A can do attitude is a great start to becoming a participant in the Sunflower Competition launched by our Social Secretary this month. Oh plus you have to be with one of the plot holders and below the age of eighteen. It’s a great way to get young people involved with growing as the seeds germinate well and grow quickly once they get going. Simple to look after as they just need water and staking to stop them breaking. We have had seeds donated by Kings Seeds via the North West representative of the National Allotment Society & Leisure Gardeners association, Don Booth.
Each packet has lots in so each entrant can plant several and then keep the strongest seedlings to pop in large pots or the ground when they are about 10 cm high. It will look like the South of France has come to Manchester in October when they are all flowering. The committee and guests judges will be looking for the tallest sunflower and the one with the largest head. Certificates for all taking part and prizes for the age category winners.
Achieving great heights.
According to the RSPB the tallest sunflower ever recorded was in Germany and reached an enormous 9.17m. They include growing sunflowers in their Wild Challenge which is there way of challenging children to get up, get out and get wild! Making connections with nature beyond walking and looking out of the window. Like growing sunflowers it takes a ‘can do attitude’, a bit of staying power and some care for nature.
Keeping the sunflowers tall and straight means staking. The Community Shop has bamboo canes and ties. Plot holders and locals can use the shop from 10 -12 in Sundays from March to October. Darker days are more difficult until we get solar panels installed. We are looking at raising funds to do that later in the year.
Attitude: being a big head.
The RSPB wants people to grow sunflowers as birds of various types love the seeds. Once the flower has died back the head full of seeds is a feast for birds of all types. In Weaste we will see various finches and parakeets too. They’ll land on the sunflower and peck away. The birds may have to act with attitude to chase away squirrels who have been known to climb them, sometimes breaking the sunflower in the process. Scattering the odd seed around too which other birds like ground feeders dunnocks, or larger birds like jays, doves and pigeons will pick up.
The sunflower seeds we grow may be striped or black and of various sizes. Stripy ones are often larger and harder seeds. The husks can be quite tough so the birds will discard these. The husks contain a natural chemical called allelopathic which can suppress and kill other plants if they build up. That is why people can get bare patches in lawns if they pop sunflower seeds on a bird table in great numbers and don’t clear up the spat out husks! Black sunflower seeds are smaller and softer than the stripey ones. So some of the birds who find the hard stripey ones too tough may visit these including nuthaches and the tit family.
Sunflower Science Bit
Sunflowers also know as helianthus can be annual or perennial. Helianthus Annuus are the ones we look at and think “ah Sunflower.” They are North and Central American daisies. Helianthus Tuberosus is the Jerusalem Artichoke and their leaves look very similar, but they do not flower as all their goodness goes into the tubers that can be eaten.
Some of the seed is good to collect before the birds get it and use for next years crop of sunflowers. Of course they are also good to collect for humans to eat. They have a really high protein and fat content. They include several vitamins (A,B, C and D) and elements (potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium).
If you would like to donate prizes for our competitions please arrange it with us here. Thank you.