My sunflowers are bending low these days, what with their heavy heads and the recent rain. The birds, particularly the chickadees, have begun their fall harvest—the best reason to grow sunflowers. Most of these have been seeded by the birds from the bird feeder.
The versatile Sunflower just isn’t what it used to be. The domesticated varieties will grow as tall as 12 feet, bearing heads a foot or more in diameter. The catalogs list a full range of varieties; color from cream to red, yellow to burgundy, single, double and novelties like the Teddy Bear. Most produce seed; some being grown exclusively for that purpose. Those wild sunflowers along the highways and byways grow only about three feet tall and thrive on occasional rain water. Tough plants!
Sunflowers are easily grown in the garden, just plant the seed and get out of the way! They’re heavy feeders and benefit from a rich composted soil and plenty of water. The taller varieties need to be staked, so the heavy heads won’t fall to the ground.
An interesting fact concludes that the crooked necks allow sunflowers to scatter seeds more easily, not because their heads are so heavy. And do they always turn their faces to the sun? One authority says no, while another explains that they do. Because of a growth regulator accumulates on the darker side of the stem, it allows that side to grow faster, thereby causing the flower to head toward the sun. Be your own experimenter and watch for yourself.
Sunflowers were originally from South America, but now may be found all around the globe. The plants are cultivated in many parts of the world for their highly nutritious seed, which is used by humans, birds and fed to livestock. The oils are considered equal to olive oil by some, and is also used in candle and soap making.
Growing Sunflowers in the home garden is like growing automatic bird feeders. The finches and chickadees especially will thank you by their very appearance in late summer and into winter. Growing Sunflowers by children is exciting because of their rapid growth—a good way to get children into wanting to have a garden of their own.