Sunflowers need no introduction. Everyone knows these tall, striking plants with their cheerful, large blooms. Sunflower Debilis mixed has beautiful, majestic, relatively little flowers and it has multiple flowers growing on one stem. The flowers are bright sunny yellow and they've a contrasting, striking dark eye. They flower on long, thick and sturdy stems surrounder by medium large dark green foliage. A very fast grower that is easy to cultivate. It needs a spacious, sunny location with shelter from the wind and support. Sunflowers are native to North and Central America, originating in the following countries: Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the United States. Sunflower is also known as Common Sunflower, Wild Sunflower, Kansas Sunflower and Mirasol. Sunflower is a member of the Asteraceae family, along with: Yarrow, Yellow Chamomile, Roman Chamomile, German Chamomile, Greater Burdock, Arnica, Aster, Wormwood, Daisy, Marigold, Marigold, Tagetes, Erythropsis, Endive, Cornflower, Globe Thistle, Lettuce, Currant Plant, Artichoke, Woodruff, Jerusalem Artichoke, Ragwort, Chicory, Daisy, Road Thistle, Coneflower, Goldenrod, Dandelion, Corn Salad, Mouse-Ear, Wild, Chicory, Black Knives, Meadowsweet, and Late Goldenrod. Sunflowers combine well with the following plants: Asters, Dahlias, Cosmea, Zinnia, Pampas Grass, Sedum, and with vegetables such as Corn, Cucumber, Zucchini, and Beans.
Plant sunflowers in a sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil. Provide sturdy support for tall plants. Some sunflower varieties can have multiple flower heads per stem. Sunflowers are known for turning toward the sun. A lesser-known fact is that the flower petals can be eaten. Add them as an edible and colorful garnish to salads or other dishes. The unopened sunflower buds are also edible. Use them as an artichoke substitute. Sunflower seeds are also edible and can be used in all kinds of dishes or as a healthy snack. The seeds can be used raw or roasted, or as a healthy and delicious bird food. Sunflower oil is also extracted from the seeds. This oil contains many unsaturated fatty acids and is heat-resistant, making it suitable for frying and baking. Sunflower oil is a good source of linoleic acid, which can help lower blood cholesterol. Sunflower leaves are used as animal feed. The seeds are also fed to chickens to promote egg production and darken the color of the egg yolk. The flower can also be used as a vegetable dye, dyeing fabric yellow. Bees, hoverflies, butterflies, and other beneficial insects also love sunflower Debilis mixed. Sunflowers can also be grown in large pots. Because they are easy to grow, sunflowers are also fun to garden with children. Remove dead flowers regularly. Sunflowers flowers from July till October. Non hardy annual. Height: 150 cm.
Indoor sowing/under glass: April - May
Outdoor sowing: end of May - August
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp.: 20 - 30 °C
Sowing depth: ½ - 1 cm
Sowing in rows: 30 cm
Plant distance: 60 - 90 cm (depends on size of sunflower)
Plant position: sunny and sheltered
Flowering period: July - October
Sow indoors in April in a seeding tray or individual pots in a heated propagator and put away in a heated greenhouse or a warm room. The soil temperature needs to be at least 20°C. You need to keep the temperature as even as possible, also during the night, to ensure a better and quicker germination. When You use individual pots sow 2 seeds per pot in pots of about 10 cm Ø. Cover the seeds with a layer of soil of about ½ - 1 cm. Keep warm and moist.
Transplant the seedlings, when they're about 5 - 8 cm in size, to bigger seperate pots. Harden the seedlings gradually of for a couple of days, in the beginning of May. Put them on a sunny plot with some shelter against the wind in the middle of May, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrost. Keep 60 - 90 cm apart, depending of the size of the plants. Support Your sunflowers when necessary.
Sow outdoors from the beginning of May, when the weather is warming up and there's no longer any danger of nightfrosts. Sow in a well prepared sowing bed or in a large container of flower pot. Sow 2 seeds per hole and keep them about 60 - 90 cm apart, depending on the size of the sunflower. Cover the seeds with about ½ - cm soil. Press gently and keep moist. Give Your sunflowers a sunny plot with shelter against the wind.
After 14 - 21 days the seedlings emerge. Remove the weakest seedling in each spot. You can replant those seedlings elsewhere. Keep about 60 - 90 cm apart. Keep moist and weedfree. Proctect the seedlings against slugs and snails. Give them a sunny and sheltered plot. Support the plants with strong bamboo sticks.
