In honor of the sun’s warmth returning to the land!

Fun Facts about the Sunflower:

• Plant sunflower to attract birds to your garden
• Fastest growing plant; can grow 8 to 12 feet tall in rich soil within six months
• Sunflower is the national flower of Russia
• The daily orientation of the flower to the sun is a direct result of differential growth of the stem. A plant-growth regulator accumulates on the shaded side of a plant when conditions of unequal light prevail. Because of this accumulation, the darker side grows faster than the sunlit side. Thus, the stem bends toward the sun.

http://sunflower-guide.netfirms.com/fact.htm

Harvesting Seeds from the Sunflower:
1. Sunflower head is thoroughly ripe when back is brown and dry, no trace of green.
2. Heads may be cut off when seeds are large and dried elsewhere
3. Cut with 1 or 2 feet of stem attached to hang for drying
4. Can cover with a screen to dry in sun for up to 2 week
5. When seeds separate from head, rub heads to remove the seeds
6. Hulling the seeds-place in boiling water for short time to remove hulls
7. Storing- Store dried seed in cool, dry place in small containers (stirred or shaken 1 or 2x a week
to prevent mustiness).
8. Hulled seeds can be canned or frozen like nuts. Will keep in freezer for a year or more.
9. Roast like Nuts.