Summer Lovin – (F1) Sunflower Seed

New! Strawberry-lemonade color palette.
Nicely sized 4–5″ blooms in hues of creamy yellow, lemon yellow, red, pink, and bicolor combinations. Dense, well-branched plants produce thin, 18–24″ long, stiff stems. While not technically a mixture, Summer Lovin presents a varied range of bloom colors within the lemon/red color palette. Overall, it has a very similar plant type and performance to its sister variety, Daydream Mixture, but offers a different (lemon/red) color range. Good choice for garden beds, farm beautification, mass plantings, and casual bouquets. Branching. Pollenless. Edible Flowers: Flower buds can be fried, and the petals used as a garnish in salads and desserts; the flavor is bittersweet.

Specs:

• Plant Height: 64–76″
• Packet: 50 seeds
• Avg. 700 seeds/oz

DAYS TO GERMINATION: 7-14 days at 70-75°F (21-24°C)
SOWING: Direct seed (recommended) – After last frost, sow ½” deep. Transplant – Sow into 72 to 50-cell flats 2-3 weeks prior to planting out. Plants dislike root disturbance but sowing indoors and then transplanting the first crop outdoors can be a successful way to get first-early sunflowers. Pinching branching varieties is recommended to encourage branching and longer stems. Succession-sow every 2-3 weeks and/or plant multiple varieties for continued harvest.
LIGHT PREFERENCE: Sun.
PLANT HEIGHT: Varies.
PLANT SPACING: 18-24″.
HARDINESS ZONES: Annual.
HARVEST: Flowers can be harvested tight, when color first shows, or when almost completely open, depending on your market and preferred use. Dried – Flowers are completely open. Hang or use silica gel.
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Light, well-drained soil. Excessive nitrogen may cause plants to grow too vigorously with abnormal flower shapes.
USES: Excellent cut flower. Single stem sunflowers can make a beautiful and reliable display in the garden but please note that they will only provide one bloom form each plant.
NOTES: Flower size and stem diameter are controlled by plant spacing, temperature, soil type, and day length. For early and late season production, select varieties that are day-length neutral or are noted as suitable for flowering under short days.