By Karen Rice
Official Kids Mag
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) may be the
happiest flowers in the garden. Sunflower plants
look very much like faces surrounded by colorful
petals! They come in many different sizes. Some
sunflowers are as short as two feet tall while others
can grow to be 15 feet. The tallest sunflower on
record was 25 feet
tall! They also come
in a wide range of
colors including red,
orange, yellow, and
white. No matter the
color, it's hard not to
smile when looking at
sunflowers.
If you have space in
your yard—especially
a spot that gets lots
of sunshine—you can
grow a sunflower
house that has a small
inside room!
Sunflowers are easy
to grow. Just plant them when temperatures are
warm during the late spring and summer, in a spot
with plenty of sun and water.
Instructions:
1. Begin by picking out a good spot to grow
sunflowers. Sunflowers grow best in full sun
and prefer moist but well-drained soil. Your
sunflower house can be any size or shape you
want it to be, (circular, square, rectangular or
even triangular) but a good start is to plant one
covering an area that is at least 4' x 4'.
2. Next, create the house outline by sprinkling
flour on the ground or using sticks or string
to mark the outline of the house where the
sunflower "walls" will grow. Clear the weeds
and grass in a 6-12" wide area along this
perimeter line to form a planting bed.
3. With a shovel, dig a trench along the marked
area, digging down about a foot to loosen the
soil. Leave an un-dug portion about 2 feet wide;
this will be a doorway.
4. Next, plant
sunflower seeds
along the perimeter
bed area. Plant the
sunflower seeds 6
inches apart and 1
inch deep.The plants
that grow will form
the "walls" of your
house. You can plant
seeds in a single row
or in multiple rows
to create thicker
"walls." Make not to
plant seeds in your
"doorway" opening.
5. Water your seeds
every day and keep the soil moist, especially
while the baby plants are young. They should
start to sprout in about a week. Once your
plants are older, they will grow deep roots and
be able to handle drier conditions.
6. Once the plants have a few sets of leaves,
gently place mulch around them to help keep
the weeds and grass from growing back and
competing with your sunflowers.
7. Depending on the variety of sunflower you
planted, plants will begin to produce flowers in
7 to 12 weeks.
courtesy kidsgardening.org, almanac.com, harvard health publishing
plant a
sunflower house
12 • June & July 2020 • officialkidsMag.com
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