Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: no_akira on January 08, 2018, 23:23

Title: Sunflowers as a structural item on the plot, more than just pretty flowers ?
Post by: no_akira on January 08, 2018, 23:23

If God had asked an Architect to come up with a plant, the winning designer would have been a sunflower...

In my Native American gardening book from 1880 (Hidatsas from Missouri) the very first plant that they sow in the 1st week of April is 'Sunflowers'. I've always thought this strange.

Imagine If I had an early variety of SF that I planted indoors in big pots in m.Feb and then plant out post-last-frost l.April. Along the centre axis of my mounded onion bed, i plant x4 large pot SF. During these early wetter months they would act as moisture pumps reducing the soggy bottomness. Then come may (flowers appear) I lop the head off and strip 60% of the leaves to reduce transpiration and sow beans at there bases.

So Sunflowers can act as Moisture pumps for soggy onion beds and then bean canes...  ;)8)

Title: Re: Sunflowers as a structural item on the plot, more than just pretty flowers ?
Post by: Plot 1 Problems on January 09, 2018, 00:10

It's crazy... but it might just work  :tongue2:

Title: Re: Sunflowers as a structural item on the plot, more than just pretty flowers ?
Post by: sunshineband on January 09, 2018, 15:25

Give it a go!!

Title: Re: Sunflowers as a structural item on the plot, more than just pretty flowers ?
Post by: madcat on January 09, 2018, 17:03

And take some pictures!  I love the idea ...