"Mammoth" Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

What a joy it is to watch Mammoth Sunflowers grow up to 10 to 12 feet tall! You feel like a little ant walking amongst a sunflower forest. Nutritious soil will encourage thick stalks that are able to support the impressive height and weight of these beauties. Mammoth is a confection variety, which means its gray and white striped seeds are for the eating! Flower heads can be dried and deseeded. If you grow Mammoth sunflowers for our furry and feathered friends, leave them out in the garden to provide rich proteins and fats for the long winter ahead. You may even have volunteer flowers next year. Always a welcomed surprise!

Growing Instructions:

Direct seed after last frost OR start indoors in trays 3-4 weeks before last frost date.

Plant 12-18” apart in rows 2’ apart.

Put a bit of balanced compost and sprinkling of woodash in each planting hole. Supplement as needed with compost/nitrogen tea once transplants are well established, about two weeks after transplant.

Harvest Instructions:

Seeds are mature once the petals have fallen and the flower heads are drooping with the weight of ripening seed. You can tell they are ready when the gray striping becomes pronounced. Remove a seed from the flower head and break it open. If it looks plump and well formed, it is time to harvest! Cut the heads and dry thoroughly. Be sure to protect the drying heads from critters. Hanging the flower heads is a good options both for aeration while drying and vermin control. Once the large flower heads are thoroughly dried, it is easy to extract seeds by laying the heads on a cloth and breaking apart with a stick. Store seeds in air tight containers.