Thursday, August 26, 2021

Review of Sunflower Facts and Photographs

field of sunflowers photo by mbgphoto
Fields of Sunflowers


Each year during the month of July, I anxiously wait for the sunflower fields to bloom.  Several years ago I discovered some sunflower fields in the Missouri river bottom land about 10 miles from my house.  My granddaughters were visiting and I took them to the fields to take some photographs.  I wrote this article telling about my experience in photographing the sunflowers. Photographing Sunflowers   

Before they Bloom

In reading about sunflowers I have found that there are actually five stages in the life of the sunflower.  Three of those stages take place before they bloom.
 
1.  The first stage, the germination stage, takes places when the seeds are planted.  This stages takes about eight days.  After the seeds are planted the roots develop and seep into the ground and then a shoot will start peaking out of the ground in search of sunlight that it needs to grow.
 
2.  The second stage is called the vegetative phase.  During the first 13 days after the seedling starts its  growth toward the sun it is in the vegetative emergence stage.  Then the first leaf comes and it is now in stage 1 of the vegetative phase, a second leaf comes and it is now in stage 2, this keeps on as  more leaves are added to the stalk.
 
3.  The third stage is called the reproduction phase.  In this stage a bud will form between the cluster of leaves.  It will initially be star like in appearance but in time will grow into the tall beautiful plants with bright yellow flowers that we know so well.  This whole stage takes about 30 days.  In our area I know that this stage should be coming to an end in mid to late July.  This year I was out with friends in mid July and we decided to take a drive to see how the sunflower fields were coming along.  They were right in the middle of the reproductive stage and I got some nice  photos of the flowers in this stage.

field of sunflower buds photo by mbgphoto
Reproductive Phase

sunflower bud photo by mbgphoto


Blooming Stage

During the blooming stage the sunflowers are in full bloom. During this phase you will see lots of bees busy fertilizing and pollinating the flowers.  This stage will only last for about 20 days so I knew I had to get back to the fields quickly if I wanted to see the fields in full bloom.  Fortunately about a week after my first visit a friend posted some photos  showing the flowers in full bloom.  I grabbed my camera and hopped in my car and headed right out to take some photos.  I was rewarded with the following glorious sights.

sunflowers photo by mbgphoto

sunflower photo by mbgphoto

field of sunflowers photo by mbgphoto

sunflowers photo by mbgphoto


Harvesting Phase

After the blooms are finished the seeds are harvested.  You will want to wait till the flowers turn brown and start to bloom and then you cut the stems about 4 inches from the head of the flowers. Sunflower heads should be stored upside down in a dry and breathable bag.

Sunflowers are annuals so they must be replanted each year.

Fun Facts and more Sunflower Photos

The Sunflower has been named the plant of the year for 2021.  In her review of this information, Olivia Morris shares more fun facts and photos about the Sunflower.  Hope for the New Year Sunflowers Plant

Zazzle Products from My Photographs

I enjoy making cards and other Zazzle products from my photos.  Here are a couple I hope you like.



Here some more Zazzle Sunflower gifts from my photographs.

 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


6 comments:

  1. Thank you Mary Beth for including my review within your great review. I love sunflowers all the time and find that they are a great source of joy. In my own garden I would leave a few heads attached and the birds, squirrels and other small animals would come to enjoy the bounty from those amazing seed heads. You can also dry them as you stated and put them out during the winter months for the birds to come and feed from. Love this review!

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  2. Fascinating article about the sunflower, Mary Beth. I knew the Sunflower was the state flower of Kansas, but did not know all these facts about how they grow. I still have - and cherish - the Zazzle Sunflower magnet you sent me as a housewarming gift when I moved back to the Midwest. Your Sunflower photos made gorgeous gifts.

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  3. Sunflowers are very calming. I'm not very informed on their growing process; there's a lot more to their growth stages than I realized. They're so pretty. Your sunflower products features are lovely - can you imagine an entire spring table being set-up in a sunflower theme - cups, plates, table cloth - I'd go overboard I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I enjoyed reading your review about these beautiful Sunflowers. I love to grow sunflowers and they always bring joy to my heart, such gorgeous uplifting flowers. Even after flowering, they are so welcome for the seed feast they give to the birds. Your photos and Zazzle items are really lovely and would be beautiful gift ideas.

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  5. Until today, I only observed sunflowers once they were fully bloomed, and I have had sunflowers in my own yard in years past. However, your photos have shown me the beauty of the entire flowering process and I find the photos of their reproductive stage to be stunningly beautiful. I will never look at the sunflower buds the same way again. Thank you for showing the various stages, increasing my knowledge and leading me to appreciate the entire life of the sunflower.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mary Beth, thank you so much for this wonderfully informative and beautifully illustrated review. You have given me a much better understanding of the sunflower’s lifecycle that will certainly enhance my appreciation of this cheerful, striking flower at different stages of its maturation when I am lucky enough to encounter some. I plan to share this post with a sunflower-loving friend. I’m sure she will enjoy it, too. 🌻🌻🌻

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