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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost AT gilanet.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Re:Sunflowers
  • Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 00:41:32 -0600

One of my favorite authors (Louise Riotte) mentions in her book Roses Love
Garlic (excellent book!) about sunflowers...(p 127)
It is a soil improver when grown in moderation through certain farm crops.
However, sunflower seed will not germinate well where grass is growing in
close proximity.
Sunflowers are now believed to produce leaf substances that inhibit other
species. This may be due to a defense mechanism of the plant. Needing little
nitrogen itself, the sunflower produces a substance that inhibits nitrogen
fixing bacteria in the soil, thus delaying the day when grasses and other
succeeding plants may take over.
Sunflowers and potatoes have an inhibiting effect on each other that results
in both being stunted. potatoes are more likely to be infected by
phytophthora blight. Sunflowers and pole beans should not be planted together
since both compete for space and light with resulting poor growth.
Sunflowers also have their good points as companion plants. It has been found
that corn and sunflowers are protective to each other and insects are reduced
on each. Cucumbers benefit when sunflowers are grown near them to provide a
windbreak. In my hot climate I grow sunflowers on the west side of the
cucumber patch to provide shade in the afternoon. Both cucumbers and
sunflowers like rich soil, so I dig in plenty of compost to prevent one from
starving out the other.

All her books are excellent-here's a great link to them here at Storey Books.
I wish I could afford to have almost every book they publish!
http://www.storey.com/authors/authors.php/author/Louise%20Riotte

Barb




*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 4/23/2004 at 8:19 PM Windsoap AT aol.com wrote:

>In a message dated 4/23/2004 4:28:37 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
>pam AT twinoaks.org writes:
>> I've been
>> adding sunflowers here and there among the veggies to attract
>> beneficial insects and birds.
>
>I have been told that grasshoppers love sunflowers so when/if they get to
>Virginia, you definitely do not want to attract them. We planted a long
>double
>row along the driveway, thinking to screen an unsightly view and perhaps
>have
>enough for the chickens to snack on during the winter. Thinking back,
>last
>year I had a row of cutflower sunflowers and the cukes in the next row did
>not do
>all that well. I guess we're all learning something here.
>Wendy Akin
>
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