Sunflowers 2021
Now for the sunflowers lined up for this year.
Russian Mammoth/Mammoth
Seed started
Size:
108-144 inches tall by 36-40 inches
Location:
Full Sun
Matures in:
Summer
Native to:
Wild sunflowers are native to North America. The plant was commercialized in Russia and then reintroduced to North America as a cultivated crop.
Why did I Choose it?
Seed swap
Uses?
Feed the birds and critters in your garden, or roast and eat them yourself. Also great for pollinators and just plain beautiful.
Specifics:
This towering heirloom is one of the oldest, most beloved sunflower varieties.
Attractive to birds, butterflies and bees. Deer resistant.
The giant or mammoth varieties mature a little later in summer, but are huge, 10-12 feet tall, with heavy heads that average 10-20 inches in diameter. They do best planted out of the wind or they may snap and also do better when staked because the seed heads get very heavy as they mature.
These seeds are large, tasty and edible, with the distinctive grey stripe seen on confectionery sunflower seeds. When seeds mature pick the heads, rub out the seeds and dry roast them in the oven with sea salt. Chickadees are a good indicator of them being mature because they will start clinging to the downward pointing faces of the flower heads trying to get the seeds. They get truly massive in just a couple of months so provide a lot of value in the garden and children love them. The seeds are large and easy to handle for little hands to plant in the garden and watch grow.
Personal Notes:
I’m interested in how these do as supports in the garden because of their large size. If they don’t impede the growth of my beans, peas or cucumbers then they make a much more interesting support than a simple tripod made of branches. And I like the wildlife feeding aspects as well as food for us. As long as the squirrels don’t get them first.
Black Oil
Seed started
Size:
6 feet tall by 2-3 feet wide
Location:
Full sun
Matures in:
Summer
Native to:
Wild sunflowers are native to North America. The plant was commercialized in Russia and then reintroduced to North America as a cultivated crop.
Why did I Choose it?
Seed swap
Uses?
Black oil varieties are used for making sunflower oil and also for feeding the birds in the winter time.
Specifics:
Black oil seeds are a meaty seed having a higher oil content compared to confectionary varieties. This gives the birds more nutrition and calories in every bite to keep them toasty warm in winter time. They also have thinner shells so they’re easier for small birds to crack.
Blackoil sunflower seeds general nutritional components are: 28 percent fat, 25 percent fiber, 15 percent protein, Calcium, A and B vitamins, Iron, Vitamin E, and Potassium. You can see why they’re good for the birds, and us.
These plants average one big head with few side branches. Chickadees, and other birds, are again a good indicator of when they are ripe.
They are great to sow in and around your squash and pumpkin plants to lure pollinators to the area. This will give you increased fruit set and larger harvests.
Personal Notes:
These guys are definitely going to be saved for the birds.
We go through quite a few bags of sunflower seeds through the winter feeding all of our little guys.
Plus, the chickens and turkeys love them too and they make a delicious treat for them. When we had the ducks I would feed them the sunflower heads whole and they had so much fun getting the seeds out. It was a tasty game for them.
Hopi Black Dye
Seed started
Size:
Up tp 8 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide
Location:
Full sun
Matures in:
Summer
Native to:
Native Seed Search has great information on the history and uses of the seed.
Why did I Choose it?
Seed swap
Uses?
Food source for pollinators and birds, edible and used as a natural dye by the Hopi for wool and cotton as well as in basketry.
Specifics:
These seeds are closest related to the native, wild sunflowers that originated in North America. Interestingly the cultivars being used for commercial crops are wreaking havoc on native sunflower populations. Something to think of when planting my Mammoth sunflowers.
Heads are medium to large. The seeds are a brilliant, deep black perfect for use as a natural dye.The process yields shades from dove grey to deep purple depending on mordants and what you are dying.
Personal Notes:
I only received 6 seeds so I really hope that they do well and all of them grow to maturity. That way I can save seeds and try some dye making. Having my own natural dye garden has always been a dream of mine and I’ve used lots of different materials already that I’ve sourced wherever I was to dye with. These seeds would be awesome to work with.
