August 2023 Plant of the Month for Erie Colorado area landscapes

Giant Sunflowers

Erie, Colorado area landscapes {Monthly Series}

Helianthus or Sunflowers planted from seed in the garden are a great way to add height and striking color to any garden. Planting annual flowers is not something we normally talk about in the Plant of the Month series, but the fun you can have with giant sunflower varieties are endless and should be a part of any Erie Colorado landscape. There are lots of varieties of colors and sizes of sunflowers, and that’s all good and well to plant a mixture, but if the tallest sunflowers with the biggest seed heads are desired, stick with the standard yellow varieties. There are about 70 varieties of helianthus to choose from, but the giant Mongolian sunflower is a great one to get fabulous height and large seed heads.

Sunflowers need full sun. The more the better. They need moist, regularly watered soil to grow their largest and have the most productive seed heads. Planting them near a vegetable garden that gets daily water will be best, but be careful not to plant too close or they will shade the garden with their giant leaves. Plant as early as you can as soon as the last frost is done. Plant at about ¾” to 1” depth and water. After they germinate, thin the weakest plants out and leave them spaced at least 1’ apart. In mid July, when they are in full growth mode is when they will need the most water. Just stay regular about it and you’ll see great results.

Sunflower seed heads need to be harvested late in the season, at or near the first frost. Once the plant has died back and the back side of the sunflower has turned brown, cut the seed head off with pruners about 12” from the head. You can hang and dry them and save for replanting, feed them to birds, or there are numerous recipes online for doing all sorts of interesting fun things with them. You can even use them for crafts with small children. Endless possibilities exist. Plant some in your garden next spring!

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