Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Annual of the Year 2021 by NGB
What better annual to start 2021 than the Sunflower. Named annual of the year for 2021 by the National Garden Bureau (NGB), there are so many bright, cheerful shades of yellow, orange and even burgundy. The flowers follow the sun. That’s my mantra for 2021, follow the sun, that bright, warming light!
Sunflowers originated in the Americas and domestic seeds dating back to 2100 BC have been found in Mexico. Native Americans grew sunflowers as a crop, and explorers eventually brought the flowers to Europe in the 1500s.
Over the next few centuries, sunflowers became increasingly popular on the European and Asian continent, with Russian farmers growing over 2 million acres in the early 19th century (most of which was used to manufacture sunflower oil). Single stem sunflower varieties are best for high-density plantings and produce consistently beautiful flowers on tall stems.
Succession planting will be needed for continuous blooms throughout the season. Branching varieties produce flowers on multiple shorter stems throughout the season, which makes them ideal for sunflowers all season long. For single stem varieties, some of the best choices include these series, ProCut®, Sunrich™ and Vincent®.
As for branching, try Autumn Beauty Mix, Soraya (AAS Winner), SunBuzz, Suncredible®, Sunfinity™.
There are also pollen free varieties if you prefer to use them as cut flowers. Sunflower seeds can be direct sown after the risk of frost has passed or started indoors. Seeds should be sown ¼” to ½” deep and kept moist. Taller, larger sunflower varieties have a large taproot to keep them rooted and do not do well when they are transplanted.
Choose a site, or a container, in full sun, with average fertility and good drainage. Heights vary by cultivar.