Sunflowers are an incredible plant to grow! I always plant a small patch of them every year, as they are great forage for my bees, good feed for my chickens and the wild birds enjoy pecking away at them too.
These plants are in the daisy family and fall in the genus Helianthus. They are characterized by big beautiful flowers that look a bit like the Sun (Helios).
Sunflowers track the Sun as it moves across the sky. On very hot days, reflected heat from the ground, and heat from the sun can cause the petals to just give up and bleach.
Survival Of The Fittest, Not The Sh$%^Test - This is what mulch is for – it provides a home for insects, predatory mites, little wasps, and the plethora of things that are not there on commercial farms due to pesticide use.
This ensures the biggest sunflower heads and the best pollination, and honey production. If you look at the data for your area, find the warmest month, and count back 160 days from the middle of that month. That is when you plant your sunflowers.
What Do You Get From Your Sunflower Patch At The End Of The Season?
They peck the seeds out as they need them. You will also get about two to three cups of dry beans per sunflower plant. This is a very valuable protein.
The plants thrived but were disease-prone. They attracted all sorts of irritating things that damaged the leaves and caused mold, smut, and similar problems. I had a lot of problems with sunflower petals turning white.