Calhoun County, AL – Sunflowers usually bloom from July to September. I plant my favorite seeds a few weeks apart. This staggers my growing season into frost with my sunflowers. The reason I plant sunflowers is because they germinate easy. Sunflowers can be knee high stalks upward to Mammoth 7 feet or taller. I like to sow sunflowers mixed at the corners of corn stalk zones, okra stalks and exotic golden candlestick plants. The pollination benefits are perfect to encourage bees and butterflies. I have noticed a trend with birds. Birds seem to choose the sunflower seeds before they notice the corn. To prevent birds from attacking your corn here is my solution. Be sure to hammer 4 garden stakes at the corners of your corn section and a center stake. Then tie string to those 5 stakes. From the air the bird looks down and sees a fearful pattern with the tied string. As my corn grows tall I tie more string, which scares the birds from entering the corn blocks. However, the sunflowers at the corners keep the birds busy minding their business. Also I use sunflowers in my bouquets I gift. The benefits of growing sunflowers are the rewards in beauty in your landscape, enjoyment in growing varieties of sunflowers, eating the seeds and helping wildlife nutrition. Sunflower seeds are cheap. And vines that are not perennial can climb the summer annual sunflower stalks. Such as green beans or cucumbers. In the fall of the year I leave my sunflower stalks until the next spring. I pull up the dried stalks and add them to new raised beds as mulch mixed with compost. Be sure to try a few types of sunflowers in your garden!
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, a raised bed garden, and an in-ground garden. Both her surnames are agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: bettyclark2151959@gmail.com
