Taiyo Certified Organic Annual Sunflowers Flowers Seeds - West Coast Seeds

PRODUCT DETAILS

Taiyo Organic sunflower seeds are a Certified Organic Japanese variety with very large, single 20-30cm (8-12") wide flowers on sturdy stems that grow to 1.8-2m (5-6') tall. Rich yellow petals surround Taiyo's dark chocolate centre. This sunflower looks absolutely fantastic in large plantings and makes wonderful cut flowers. We recommend planting at least one variety of sunflowers, particularly if you are growing squash, or any crop that is insect pollinated. Nothing seems to improve fruit set on zucchinis better than simply companion planting with some sunflowers. The bees will come from miles around to visit the sunflower, and will take care of all the other open flowers during their visits.

• Annual
• Rich yellow petals
• Enormous 20-30cm (8-12") wide heads
• Fantastic in large plantings
• Wonderful cut flowers

All About Taiyo Organic

Latin

Helianthus annuus
Family: Asteraceae

Difficulty

Easy

Season & Zone

Exposure: Full sun

Timing

Direct sow repeatedly after the last frost date. Starting indoors is possible, but does not gain much time. If sunflowers are allowed to get root-bound, they will lack stability at transplant time, and will require staking. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 21-30°C (70-85°F). Seeds should sprout in 10-14 days.

Starting

Sow seeds 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep. Space dwarf varieties 15cm (6″) apart, but give the giants lots of room at 1m (3′) between plants.

Growing

To grow really big plants with really big flowers, enrich the soil with organic matter and incorporate 2 cups of balanced organic fertilizer per 3m (10′) of row, and irrigate regularly. When the plants are 30cm (12) tall, dissolve 5ml (1 tsp) of borax (for boron) in 350 ml (12 fl oz) of water and spread the solution over 5m (15′) of row. Be careful not to over-apply this solution. This application of boron will produce bigger seeds and flower heads. Do not apply boron to other garden plants. When the back of the flower head turns yellow, it is ready to be cut from the plant.

Companion Planting

Sunflowers planted near rows of corn are said to increase yields. Sunflowers can be used to draw heavy metals, toxins, and even radiation from soil, but should be burned at the end of the season if grown for this purpose. Plant sunflowers amid squash plantings to improve pollination and overall production.