the space for other plants is freed.
- Leaving them benefits soil health, add nutrients, and provide seeds for birds.
- Both options work – according to your garden needs and your style.
As soon as the winds blow in the summer and your beautiful sunflower starts getting drop, you must be wondering if it is time to bite or let them stand tall through winter. If you ask most of the gardeners, the answer they give will be completely dependent on your goals – but either there are strong reasons for the approach.
On one side, Bite Can indicate the onset of a new season and keep your garden streamlined. On the other hand, leaving your sunflower alone can benefit your local ecosystem. So what is the right step for you? We asked professionals to weigh – and they both agreed.
Meet experts
- Gen mcdonald A garden is a co-owner of specialist and garden girls.
- Anate hurd The Easy Urban Garden is a horticulture writer and expert Mali.
Should you cut the sunflower in falling?
Both garden experts Jane McDonald and Horticulturalist Anet Hurd both agree that the sunflower cuts in the fall is completely up to the gardener.
Some gardeners prefer to keep their beds streamlined for planting next season, while others like Rustic beauty alone. The key to making this decision is understanding the benefits of both approaches, so that you can determine what is the best for your location.
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Case of cutting sunflower
If your sunflowers are already drop or drying up and the vision of them hates you with your garden, it is best to dig them. But beauty is not the only reason for cutting sunflower – they can affect the health of the rest of your garden.
“Removing sunflow is a good idea if you see Insects“Say McDonald’s.” When plants eliminate their life cycle, they become susceptible to insect pressure and disease, which can affect other plants nearby. ,
Pests are not just a matter of concern. Sunflowers take too much space and require too much energy to grow, which can also affect nearby plants. McDonald’s shared that the thick, deep stalks of sunflower need a lot of rooms, which rob your other plants in place of very important place.
Hurd also says that these stalks can end in the weather later due to strong winds, which can affect your other plants even more. Removing the sunflower spent can be very important real estate free for new favorite, or simply give your current favorite in some more breathing rooms.
“This (also this) is important to remember it Sunflower are allopathicSo they can prevent the growth of other plants growing nearby, “Hurd is called.” This means if you are in an area where you can Vegetables spoke in winterYou may want to remove the sunflower first. ,
Case of shocking sunflower
Credit:
Jane Tape / Getty Images
With all these reasons for cutting the sunflower, you can be sold to them when this decline is dug – but not yet make your mind.
Says McDonald’s, “It is okay to leave the sunflower in place if the stalk looks healthy (no sign of white powder mildew, rot, or disease),” McDonald’s. “In fact, the stalk may disintegrate and even add beneficial nutrients to your soil.”
When removing large stalks from the soil, you are disturbing the soil microbiom – the ecosystem below the soil surface that supports healthy plants. It can avoid cutting the stem on the ground, but it is best to leave the plant completely alone.
In addition to soil health, leaving sunflowers in place may benefit your local ecosystem.
“(Sunflower spent) can benefit the local bird population by providing seeds if many other food sources are actually not available,” is called Hurd.
Final decision: What works for you
At the end of the day, there is no size-fit-all approach to cut the sunflower. Whether you cut them or leave them, both have their own benefits.
Good news: There can be no irreversible damage, but can be caused by choosing one approach to another, so you can feel confident in making whatever option reflects your style.
