Sun's Effect on Hosta Leaf Color

First Frost Hosta with Leaf Color change from sun

Sun's Effect on Hosta Leaf Color

Hostas plants continue to be a favorite perennial plant for plenty of reasons. Their toughness, beauty, ease of care and variety of great sizes, leaf colors and shapes make it one of the best plants for a shade or semi-shade garden.

Contrary to what some people may think, though, no hosta will survive, much less thrive, in complete shade. All plants need some sunlight to photosynthesize.

Best Care for Your Potted Hostas

To keep your hostas healthy and beautiful as they grow in pots, there are a few Hosta plants are beautiful anywhere, but I think they're even more so when they are planted in pots, especially when the pots are placed at eye level. In my opinion, there's no better way to show off a hosta's great foliage.

Variegated Hosta next to a Solid Leafed Hosta

Fertilizing Your Hosta Plants

It's no surprise that hostas continue to be one of the most popular perennial plants in a variety of gardens. Their beauty, toughness, and ease of care make them well suited for a shady or partly sunny area, and they will quickly become even a new gardener's favorite plant!

But how can you keep those beautiful hostas thriving year after year?

Birdhouse Collection of Different Heights

How to Clean Birdhouses, Birdbaths and Bird Feeders

One of my favorite parts of being out in the garden is listening to the sounds of nature, especially the chirping of birds. The last thing I want to do is make them sick by not giving my feathered visitors clean birdhouses, feeders and watering holes.

When I have the time to sit back and enjoy what I've created in my garden, one of my favorite things to do is enjoy the sights and sounds of the birds. Growing sunflowers is one of the best ways I have found to draw the feathery visitors in.

Which birds do sunflowers attract?

A variety of birds can be attracted to a garden by growing sunflowers. These include Cardinals, Chickadees, Titmice, House Finches, Grosbeaks, Nuthatches, Goldfinches, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Pine Siskins, to name a few.

Why are sunflower seeds nutritious for birds?

Sunflower seeds are rich in protein, vitamin B-complex, Vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, and Zinc.

Not every sunflower type is the best food source for birds. Ornamental sunflowers, although they come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, produce edible seeds, but they're very small.

If you're looking for sunflower varieties to harvest for nutritional edible seeds for both birds and humans, here are some great choices.

Taller Edible Choices

Mammoth Russian

A favorite of bird lovers for years; single head.Height: 12 to 15 feet

Flower Head Size: 15” Thin shelled, plump, meaty seeds.

Mammoth Gray Stripe

Long blooming sunflower from summer to fall; single head.

Height: 8-12 feet

Flower Head Size: 10-12”

Giganteus

Blooms early to late summer; single head, generous seeds.Height: 10 feet

Flower Head Size: 12”

Kong Hybrid

Kong Hybrid forms a massive wall of foliage. Rapid grower; branching.Height: 8-15 feet

Flower Head Size: 10”

Note: Pinch at 5 feet tall to create a tall, dense hedge.

Sunzilla

One of the tallest sunflowers. Very productive with large yellow blooms.

Height: 12 - 16 feet

Flower Head Size: 18-24”

Hopi Black Dye

An old heirloom. Seeds are used by Native Americans for dyeing wool and baskets.

Generally single-headed, but is occasionally multi-headed with varying size heads.

Height: 7-11 feet

Flower Head Size: 5 - 13” Seeds are purple to black

And if you are just starting to grow sunflowers for the birds, you can start by purchasing seed to get the birds used to an area.

Shorter, Easy-to-Reach Edible Cultivars

The shorter varieties have larger, plumper seeds that were bred for snack use.

Super Snack Mix Hybrid

Height: 5 – 6 feet

Flower Head Size: 10”; single head

Seeds: Huge seeds which are easy to crack open.

Royal Hybrid

Traditional type variety with larger seeds.Height: 7 Feet

Flower Head Size: 8”

Seeds: High seed productivity, grey striped.

Sowing Your Sunflower Seeds

When to Sow

It's a good idea to sow sunflower seeds as early as your weather will allow. The taller varieties need 100+ days from seed to harvest and the shorter varieties need at least 75 days.

For a longer harvesting season, succession sow several batches of sunflowers over a five to six-week period or sow them indoors earlier as described below.

Direct Sowing into the garden

Sow sunflower seeds in a half-inch deep furrow, 6” apart then cover them with 1/2” to 1" of soil, depending on the seed size. Thin to 2 feet apart when the first true leaves appear. The temperature of the soil should be +70 degrees for good germination.

Since sunflowers have a long taproot, it is advisable to loosen the soil up to one and a half to two feet in depth. Adding compost and manure to the sowing area will promote vigorous growth and meatier seeds.

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Winter Sowing

If you haven't tried winter sowing, you're in for a treat. This method is especially good for sowing herbs, vegetables and flowers. Winter sowing is basically sowing seeds in the bottom of milk jugs in the winter, setting the milk jugs outside for the winter and leaving them there until the seeds germinate in the Spring.

For our article containing detailed information about Winter Sowing, click here.

To watch our 30 minute video on how to winter sow, click here.

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The soil needs to be well-drained. Soil with poor drainage can stunt a sunflower's growth.

Large Trays for Sunflower Sowing

Indoor Sowing

Sow indoors to get a jump on the season 2-3 weeks before your last expected frost date. Keep moist under strong lights until planting out when all danger of frost has passed. Transplant carefully.

Winter Sowing

If you haven't given winter sowing a try, you will find that winter sowing sunflowers is very easy. See our full winter sowing article by clicking here.

Caring for your Sunflowers as they grow

Sun

Full sun. Optimally at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. They LOVE the heat.

Water

Sunflowers benefit from periodic deep waterings. They can withstand hot, dry weather. When the heads first appear, do not overwater since the heads may deform.

Mulch

2” for water retention.

Wind Protection

Shelter from high winds that can bend and break young stems.

Staking

Stake the sunflowers every 12" with soft ties or these great stakes.

Fertilizing

When the second set of leaves appear, fertilize the plants with a slow-release fertilizer 8” deep into the soil. Sunflowers are heavy feeders, so a second application mid-season may be necessary.

Protecting the Sunflower Seed Heads

Of course, you can leave your sunflowers in place and naturally feed the birds through the season. If you want to be able to harvest and save some seeds for later feedings or sowings, though, you will need to protect the developing seed heads by wrapping them in cheesecloth, netting or tying paper bags around the stems.

Allow three weeks to a month drying time before picking them.

When to Harvest

You'll know when it's time to harvest your sunflower seeds when you see the backs of the blooms are brown and the sunflowers are dying back. The seeds should appear plump and somewhat loose at this stage.

Cut the stalk about one foot below the flower head. Hang the sunflower heads upside down in a dry place until the seeds are completely ripe and dry.

Drying Sunflower Seeds for Later Use

Rinse the seeds, dry thoroughly in a single layer and store in an airtight container.

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Growing sunflowers is a great way to not only add beauty to your garden, but to attract some great birds! Start growing some today!

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When is it Time to Divide my Hosta?

Hostas continue to be one of the most popular and easy-to-care-for perennials in Zone 3 through 8 gardens. It's no secret that many gardeners want to divide their hostas to spread the hosta love around their own garden or to share divisions with other hosta lovers.

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