Johnsons 21024 Flower Seeds, Sunflower Black Magic F1, Dark Red

Product Information

Once the plants are established, they can withstand high temperatures and near-drought conditions. But they’ll grow more easily if they receive that water. As they are perennials, theydie down into the ground over winter and re-sprout from the base in spring.

Annual sunflowers are usually grown from seed, sown indoors in spring (see Propagating, below). Keep them on a sunny windowsill or in a greenhouseuntil late spring or early summer, then plant outside once the soil is warming up and there is no risk of frost. Harden themoff thoroughly first, to acclimatise them to outdoor conditions. With your birdseed supply at stake, it’s a good idea to irrigate your plants in those thirsty times. Not only is this cultivar super tall, but its flowers are also massive, often 30cm in diameter or even more.Underneath, I talk you through my favourite 20 sunflower varieties, selected for a wide choice of flower forms and colours, that can be found easily here in the UK. Its flowers, held aloft, have a light brown disc surrounded by bright sunny-yellow to sulphur-yellow petals.

A real plus point is that this giant cultivar is a branching type, so it bears multiple flowers on each stem. When they have withered, they form sunflower seeds which can be used for all your culinary needs and as a source of food for the wildlife in your garden.Of an intermediate height of 1.8m, what distinguishes ‘Copper Queen’ from the others on this list is the colour of its rays – they are out-and-out orange. The rays are a light bright yellow and, at another point of departure, the light brown discs are quite small and not as prominent as in most other varieties’ flowers.

But if you’re planning to harvest the seeds, protect the blooms throughout the growing season. The best idea is to establish any scare tactics ahead of the birds discovering this tasty crop. Jerusalem artichokes are also a type of perennial helianthus ( Helianthus tuberosus), and although grown for their edible tubers, they do also produce small sunny flowers on tall stems in late summer.Perennial sunflowers are best planted in spring or autumn, when the soil is warm and damp. They can also be planted in summer if bought in flower, although they will need regular watering to help them get established successfully. When growth of the flower stalk stops and the flower is mature, the heliotropism also stops and the flower faces east from that moment onward. This eastward orientation allows rapid warming in the morning and, as a result, an increase in pollinator visits. [9] Sunflowers do not have a pulvinus below their inflorescence. A pulvinus is a flexible segment in the leaf stalks (petiole) of some plant species and functions as a 'joint'. It effectuates leaf motion due to reversible changes in turgor pressure, which occurs without growth. The sensitive plant's closing leaves are a good example of reversible leaf movement via pulvinuli. Though this cultivar has a narrowish profile, quite interestingly, it has the bonus of being a multi-stalked type, making it more of a typical garden plant. 4) H. annuus ‘Sunsation Yellow’

Either way, this is definitely the sunflower with the most contrasting colours and it has been credited with the RHS Award of Garden Merit. 3) H. annuus‘Garden Statement’ A model for the pattern of florets in the head of a sunflower was proposed by H. Vogel in 1979. [17] This is expressed in polar coordinates r = c n , {\displaystyle r=c{\sqrt {n}},} θ = n × 137.5 ∘ , {\displaystyle \theta =n\times 137.5Technically qualifying as a dwarf variety at 75cm tall, ‘Sunsation Yellow’ boasts the plus point of a relatively long blooming season that goes well into autumn. Sunflowers make long-lasting cut flowerstoo.The smaller-flowered types, with their abundant blooms over many months,are particularly popular with flower arrangers. The more unusual colours, including chocolate brown, cream and dark red, are particularly sought-after. How to choose sunflowers As their name suggests, sunflowers love a sunny spot.To fuel their vigorous growth, they also like rich soil with plenty of added organic matter, such as garden compost. Dig this into the whole planting area, rather than just into the planting hole, especially when planting long-lived perennial types, to encourage their roots to spread out. Annual sunflowers Indoor sowing generally gives more reliable results, as conditions are reliably warm and the seeds won’t get eaten by mice and squirrels before they can germinate. The seedlings are protected from slugsand snails until they are large and robust enough to be planted outside.