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Sunflowers

© Don De Beyer

A few days ago, I was talking to a friend of mine about some plants in his garden. They were planted strategically around his property to give a little color and beauty to the place. The interesting thing about his sunflowers is not only that they are grown around the world but also that they are native to North America.

Sunflowers began in North America and where planted extensively by or first nations people. They were introduced into Europe about the mid 16th century. The seed has since reached all corners of the world and everyone is enjoying the unmistakeable sunflower plant.

Many varieties of the sunflower are currently available developed for food, oil and ornamental purposes. The plant is field grown for two main purposes. The sunflower seed oil which is extracted and processed into a wide variety of products such as cooking oil, margarine, salad dressing and soaps. The second use of field grown sunflowers is its food qualities. The seeds are roasted, salted or processed further for human consumption. Other seeds are processed into feed for our livestock and wild birds.

The majority of sunflower grown in Canada are of varieties high in oil content. The largest provincial producer of sunflower is Manitoba with over 155,000 acres in production. This represents about 85% of Canada's total production. In the United States, the mid west states produce the largest share of sunflowers with North Dakota being a leading producer. The US harvests approximately 2.5 million acres of field grown sunflowers each year.

Sunflower production can be incorporated into many different cropping rotations. It is particularly useful for farmers planting cereals, as its deep rooting can utilize water not available to other crops. Unfortunately, sunflower fields can be prone to erosion, as the plant does not provide much ground cover. Sunflowers are planted with a drill or row planter. The seeds germinate at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and are planted about 1 to 2 inches deep. Successful sunflower growing will require careful control of weeds, insects and diseases.

Sunflowers are harvested after a 100 to 120 day growing season. This is usually in September or October. Although my friend did not believe me, in most cases the sunflowers are mechanically harvested with a combine. Most combines used to harvest other small grains can be modified to harvest sunflower seeds. The problems associated with harvesting this crop have spawned a wide range of specialized equipment to handle its particular needs. For more information on the various combine attachment options please see the links below.