Sunshine Superman

Nothing says summer quite like sunflowers and Marlborough has an ideal climate for growing them. One of the fastest plants to grow, they can sprout up to three metres high in six months.

Native to Central America, sunflowers, or Helianthus annuus, are known for their large flowering heads, which produce an abundance of edible seeds. Traditionally sunshine yellow, sunflowers now also come in a variety of orange and red hues, including deep burgundy.

The flower is actually a head of numerous small flowers that are crowded together in a spiral pattern and mature into the seeds.

Dating back to 2300BC, sunflowers are prized for their colour, size and seeds, which can also be used for oil.

As the name suggests, sunflowers grow best in full sun. Usually grown from seed, they are best raised indoors and then planted out after the last danger of frost. Sunflowers prefer fertile, moist, well-drained soil with a lot of mulch. In commercial planting, seeds are planted 45cm apart and 2.5cm deep.

Because of their size, they need a wall or support to stop them blowing over and breaking in windy weather, so they are best planted against a fence or wall that they can be tied to. Alternatively, use a stake.

TIPS

Germinate seeds in a bright, clear light but not where the soil will bake in the sun. When the seeds have germinated, pull out all but the strongest plant in each pot. Water regularly so that the soil remains moist. Use bamboo stakes to support stalks.

- The Marlborough Express

Newest First

Oldest First