Annual Sunflowers Are Pretty and Easy To Grow

By Newyorkrita
March 11, 2015

Big, bold and beautiful. Sunflowers make a grand statement.

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Mar 10, 2015 6:50 PM CST
Thread OP
central Illinois
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Photo Contest Winner: 2017
And, they re-seed themselves.
Nothing that's been done can ever be changed.
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Mar 10, 2015 7:38 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
They do, but not necessarily where you wanted them to grow. Hilarious!
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Mar 10, 2015 8:11 PM CST
Name: Linda
Tucson, Arizona
Morning Glories Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: United States of America Amaryllis Hummingbirder
Region: Southwest Gardening Echinacea Roses Birds Seed Starter Plumerias
I love sunflowers Rita, but the Gold Finches here rip the leaves and the flower head to shreds as soon as they start getting tall. Crying I have a flock of Gold Finches here now...boohoo. I think I mentioned this on the Front Porch last year.
" And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden" Genesis 2:8
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Mar 10, 2015 9:00 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
I have goldfinches too. They eat the flowers as soon as they get near ripe. If you don't want that then instead of the small black oil sunflower types (which those goldfinches love) plant the larger seeded striped seeds. At least around here the goldfinches leave the large striped for the squirrels to chew on.
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Mar 10, 2015 9:13 PM CST
Name: Linda
Tucson, Arizona
Morning Glories Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: United States of America Amaryllis Hummingbirder
Region: Southwest Gardening Echinacea Roses Birds Seed Starter Plumerias
Thanks for that info, Rita. Trouble is they tear up the plants before the seed head gets formed. . Thumbs down I will look into the striped seeds.
" And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden" Genesis 2:8
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Mar 10, 2015 9:23 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
quietyard said:Thanks for that info, Rita. Trouble is they tear up the plants before the seed head gets formed. . Thumbs down I will look into the striped seeds.


Oh dear. They leave the flowers alone here until those seeds start to get ripe. Then it's eating time.
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Mar 10, 2015 9:28 PM CST
Thread OP
central Illinois
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Photo Contest Winner: 2017
and re-seed well ...
Thumb of 2015-03-11/jmorth/c027ef
Goldfinches and Cardinals really start visiting when the seed heads produce...sometimes I see squirrels stealing whole heads of seeds.

Stealing a head
Thumb of 2015-03-11/jmorth/112e3b and then he was off...Thumb of 2015-03-11/jmorth/ef4bbe

Cardinal and some gabby goldfinches

Thumb of 2015-03-11/jmorth/6bc653 Thumb of 2015-03-11/jmorth/35fa95

and finally a Monarch Thumb of 2015-03-11/jmorth/e27b8e

All pics during a second week of Sept.
Nothing that's been done can ever be changed.
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Mar 10, 2015 9:34 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
Oh my. Those birds are really having a fest. Great pictures. Thumbs up
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Mar 10, 2015 9:35 PM CST
Thread OP
central Illinois
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Photo Contest Winner: 2017
Thanks
Nothing that's been done can ever be changed.
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Mar 11, 2015 8:30 AM CST
Name: Marilyn
Kentucky (Zone 6a)
Laughter is the Best Medicine!
Region: United States of America Rabbit Keeper Hummingbirder Salvias Charter ATP Member Birds
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I agree Great pics! Thumbs up
Welcome to the Agastache and Salvias Forum!

Hummingbirds are beautiful flying jewels in the garden!


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Mar 12, 2015 6:47 PM CST
Name: Elena
NYC (Zone 7a)
Bee Lover Vegetable Grower Plant and/or Seed Trader Spiders! Seed Starter Garden Procrastinator
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Do any of you have problems with borers? I have a friend in Westchester NY who always has her sunflowers devoured by borers. They are in the stalks & flower heads. They are really hard to get rid of! I was hoping someone might know how to get rid of them without spraying lots of harsh chemicals.
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Mar 12, 2015 6:56 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
No, none of that here!
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Mar 13, 2015 10:52 AM CST
Thread OP
central Illinois
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Photo Contest Winner: 2017
nor here
Nothing that's been done can ever be changed.
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Mar 14, 2015 8:36 AM CST

Great pictures! Interesting, I grow sunflowers MAINLY because of the goldfinches... I love them!
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Mar 14, 2015 1:16 PM CST
Name: Rose
Oquawka, IL (Zone 5a)
Echinacea Hibiscus Dahlias Clematis Charter ATP Member Region: Illinois
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Jmorth,

How do you keep your tall ones upright? I've tried them in my yard and they always fall over! I live in sand, so I'm not sure if that has something to do with it...I'd love to try them again, but maybe I should just go with the shorter ones. They seem to do okay.
When all is said and done, there’s more said than done.
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Mar 14, 2015 1:30 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
Mostly mine stay upright and I have not had to steak them. Once I did after a storm. But if they are planted too closely they get spindly, they need room to spread apart so as to make strong stems.
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Mar 14, 2015 4:22 PM CST
Name: Rose
Oquawka, IL (Zone 5a)
Echinacea Hibiscus Dahlias Clematis Charter ATP Member Region: Illinois
Garden Photography Heucheras Hummingbirder Hostas Garden Art Birds
Thanks! I'll try them again and plant them further apart. I do love the tall ones.
When all is said and done, there’s more said than done.
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Mar 19, 2015 9:44 PM CST
Name: Natalie
North Central Idaho (Zone 7a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Dog Lover Daylilies Irises Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Hummingbirder
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@jmorth, what a stunning "living fence" you had! Love it! Hurray! Hurray!

I grew Russian Giant sunflowers for the first time last year, and I never saw a goldfinch on them, nor did they do any damage to the plants. I have a flock of goldfinch here all year, and they didn't touch that one. Maybe because it is the striped variety. That plant was giant, and lived up to its name! We have wind here almost constantly, and I didn't have to stake it, which was great! I will be growing many more this year! Last year was just to see if they would do well, and they did. I'll be adding many other varieties this year, and I can't wait to get started!
Natalie
Last edited by Natalie Mar 19, 2015 9:45 PM Icon for preview
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Mar 20, 2015 9:49 AM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
Natalie, try some of the smaller black oil seeds for the goldfinches also. Thumbs up
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Mar 20, 2015 9:58 AM CST
Name: Natalie
North Central Idaho (Zone 7a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Dog Lover Daylilies Irises Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Hummingbirder
Frogs and Toads Native Plants and Wildflowers Cottage Gardener Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Region: United States of America Xeriscape
I will be this year, Rita. I bought lots of different seeds. Can't wait to get started! Last year was kind of a test run, just to see if they would survive!

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