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Life Gardening
Flowers
Sunflowers
Sunflowers
can grow
to over 20 feet tall during a single summer and produce flowers
more than 2 feet across!
No wonder sunflowers have become
an iconic symbol of a happy, care-free summer, and a perfect
way to teach kids about gardening.
With a
curious habit of facing the rising sun in the East, sunflowers
provide not only excellent lessons in sun, earth and sky,
but a healthy reward. The copious seeds that sunflowers produce
add up to a fun and nutritious snack. In addition,
sunflower seeds are large enough for little fingers to handle,
meaning sunflowers are easy to plant.
How to grow sunflowers
When planting sunflowers, seeds should be placed in soil rich in organic fertilizer, to a depth of about about 1/2 inch, and in rows about a foot apart. Once sprouted, thin plants to two feet apart to give each plant enough space.
Just remember to stake them early to give them proper support throughout the summer,
and provide full sun and water as they rapidly grow...and
grow...and GROW.
Sunflower fun facts
• Native to North America, the sunflower was grown by native Indian tribes for its seeds and oil. The Aztecs also prized the sunflower and used images of the flower in their temples.
• Today sunflowers are one of the world's leading oil seed crops, second only to soybeans.
• In addition to its use for cooking purposes, sunflower oil is also used as biodiesel fuel, which burns much more efficiently than petroleum-based diesel.
• Nutritious and delicious to birds and humans, sunflower seeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and 11 other important nutrients and minerals.
On
the Web - How
to plant, grow & learn about sunflowers :
How
to Grow Sunflowers - Tips, advice & instructions
from the Gardener's Network including interesting facts, where
to plant them, days to maturity, how to harvest them, known
pests & diseases.
Sunflower
Challenge - Archived UK kids' project with colorful,
fun & kid-friendly instructions for starting sunflowers
from seed plus growing instructions, arts & crafts projects,
art gallery, recipes.
Growing
a Sunflower House for Your Kids - Plenty of room in
the backyard required for this fun project including illustrated
plan, pictures, & instructions.
Sunflower
Pictures - Stunning array from the BetterPhoto gallery
with dozens of shots including field, portrait and extreme
close-ups. Click on the thumbnails for larger images.
National
Sunflower Association - Everything you always wanted
to know about sunflowers including history, health & nutrition,
FAQ,
industry stats & research, news & updates, online
magazine, and fun for kids with related downloadable coloring
pages.
Sclerotinia
Diseases of Sunflower - The most common sunflower
disease explained in pictures and information on the "white
mold" that infects roots, causing wilting & head
rot, with tips on how to prevent it, preferred remedies.
also
see in Garden Flowers -> How to Grow Daisies
How to Grow Hydrangeas | How To Grow Geraniums
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