Sunny sunflowers

I love sunflowers! When I look out the window into my backyard and see those cheery faces gently swaying in the wind, I imagine they are smiling at me. They beckon me to come out and play like I did when I was a child. And who among us could not use more play time these days?

Growing sunflowers is super easy. I have grown short ones, tall ones, orange ones and yellow ones. My husband and I grew some one summer that were over ten feet tall – majestic beauties indeed.

Most sunflowers are annual plants, but Maximillian sunflower is reported to be hardy in our growing zone. I haven’t planted any new sunflowers in a long time, because they will usually re-seed themselves. They also attract a number of pollinators. Every summer, I anxiously watch and wait for the yellow finches to return. They love feeding on sunflower seeds.

The University of Minnesota Extension shares that a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is “actually hundreds of tiny flowers clustered together. The disk flowers form the center. These flowers have both male and female components. After pollination, they produce seeds. The ‘petals’ around the disk are ray flowers”. https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/sunflowers/

You can directly sow sunflower seeds into the ground in late spring. Germination typically takes five to ten days. Remember to read the seed packet for planting depth and width.

Sunflowers like about an inch of water a week and prefer full sun. They are typically disease and pest free, although my sunflowers usually develop a case of rust later in the summer. Avoid overhead watering and increase air flow between the plants to reduce fungal growth.

If you want to bring your sunflowers indoors as cut flowers, there are some pollen-less varieties that have been developed: ‘Moonbright’, ‘Sunbright’, ‘Sunbeam’ and ‘Sunrich’. Take a container of water with you to the garden. Use a sharp knife or pair of shears to cut the stems. Immediately strip off the foliage and place them into the container.

Do you want to eat the seeds yourself instead of feeding the local birds? Cut the head of the sunflower off when the back of the flower has turned from green to yellow. Place in a dry, well-ventilated place for the seeds to reach maturity. University of Minnesota Extension states there are two popular varieties for seed production: ‘Giant Grey Stripe’ and ‘Mammoth Russian’.

You can grow sunflowers in a wide variety of colors from dark red and ivory to orange and lemon yellow. There are also dwarf sunflowers that are suitable for containers and small landscape beds.

Put on a happy face and plant some sunflowers this summer, then watch for them to smile back at you.

Kelley Rawlsky has an M.S. in horticulture and is the director of Bringing People and Plants Together, an organization dedicated to bringing horticulture education and therapy to the community. For more information: PeopleAndPlantsTogether@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook.

Article originally published in Broomfield Enterprise - June 3, 2018