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  • From: "SISU!" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] sunflowers...was..AHIPA: Exploring the Potential of a Sustainable Crop as a Food Source
  • Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 23:21:14 -0400

I haven't grown any sunflowers in two years now for various reasons, and
I grew them mostly for animal feed, but I grew the Russian
Mammoth/Russian Giant or something like that,(I'll go and look if anyone
is that interested in the specific variety) purchased from Shumway,
IIRC. They are huge. The reason I am chiming in is to mention
something that I found works great. Bee Scent.
http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=3007&ss=bees
I got it from gardens alive (see link) because I saw the pics of the
sunflowers, before and after, in the catalog. I didn't really expect
miracles, but it worked great and I can say that my sunflowers almost
doubled in size during the two years I used the stuff over previous
years growing the same variety in the same basic location, AND, I only
used one treatment instead of the recommended two. (I'm cheap that way
:) ) Of course, it won't lengthen the growing season for you, but it
might increase yields if you find a good variety that suites you.

Bev

Bill Jones wrote:
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 _______________________________________________
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--
Bevanron in NW Georgia EarthNSky Farm 34.498N 85.076W
SISU! (Finnish--There is no single word in English that encompasses
all that sisu means, but it combines the following ideas: guts, pep,
determination, stubbornness, perseverance, hardiness, stamina, go, do,
nerve, spunk, pluck, and grit. It's like "Just Do It!" & "Go for It!")
GO NAVY!





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