Helianthus annuus## HOW TO GROW SUNFLOWER Start indoors 4 weeks before last frost for the earliest sunflowers in your garden and to market. Direct sow 1 to 2 weeks after last frost. We let the birds take the first seeds before we harvest our sunflower seeds. This will also help volunteer them around your garden over the years. Tall plants may need support. Plant out directly after last frost. Growing repeatedly in the same location, sunflowers have an allopathic affect deterring the growth of several mustards and other weeds with a herbicide from their roots. Soil pH 4.5-8.7. Hardiness zones 7. Annual.Days from maturity calculated from the date of seeding. Average between 560-1,120 seeds per ounce. Federal germination standard: 75%. Usual seed life 7 years. Isolation distance for seed saving: 1/2 mile.Planting Depth 1”Soil Temp. Germ. 60-70˚FDays to Germ. 5-10Plant Spacing 2’Row Spacing 2-3’Days To Maturity 100-110Full Sun, Moist Well Drained Mongolian Giant Seed Count 1 Ounce ≈ 128 seeds##Gigantic, vibrant yellow flower heads that span a whopping 16-18” across, and tower above at 14’ tall. The extra large edible seeds are 1” long, and delicious when roasted! Sow as soon as spring frosts are over to ensure that their seeds mature by the end of the growing season. ##Feral Farm##Certified Organic by CCOF##Seed grower since 2015##//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0129/8922/files/Feral-Farm-Photo-small.jpg?3##I started growing seed commercially as an apprentice at the Organic Farm School in the Puget Sound in Washington. I already loved growing vegetables, but taking a plant all the way through its life cycle felt like a special kind of honor, and I quickly saw the value in sustaining organic, important, and rare plant varieties and participating in sustainable food systems in this way. I moved to Oregon in 2015 and have been growing my organic seed farming business over the last four seasons by renting land from existing farms and slowly taking on higher volumes and more varieties. I’m currently growing 1.6 acres of certified organic seed crops and heirloom garlic.
