Mexican sunflowers, also known as Tithonia rotundifolia, are stunning flowering plants that are native to Mexico, South & Central America. These plants are incredibly popular among gardeners and nature enthusiasts, thanks to their vibrant colors, fast growth, and low maintenance needs. From this article, you can learn art of growing Mexican sunflower from seeds & caring them to increase flowering.
They are herbaceous annuals that can grow up to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. You can also grow them in pots that have drainage holes at the bottom. The blooms appear in late summer and continue until the first frost.
One of the primary benefits of the Mexican sunflower plant is its ability to attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Moreover, this plant is resistant to most pests and diseases, making it a low-maintenance and hassle-free addition to your garden.
How To Grow Mexican Sunflower From Seeds?
Tithonia or Mexican sunflower can be easily propagated from seeds. You can buy seeds online on our store too. We offer high quality disease resistant seeds.
- Sowing Time: February to June is the best time to sow seeds of Tithonia.
- Potting Mix: Prepare potting mix by mixing soil, river sand & dung manure in 1:1:1. Fill germination tray or paper cups with the prepared potting mix.
- Sowing Seeds of Tithonia: To sow seeds, make 1/4 inches hole in each compartment, put one seeds in each compartment. Fill holes with potting mix and apply water. Keep the germination tray under shade and do not let the soil dry out completely.
- Germination: Within a week you will start noticing growth of new seedlings. When you notice 2 to 4 leaves in the seedlings, start moving the tray under direct sunlight gradually.
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How To Care For Mexican Sunflower?
- Climate: Species of Tithonia thrive well in warm & dry tropical to sub-tropical climates. Temperature ranging between 15 to 31o Celsius is ideal for this plant.
- USDA Zones: You can grow them in USDA zones 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11.
- Soil & Potting Mix: Mexican sunflower can thrive well in well drained, sandy-loam soils. Prepare potting mix with 40% soil + 30% river sand + 30% dung manure to grow this plant in the pot.
- Sunlight: Just like sunflower plants, they also love to grow well under bright direct sunlight. For getting larger blooms, avoid keeping them under low light or indirect sunlight.
- Watering: They are draught tolerant, which means, they can survive without water for longer duration. However, for best results, water your plants whenever the top layer of soil seems dry. There is no fixed schedule for watering, it totally depends on local climate & soil type.
- Fertilizers: Mexican sunflowers are not heavy feeders, hence they can even perform well without adding any fertilizer. But, to increase growth & flowering you can apply, one handful of dung manure + 1 tablespoon onion peel fertilizer every month.
- Stalking & Pinching: As plant grows, it will need support, that’s why use wooden stick to give support to the plant. Keep pinching off dead blossoms to promote new flowers in the plant.
Author’s Note
I hope you have understood the complete process of growing & caring for Mexican sunflower plant. If you have any ideas, queries or suggestions, then please comment below. You can also connect with Agriculture Review on Facebook & Instagram.
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