Mon 29 Dec 2008
Here are some helpful hints and techniques for planting sunflowers. Some would argue that a sunflower is a flower and others would say it’s a vegetable due to its tasty seeds and oils. The seeds are a great source of protein and the oils make for a light cooking medium.
The seeds are best grown outdoors , sown directly onto the garden. Afterwards you can cover the seeds with a screen to prevent animals and birds from digging them up. They need to be planted about one inch deep and two to three feet apart in full sunlight. They will mature in about 70 – 90 days depending on which variety you plant. They will grow best in rich soil that allows them to grow their roots deep and wide. Sandy soils are not a good choice as it will not provide the stabilization needed. To develop larger flower blooms apply phosphorus and potassium when the flower buds start to develop. When the second set of leaves appear, feed the plants weekly with fertilizer, which will encourage good root development.
To Harvest wait until the flower starts to die back when most of the petals have fallen off. Pluck out a single seed and open it to see if it is full. If so cut off the flower head leaving a little bit of stalk, just enough to grab. Then tie string to the bottom of the head at the stalk and hang them to dry. When they have dried rub two flower heads together to extract all of the seeds.
