Worth knowing:
The species Titan is the giant within the sunflower family - it grows up to four meters tall, while it can produce flowers as big as 40 cm. The cultivated species is pollen-free and suited even for people with allergies. All sunflowers develop so-called specious prosperities (pseudo-flowers) that consist of up to 15.000 separate blossoms. The blooming takes usually place between July and October. The rich nectar can reach around lunchtime a sugar content of 35% and draws lots of butterflies,bees and bumblebees. Also predatory insects get attracted that exterminate lice and other vermins in the near surrounding. Sunflowers are known as compass plants that always grow towards the sunlight (heliotropism). The flower bud follows the sun from East to West in the daytime and falls back to the East during the night. Blossoming sunflowers are not heliotropic anymore and the most flower heads pointing to the sunrise. The sunflower kernels are rich in unsaturated fatty acids - in Russia, Turkey and Spain the kernels are often been roasted and eaten.
Natural Location:
The natural habitat of the Sunflower Titan is mainly in North and Middle America. In the Mississippi region and in Mexico, the cultivation more than 4000 years ago is archaeological proven. Spanish sailors brought the first seeds to Europe during the 16th century.
Cultivation:
The best time for seed propagation is between March and June. Just plant the seeds directly in the garden or in a tub filled with garden soil. For tub cultivation you should consider the formula of two plants per 35 cm pot diameter, so the plants don’t struggle with each other for nutrients. Keep the earth constantly moist. With warm temperatures it will take only one or two weeks until germination.
Place:
The name says it all – the Sunflower Titan needs plenty of light and prefers to be kept in the full sun, even from an early age on.
Care:
The Sunflower Titan needs plenty of water, especially during summer, when it should be watered every day. Also, the nutrient requirements of the plant are high and should be met weekly from April until September with fluid fertilizer for evergreen plants. Sunflowers are perfectly suited as cut flowers for your vase - just free the cut stalk from all the leaves except the upper two or three, so the cut flowers will last longer.
During the winter:
Sunflowers are annual. If you keep the dead flowers standing during winter, the seeds will provide a source of food for birds.
Picture credits:
- © © Thomas Quaritsch - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Thomas Quaritsch - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
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