Homestead mailing list

[Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>]

Lynda wrote:

> A question, what sunflowers are you growing?  The growing season here is so 
> short that we haven't found one yet that is an eatable sunflower that grows 
> fast enough to produce seeds before our growing season is over.
>  
Ah, truly vital.  This year I ordered "Miriam's Edible" and it's 
unbelievable.  I think they were from Seeds of Change.  I did 
transplants, because of the slug problem, but it was pretty late.  They 
were a foot tall when I set them out in early June.  I just brought in 
the heads.  The head is almost as big as normal, but the plant is only 
5', so you can crowd them closer.  The seeds are very large with nice 
kernels.  They're ready long before the stalk turns dry, so I fed the 
stalks to guinea pigs.  It's like getting two crops!  Remember to tear 
the backs off your flowers and turn the heads as they cure.  I'm drying 
them on screens on the sun porch.

Bill
S. Oregon coast