Ah, sunflowers. The sight of sunflowers brings a sense of summer, warm air and carefree abandon. Ah, happy sunflowers…
axy baby, is pronounced “AY-sooony lil.” That’s not myargon, it’s the plant’s real name.
Sunflowers are heliotrophic, meaning they live and bloom in the same soil year after year.
How do you dig them up?
You don’t dig them up.
Oh, but they are so delicious, how do you?”. The grandchildren of the plants that have survived for centuries in the world’s forests ask me how it is that we can eat these grandchildren’s plants.
Which brings us to why you should grow your own sunflowers.
Sunflowers are extremely dramatic.
Not just a big play thing.
Take your pick between single or double.
Your choice of double will be seen quite clearly come summer time. A side by side display of sunflowers, or your favorite single will be spectacular in your garden.
Think of the adventure and wonder your child can undaze your guests with his eyes open. On a warm summer’s day, the fragrance that fills your garden, the butterflies that visit your flowers, the birds that stay in your trees, all of it adds to the delight of watching the sunflowers bloom.
So ask yourself, ” why should I grow sunflowers?” Ask yourself why you want the sunflower seeds in your garden.
Sunflowers do have a place in our hearts.
And now, a question for you.
Which do you prefer?
Irrespective of what you choose, you could have sunflowers in your garden.
Of course, there are junk stores that specialize in everything and they have sunflowers and roses and tulips and lilies and so on. You could buy a sunflower bouquet, put it in a vase and send it as a gift. You could buy sunflower seeds and grow sunflowers in your garden. You could sell your surplus seeds.
There are ways that you can use the sunflower seeds from your garden.
You can use them immediately after you harvest them and they will simply germinate and grow. This is petunia seed germinating.
You can also soak the seeds in lukewarm water overnight. Put them in a completely dry medium and after soaking them overnight, put them in a plastic bag and lace the bag shut and put it in your refrigerator. Leave them there for approximately 6 to 8 hours. Remember to scratch the seeds when you are done soaking and make sure that the seeds do not stick to each other when you remove the bag.
After removing the bag, you will notice the seeds have a brownish color on top and the middle of the seed has a darker color underneath. They are now halfway through the germination process.
If you do not want to use the soaking process, you can simply wait until they are fully germinated and then you can harvest the sunflower seeds. Remember that they need to be dried for 2 days to make them non-soiliable.
Tip #3: After destroying the anthers of the seeds, bury them deep in the seed shaggy bedding.
Tip #4: You have a couple of options for germinating the sunflower seeds. You could either choose tip #1 or tip #2 if you prefer.
Tip #1: If you are seeding in early spring, plant the seeds in a mix of peat moss and perlite or potting soil. The peat/perlite will act as a medium to help the seedlings grow. Place the pots in direct sunlight in a warm room. After a few weeks, you will see the seedlings had begun to grow.
Tip #2: If you are seeding in mid-summer, plant the seeds in a mix of potting soil, peat moss and perlite or a combination of all three. You have to remember that the seeds will not need light until they are a few inches tall. During that period, place them in a southerly facing window.
Tip #3: For ongoing germination, place the seeds in a southerly facing window after you have transferred them to larger pots. The west is most important since the seedlings should be exposed to light.
To get the best results, you should space out the seedlings by about two to three weeks. This time will have to change if you are growing the seeds in direct sunlight. You may find that they have grown too large for the current pot. Remember, they need to be kept in the target size for the species until they are big enough to be transferred to a bigger container.
