STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — When something’s troubling my boys before bedtime, I tell them to imagine being someplace else — to think of cupcakes with lots of fluffy white frosting and of walking through purple-hued hills of fragrant lavender — until their minds settle into a better place. Well, after a week of ups and downs in the restaurant news plus a 9/11 somberness, I will take that advice and turn to the sunflowers around Staten Island for a momentary little lift.
James Hannah of Tottenville observes the self-pollinating blooms in his own fruitful garden. He shared, “Sunflowers in our yard are now fully-blossomed, with the seed heads drying. Two good varieties are, for the biggies, Mammoth and, for multiple heads with mahogany-colored petals, Velvet Queen.”
A sixth generation Staten Islander and avid grower, Hannah explains the phenom of a Helianthus and how to manage them.
Dwarf sunflowers in Dongan Hills (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)
He notes, “Each seed in the seed head has a small flower. That dries up eventually. The stem holding the seed head will also lose its green color and dry up. When that has happened, cut off the seed head and brush off the dried-up small flowers. Then let the seed head dry further, preferably indoors.”
Hannah said that after about two weeks, the seeds will be easily detachable. He instructs, “Save them in a cool, dry place until next season. That’s all there is to it. Do get to the seed head before the birds and squirrels do, though. If need be, wrap the seed head in protective netting.”
The flower head of a sunflower is called the Inflorescence whereas the outer petals are called the Ray floret. In the middle of the bloom is the pollen. (Dr. Gracelyn Santos/Staten Island Advance)
Hannah starts the seeds in spring in individual 2-inch wide containers with potting soil.
“The plastic four-packs of commercial growers work well, too. They germinate in a couple of days. They need sunlight to avoid getting leggy. When the second leaves are well-developed, they can be planted out,” he said.
Hannah adds a hopeful note. He says, “There’s still some growing weather ahead, so sunflowers should make it to full blossom.” Next up: he says it’s time to plant fall lettuce.
Four years old and in awe of a sunflower at the Decker Farm. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)
Whether or not they get to the seed stage, sunflowers are a triumphant piece of a garden, the culmination of a whole summer’s worth of weeding and watering.
After such fierce winds and rain from Hurricane Ida this week, it’s a small miracle that one, 8- or so foot specimen still stands in our West Brighton yard. Its yellow petals bring me fully back to the days we spent with our boys at the Decker Farm and how the sunflowers dwarfed their then-toddler bodies.
It’s encouraging to see Mother Nature carrying on as usual, as she would any other September, just bringing our attention to another fruitful season.
Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
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September 05, 2021 at 05:00PM
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