Sunflowers

Sunflowers:

• Why you should grow it
  • Sunflowers provided shade for cooler crops in the summer, especially during the summer heat
  • Seeds are an important food source for animals and birds in the fall
  • They attract beneficial insects through the growing season
  • Improves soil conditions by removing metals

• How to start seeds
  • Sow directly into the soil
  • Start indoors in the spring and transplant out when they are about 6″ tall
  • They will cause shade so placement is important

• Tips for growth
  • • Plant when all risk of frost is gone, sunflowers will not germinate in the cold
    • Ensure that you choose a sunny spot
    • Water deeply and infrequently to develop deep roots as the plant grows tall and needs a strong foundation
    • These deep roots will be more drought tolerant
    • They are fast-growing and need good nutrient soil, add a little compost before planting them out
    • If they start to lean, stake the flowers 
    • They are mostly disease-free but make sure you water the ground and not the plant

   

• Harvesting
  • Harvest sunflower seeds at the end of the season
  • Leave the seeds on the flower until the seeds are dark and plump
  • Once the petals wilt and before the animals get to them, cut off the flower and hang upside down in a bag
  • Rub off the seeds and soak overnight then bake with salt if you like

• Saving Seeds
  • There are many things you can do with sunflowers at the end of the season
  • Save the seeds by harvesting them, rinsing them off and drying fully before storing in a bag
  • Leave the sunflower seeds on the flower for birds and animals to eat through the fall, it is an important food source for the local populations
  • If you harvest the flower, leave the stalk in the garden for beneficial insects to hibernate over the winter
  • The stalks also provide interest in the garden when all other foliage in gone in the garden