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Annuals/sunflowers

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Expert: - 5/26/2008


Question
Hi!
Can I mulch my sunflower seedlings with pine straw?  I have prepared the soil with peat moss, fertilizer and regular soil.  Is the pine too acidic for this annual?  Jan

Answer
Sunflowers are tough plants.  They are also annuals.  Give them too much of a good thing, and you may see fewer blooms.  Same rule goes for Petunias, Morning Glories, and many annual flowers.  They bloom best when nutrients are in short supply.  Result is usually that they get a lot of leaves, and not so many flowers.

Pine Straw for your Sunflower is the least of your problems, therefore.

I would avoid it; you may be asking for stem rot.

Don't fertilize this plant again.  Water only -- and only when it wilts.  This is an easy plant to grow.  Too much of a good thing will still be... Too much of a good thing.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER

Annuals

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Long Island Gardener

Expertise

Decisions, decisions... If you can't make up your mind which Annuals to grow, you're not alone. Problem with your new flowering Annuals flats? I`ve been there, done that. Petunias, Sweet Alyssum, Larkspur, Marine Blue Lobelia -- they all grow here at my house on Garden Street on Long Island, N.Y.. Cutting and Cottage Gardens, Sun and Shade Gardens, White Gardens and Night Gardens, I`ve done them all. Annuals are the perfect summer flower, bursting with color June through fall's first frost. I can`t speak on Cactus or tender Tropical Plants -- they don`t grow outside in my Zone 7. I`m no Farmer, so I cannot guide you on Fruits and Vegetables. But whether it`s an Annual you want to start from seed, mail-order or pick up at your local garden center, I can help you grow amazing blooms this Summer. Yes, together, we can turn your neighbors green with envy.

Experience

I have a lifetime of gardening behind me here on the North Shore of Long Island. While I have degrees in related fields, there's nothing like hands-on work to build real knowledge. I stay on top of current science -- there's a boom in research, and Kingdom Plantae is filled with surprises. By the way, I really do live on Garden Street.

Publications
Gannett newspapers, The New York Times, and hundreds of others - but not on Annuals.

Education/Credentials
B.A., botany; graduate credits in European Intellectual History and Political Science; minor coursework in related fields, docent training at our local botanical gardens (required for volunteers). I'm currently working on an advanced biochemistry degree.

Awards and Honors
I could tell you, but then you'd know who I am.

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