Several great reasons why sunflowers should be included with horticulture farming. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Sunflowers are extremely easy to grow from seed, making them an inexpensive, low-maintenance addition. They tower up quickly and have very little trouble with pests or diseases. Plus, they work just about everywhere, from the frigid parts of Alaska, to sweltering areas of southern Florida. Other valuable properties sunflowers bring, include:
- They attract pollinators
- Make stellar-cut flowers
- Provide lots of sunflower seeds
In fact, nearly the entire plant is edible. Even the stalks, which have a flavor somewhere between celery and cabbage.
Sunflowers are also cheap bird feeders and are often grown as pest control. They will distract aphids, which is a problematic insect for many crop plants.
Listen to Cathy Isom’s This Land of Ours program here.