Planting Sunflower Seeds

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Planting Sunflower Seeds

The sunflower is a tall, coarse annualherb that resembles a colossal daisy. Commer-cially it is one of the most important herbs inthe world today. The plant is grown as anornamental or for its seeds, which are a valu-able source of vitamins and minerals.

The sunflower is native to the Americas.The Indians used its seeds as a source of meal,and the sun-worshipping Incas of Peru attacheda religious significance to it and used the plantas an accessory in their religious rites.

The Spanish conquistadores and othervisitors to the New World carried the seeds ofthe "floure of the Sunne" back to their home-lands where the exceptional nutritional worthof the plant was at first ignored.

From the point of view of the gardener,growing sunflowers is an enjoyable occupation.When the plants are young, their heads willturn to face the sun each morning. There aremany varieties, including some that do notproduce seed. These are used chiefly as orna-mentals. Some flowers resemble giant black-eyed Susans, while others are huge, beautifulpompons resembling chrysanthemums.

The head of the giant sunflower is packedprotein-rich seeds suitable for both livestockhuman consumption.

Planting and Culture: Sunflowersvery well with mild, organic fertilizers, andhave few insect pests, so seldom need LIsprayed. For giant-sized heads, space theat least three or four feet apart, but for ption of seed, space them more closely.crowding causes plants to fall in heavy

Grown on a large-scale, sunflowers cala valuable cash crop. They will grow sufully on any land that will produce a fiatcorn. A light loam is preferable to awet soil. The field should be prepared by and smooth harrowing, similar toation made for planting corn.

grown commercially, a green ma-should be planted in the field the'all. The soil should be tested forground limestone applied if neces-ng the pH to between 6 and 8. Thelire plenty of nutrients and manureplied at the rate of ten tons per acre.three pounds of seed per acre, using corn planter. Space the seeds atitervals in rows 36 to 42 inches apart.should be cultivated twice.

.e plant matures, the head will growthe stalks may need some kind ofA gentle looping of two or threeether will help the plants withstandwinds. In a small garden, sunflowersplanted in the back or along theof the property.

esting: Sunflowers can be harvested.s the backs of the seed heads ared dry. At this time, the inner rows are-iced drying. To harvest, cut off theabout a foot of the stalk attached.are tied together, and the heads hungbarn or loft to dry. When thoroughlyve the seeds by rubbing the headsIf stored in airtight containers, their!nt and vitamins will remain in goodor a long time.

Sunflower is a remarkably versatile.al plant. Each part of the plant haslmic use: the entire plant can be used for livestock and poultry, the flowers-yellow dye, the pith of the stalks can bemake paper or as a mounting medium ;cope slides. Since it has a specificsower than cork, pith also can be usedg life preservers and belts.

Sunflowers is used primarily as a protein-richlivestock, sunflower seed and oil are also eaten by people. The seeds can be usedlike nuts or ground into a meal and used inbaking or as a supplement to a variety of dishes.Sunflower seeds are increasingly sold as a snackwhich is particularly popular in Russia. Indus-trially the oil is used in the manufacture ofsoaps, candles, burning oils, Russian varnishes,and Dutch enamel paint.

Varieties: The most interesting sun-flowers are those that produce seed. Whilethese come in dwarf, semidwarf and tall vari-eties, the best kinds for the average gardeneror homesteader are the common garden sun-flower (H. annuus) and the giant sunflower(H. giganteus), also called the Indian potato.The common garden sunflower sometimesreaches heights of ten to 12 feet, with blossomsone foot or more in diameter. The plants arewidely cultivated in the United States, theSoviet Union, India, South America, Canada,and Egypt. It is the state flower of Kansas.

The giant sunflower is a strong-growingperennial that climbs to 12 feet or more andbears a huge flower packed with big seedssuited for harvesting and eating. Most popularand widely grown of the giant varieties is theMammoth Russian, which matures in about 80days. Besides being the largest and tallest ofall sunflowers, it bears big, striped seeds thatare thin-shelled, meaty, and rich in both flavorand food value. The plants' towering, huskystalks make excellent screens or field back-grounds. When grown close together, theirbroad leaves block the sun from weeds.

Sunflowers suitable for growing in theflower garden are the small-seed types such asthin-leaved sunflower (H. decapetalus) andashy sunflower (H. mollis). These grow fromthree to five feet high and branch freely fromthe leaf axils, producing many small flowerheads rather than a single large one. The seedis about one-third the size of a corn kernel.

Petals can be shades of yellow, mahogany andpurple, and some flowers have a broad band ofa contrasting color around the center. All makevery good cut flowers for large arrangements.These sunflowers are especially attractive tothe smaller seed-eating birds such as goldfinchesand chickadees, which will harvest the seedsthemselves. Hummingbirds will visit them fornectar and small insects. Color Fashion,Autumn Beauty and Italian White are single-flowered mixtures. Teddy Bear grows to threefeet, produces fully double yellow flowers, andis one of the best for cutting.

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