The Sunflowers are Blooming
Here at the farm, the sunflowers are in bloom with their big daisy-like faces and brightly colored petals - it's always a very welcomed sight.
If you recall, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted our sunflowers, Helianthus, in late June. They were planted in the center bed of my new vegetable garden. Sunflowers are the popular and cheerful annuals whose giant, round flower heads look like the sun. They come in vibrant yellow, but they're also seen in various shades of orange, red, bronze, and even white.
Enjoy these photos.
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- In late June, when we were still planting our first crops in the new vegetable garden, Ryan and I decided it would be nice to plant the sunflowers in this long center bed. We knew they would grow excellently here, but also provide a lovely selection of giant flowers for all to see.
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- For planting the large sunflower seeds, Ryan used this rolling dibbler available at Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It comes in single form like this one or with multiple wheels. It allows one to create evenly spaced impressions in the soil for accurate transplanting.
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- Ryan planted a variety of sunflowers from our favorite sunflower vendors, including Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Bear Creek Farm, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
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- He also planted some from Sunflower Steve Seed Co.
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- Sunflower seeds are normally black with white stripes and approximately five eighths of an inch long. The heavy hull accounts for approximately half the weight of the seed and is loosely fixed around the kernel inside.
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- Ryan planted one seed into each hole. Sunflowers grow quickly. Many can grow 12 feet in only three months. With the proper growing conditions, sunflowers should reach maturity in 70 to 100 days after planting.
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- Here is one just beginning to open.
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- And now, many of the flowers are in full bloom. Sunflowers commonly bloom during summer and a portion of fall.
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- Young sunflowers turn to face the sun as it moves across the sky. They face east at dawn and then slowly turn west as the sun moves. During the night, they slowly turn back east to begin the cycle again. This is known as heliotropism and is due to the presence of auxin, a growth hormone in the stem. This process continues until the sunflower is mature.
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- Sunflower is the only flower with flower in its name. “Helia” for sun and “anthus” for flower. Sunflowers are also the symbol of faith, loyalty and adoration. Sunflowers have different colored petals, but their centers also vary in different shades. The center of this sunflower is a light colored yellow and green.
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- Sunflowers are among the most popular of annuals. They have grown even more popular in the last couple of years because of the support for Ukraine. The sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. It is also the state flower of Kansas here in the US.
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- We planted many classic yellow sunflowers as well as the more unusual bronze to red colored sunflowers. All of them look so pretty in the garden.
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- This bright yellow sunflower has long thin petals and a smaller center than other varieties.
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- Sunflowers produce a huge amount of pollen and nectar making so many pollinators very happy. Pollen from sunflowers has been found to boost the immune systems of both bumbles bees and honey bees.
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- Each sunflower is actually thousands of tiny flowers. The center of the sunflower is filled with disc florets, the flowers in the middle that contain male and female reproductive organs and mature into fruit and seed.
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- Around the disc florets are the ray florets or the sterile florets on the outside. Each sunflower can contain as many as 1,000 to 2,000 seeds.
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- The sunflower’s leaves are large, arranged alternately along the stem when mature. They have serrated margins, and are triangular to heart-shaped and can grow up to 12 inches in length.
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- A common sunflower stem is sturdy and covered in coarse hairs. Sunflowers also have long tap roots that need to stretch out, so the plants prefer well-dug, loose, well-draining soil.
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- Here are three mature sunflowers all facing east. They often face the rising sun because increased morning warmth attracts more bees and helps the plants reproduce more efficiently.
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- Tall sunflower varieties can usually grow up to 15 feet tall. The height of a sunflowers depends on its variety. Some dwarf sunflowers only grow to be about three feet tall and the tallest recorded sunflower was more than 30 feet.
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- One can plant annual sunflowers in almost every plant hardiness zone as long as it is in full sun. Sunflowers usually stay in bloom for about three weeks, sometimes even four. In this garden, with its nutrient-rich soil, I’m hoping these pretty flowers last even longer… we’ll see.
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