Giant Sunflower (Organic)

Organically grown seeds. Whoever has travelled through French Burgundy in summer will be familiar with the  fields of ‘tournesol’, the golden sunflower, that seem to radiate the sun itself. The original tallest variety is giganteus. At its best along walls and fences, but also as a solitary with support. Be wary of snails. The dried seeds are a popular winter treat for birds.  3g  appoximately 40 seeds.

Sunflower need full sun for most of the day; they need well drained soil, rich in organic matter it is very beneficial to add slow release fertilizer high in potash like liquid seaweed.  Sow the seed directly in the garden where you want it to establish they produce large roots quickly, you will need spacing of around 20/25cm.

Wet the soil prior to planting and place around 3 cm deep and cover lightly with soil.  Make sure you protect the young shoots from slug/snail and birds use netting or organic deterrents.  Keep the soil moist but not wet using a good liquid feed made up with liquid seaweed or tomato feed around the base of the roots, Sunflowers are heavy feeders repeat every week with at least two to three litres of feed. It is important not to get too much water near the stems as this will cause them to rot. The tap roots can grow to around three to four feet deep so make sure the water can penetrate to this depth.