Sunflowers

We had a high mouse population at the HRC and the sunflower seeds would have been quickly devoured if left uncovered, so we covered each seed with a paper drinking cup, pushing it into the soil to keep it secure. On June 14th, after the sunflowers had germinated, rather than pulling up the cups which would have disturbed the soil, we slit the top (which was actually the bottom of the cup) and pulled the sides of the cup apart to let the seedling through.

All of the sunflower varieties grown performed well, not surprising for a species native to Colorado. Sunflowers make great fresh cut flowers for either sunflower only bouquets or incorporated with other flowers. They have a long vase life of 1-2 weeks. Sometimes the heads are so heavy that they want to hang down but they can easily be propped up with other flowers. See below for photos and notes for the varieties grown.