The Little Becka Sunflower is one of the easiest-to-grow plants. In fact, this sunflower is given to those who are learning how to garden as a beginner plant.
It’s also one of the few sunflower types that have red petals, making it uniquely beautiful.
Let’s get into everything you need to know about the Little Becka Sunflower.
All About the Little Becka Sunflower
The Little Becka is a pollen-less flower. This means that there’s no pollen in the bud when the flower blossoms.
The Little Becka is also a quick grower on top of its ease of planting, making it the perfect beginner flower.
Characteristics
Little Becka Sunflowers have big heads that have bright red petals with yellow tips that make for a stunning addition to any garden. It also has a yellow halo around the bud of the plant, making the middle of the plant look like the sun.
As a dwarf sunflower, the Little Becka is a compact sunflower. This means it can fit in just fine in a small garden, growing to only 3 feet.
Where Can You Buy This Flower?
You can find this sunflower at some local farmer’s markets and flower shops. This flower is not one that is commonly sold just anywhere, so don’t expect to find it in a grocery store.
The Little Becka will most likely be found in a flower shop as a part of a fall season bouquet because of their diverse look that fits the autumn color scheme.
The best place to find this sunflower, however, is in your garden! Buying seeds is an easier task than buying the flower itself, and the growing process is even easier!
How to Grow Your Little Becka Sunflower at Home
Growing the Little Becka Sunflower is simple, but nonetheless, we are here to guide you through the process.
Without further ado, let’s get into everything you should know about growing this gorgeous sunflower.
Planting
You should directly sow the seeds 3 inches apart from one another and 1 inch deep to begin.
As your seedlings grow, you’ll need to thin the herd to just the healthiest-looking seedlings. After thinning, your plants should end up being about 6 to 9 inches apart from one another to allow ample room for growth.
As the name may suggest, the Little Becka Sunflower needs full sunlight to grow properly.
The soil for your sunflower needs to be consistently moist and of good quality. The seedlings will sprout within a few days, and the plant should fully mature in 2 months.
An added bonus throughout this growing process, the sunflowers will attract birds and bees to it, giving your garden life.
Harvesting
Harvesting the Little Becka Sunflower is just as simple as growing it as all you need is some garden sheers to cut the stems, but choosing when to harvest the plant is important as well.
If you want to harvest the sunflower and place them in a vase in your home, just cut the plant at the length you desire diagonally on the stem when the plant is fully grown.
Cutting the stem diagonally will allow the plant to take in water more efficiently making it last longer.
However, if you want to harvest the plant for more seeds, then you must cut the plant when it’s past its bloom and is closed up and brown. Cut it about a foot under the head, and be sure to pick up any seeds that fall while doing this.
Please note that since this is a pollen-less plant and therefore needs other pollen-producing sunflowers nearby it in order to be able to produce seeds.
Diseases and Pests
There are a few diseases and pests that can impede your growing process. Here is what you need to know about these obstacles.
Diseases
A dwarf sunflower like the Little Becka Sunflower is susceptible to quite a few diseases. Here is a list of the diseases you may need to worry about:
- Sclerotinia stem rot
- Powdery Mildew
- Rust
- Verticillium
The main one you need to worry about here is sclerotinia stem rot. The best way to prevent sclerotinia stem rot is to water your plants early in the morning so they can dry at night.
The reason this works is that the heat kills sclerotinia stem rot, so allowing the plant to dry with the heat and be dry when it’s cooler reduces the chances of sclerotinia happening.
If your plant does get sclerotinia stem rot, then you have to use a fungicide to get rid of it.
What Are the Benefits of Growing at Home
The most obvious benefit of growing your own Little Becka Sunflowers is the ability to create bouquets at home.
If you have a garden full of different kinds of flowers and you make bouquets with them, then the Little Becka is a wonderful addition that will add a new element to your bouquets.
Cutting the sunflowers when they mature could be a fun activity to do with the kids. Ensure they use gardening gloves and are constantly supervised while handling the equipment.
Lastly, Little Becka Sunflowers are just beautiful flowers that make a noticeable difference to your garden’s aesthetic. If your garden is lacking some color, this sunflower is the cure for that problem.
Where Should You Plant Them?
Since the Little Becka Sunflower is a dwarf sunflower, the easiest place to plant it is in a pot.
However, if you have enough space in your garden, they’ll do just fine there with your other plants.
Where to Buy Little Becka Sunflower Seeds
Little Becka Sunflower seeds are not incredibly common, but don’t worry because we’ve got you covered.
Find your Little Becka seeds online on Amazon today.
This Beautiful Flower Is Sure to Brighten Up Your Garden
The Little Becka Sunflower is a great beginner flower and an amazing boon to your garden’s aesthetic.
If you are interested in other sunflowers and how to grow and care for them, then visit our Sunflower Page to find everything you need!