Planting Seeds of Friendship

1. Planting Seeds of Friendship Rebecca March 24, 2011

2. Sunflowers Three facts . Helianthus • Annual • The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads of flowers.

3. Plant Details • Sunflowers need a lot of sun to grow, but they also need some shade. It is ideal if you plant them in a spot where they can get at least six to eight hours of morning and early afternoon sun and some afternoon shade • Sunflowers most commonly grow to heights between 1.5 and 3.5 m (5–12 ft). • Multiple Blooms. 1.5-1.8 m (5-6') tall • Well cultivated soil and red soil or add waste of animals like cow, mix it

4. Watering your seeds Keep the soil moist and feed a liquid fertilizer. Do not over-water, as this can cause yellowing of the leaves. The sunflower's most critical time for water is from 20 days before to 20 days after flowering. Weeding of the sunflower's bed should be performed to prevent competition for water and nutrients.

5. Uses • Sunflower leaves can be used as a cattle food, while the stems contain a fiber which may be used in paper production. Sunflowers can be processed into a peanut butter alternative, sun butter. In Germany it is mixed together with rye flour to make Sonnenblumenkernbrot.

6. Plant Varieties • Growers indicated that they would like to use ornamental sunflowers outside their mazes, by their road signs, and to decorate their cornfield mazes. We put in a trial of 22 varieties of ornamental sunflowers. Varieties • 'American Giant Hybrid' • 'Arnika' • 'Autumn Beauty' (Autumnal colors) • 'Aztec Sun' • 'Black Oil' • 'Dwarf Sunspot' • 'Evening Sun' • 'Giant Primrose' • 'Indian Blanket Hybrid'

7. Sources • I used Google search to find information • I used Google images to get my pictures.