tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post8558604284163412068..comments2024-03-28T13:49:48.236+00:00Comments on Magnon's Meanderings: Nearly there.Cro Magnonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-61932157252346844582021-08-13T09:38:52.007+01:002021-08-13T09:38:52.007+01:00I can second that about Real Seeds..quality!I can second that about Real Seeds..quality!gzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08034777779347889773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-44734174067360896452021-08-13T08:06:02.214+01:002021-08-13T08:06:02.214+01:00I should add that this is also true of most non or...I should add that this is also true of most non organic vegetable seeds too as they are mostly F1 hybrids too. For a better explanation I can recommend reading the realseeds website at www.realseeds.co.uk. Ben, one of the owners, is a geneticist. They also produce fabulous gmo free and open pollinating seeds. Note this isn't an advert I have no connection to them other than having purchased off them before.Rohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804288884191121969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-37074224518800106282021-08-13T08:01:27.888+01:002021-08-13T08:01:27.888+01:00Tigger is correct. Sunflowers have both the males ...Tigger is correct. Sunflowers have both the males and female parts in one flower. The seeds in the centre have both male and female parts and technically each one when blooming is a flower in its own right. There can be between 1000 and 5000 per head. The outer petals are know as ray florets. The centre comprises of two opposite helix of tiny flowers. They are easily visible with a magnifying glass. To produce an F1 hybrid, as tigger correctly points out, you need to plant the two varieties to cross pollinate. However one variety has unwanted characteristics and is destroyed. Rohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804288884191121969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-3556834440726459332021-08-13T04:42:10.348+01:002021-08-13T04:42:10.348+01:00The main different is in the seeds themselves, I b...The main different is in the seeds themselves, I believe the male seeds have a black spot; although I haven't actually delved myself.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-87345199529415066512021-08-13T04:40:37.294+01:002021-08-13T04:40:37.294+01:00Talk to it sweetly; it'll grow!Talk to it sweetly; it'll grow!Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-38892867247442672182021-08-13T00:27:49.376+01:002021-08-13T00:27:49.376+01:00Hah! THAT I did know. I read something once that t...Hah! THAT I did know. I read something once that the sunflowers not only followed followed the sun but that in the absence of the sun the turned to face each other. It was one of the 'Isn't nature wonderful?' Things that was supposed to give you the warm fizzles. I rained on the parade by pointing out that it wasn't so.Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531125606268748793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-16574588570051023962021-08-12T23:07:22.423+01:002021-08-12T23:07:22.423+01:00Until I read this post I thought that each sunflow...Until I read this post I thought that each sunflower had both male and female features - not realising that male and female flowers could be quite different.Yorkshire Puddinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06019673884543913089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-68641878316859904182021-08-12T15:44:55.190+01:002021-08-12T15:44:55.190+01:00I have one flower it’s 2 inches I have one flower it’s 2 inches John Going Gentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14958171262765033946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-60409320536430940782021-08-12T15:02:20.245+01:002021-08-12T15:02:20.245+01:00Along with Maize, it's now a major crop in thi...Along with Maize, it's now a major crop in this area.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-53454325562069680122021-08-12T15:00:59.211+01:002021-08-12T15:00:59.211+01:00We are bottling sunshine to take with us!We are bottling sunshine to take with us!Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-14625600939040568432021-08-12T14:42:14.469+01:002021-08-12T14:42:14.469+01:00Very interesting facts about growing sunflowers. ...Very interesting facts about growing sunflowers. Rarely do I see sunflowers growing en mass in this area. Single stems (or pots) are sold at the garden centers. Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14473063249106111719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-11824346784377241962021-08-12T14:12:06.818+01:002021-08-12T14:12:06.818+01:00They aren't male seeds - just a different vari...They aren't male seeds - just a different variety with good pollen but inconsistent or poor results (lower oil content, smaller seeds, yucky taste, low yield - who knows. They just don't want them back in the seed distribution chain.)Tigger's Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15829665785202495073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-32695966068633536882021-08-12T12:41:56.643+01:002021-08-12T12:41:56.643+01:00To cheer you up, as you slide towards the depths o...To cheer you up, as you slide towards the depths of winter, it will be even worse in Old Blighty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-50497892811934305962021-08-12T12:24:27.694+01:002021-08-12T12:24:27.694+01:00I have seen them growing in the UK (on TV), but th...I have seen them growing in the UK (on TV), but they didn't look as healthy as the one's here.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-13878113968055695202021-08-12T12:22:56.450+01:002021-08-12T12:22:56.450+01:00I hope one of your questions is 'Do the flower...I hope one of your questions is 'Do the flowers follow the sun?'. The answer is No. They do before they fully flower, then once flowered they face due East.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-51972897403568502202021-08-12T11:36:47.143+01:002021-08-12T11:36:47.143+01:00I had no idea about sunflowers Cro - I don't t...I had no idea about sunflowers Cro - I don't think we grow them in the UK yet - certainly not as far North as this, but if the world continues to get warmer then I expect the time will come.The Weaver of Grasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947971556343746883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-29534124399323043222021-08-12T11:17:27.446+01:002021-08-12T11:17:27.446+01:00Well, now I'll be reading up on sunflowers. Yo...Well, now I'll be reading up on sunflowers. Your post has given me lots and lots of questions. Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531125606268748793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-47729329980069406592021-08-12T09:51:48.611+01:002021-08-12T09:51:48.611+01:00Buy fewer but better quality foods. It pays in the...Buy fewer but better quality foods. It pays in the end.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-60602847678002707492021-08-12T09:47:52.852+01:002021-08-12T09:47:52.852+01:00Very sensible Cro. The more I learn about it, the ...Very sensible Cro. The more I learn about it, the more we are staying with Organic and Biodynamic produce. It may cost more but there are plenty of other things I can stop buyinggzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08034777779347889773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-29684034709399813252021-08-12T08:35:38.340+01:002021-08-12T08:35:38.340+01:00I've taken a few of the big male heads to dry ...I've taken a few of the big male heads to dry for the birds. They love them.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-24021447342496009082021-08-12T08:34:18.354+01:002021-08-12T08:34:18.354+01:00I'm not someone who always buys 'organic&#...I'm not someone who always buys 'organic' products regardless, but for Sunflower Oil I would never buy any other.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-14309952232235868592021-08-12T08:32:56.600+01:002021-08-12T08:32:56.600+01:00My mum used to grow sunflowers to feed the seeds t...My mum used to grow sunflowers to feed the seeds to the cockies we had in the aviary. These days it is illegal here to keep large cockatoos in cages no matter how big the cages are. ours were half the backyard so the birds could fly around in them. We only had three birds.Riverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14794655013673748992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-5161242827169412232021-08-12T08:32:33.657+01:002021-08-12T08:32:33.657+01:00That makes sense, but why not harvest the male see...That makes sense, but why not harvest the male seeds separately, and use them for something else.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-16953958260148023012021-08-12T08:28:56.774+01:002021-08-12T08:28:56.774+01:00Yikes. I didn't realise that the sunflower see...Yikes. I didn't realise that the sunflower seeds that I have been eating all these years came from plants treated with Roundup.JayCeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01373622852406554111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5227064496185547313.post-79651950062257977472021-08-12T08:24:18.925+01:002021-08-12T08:24:18.925+01:00It seems to me that your locals are producing firs...It seems to me that your locals are producing first cross hybrid seed. We used to do that to produce a particular variety of cabbage seed. It was formed from the cross of two varieties, but only the seeds of one of those varieties would produce the outcome you wanted. The other variety would have to be destroyed before harvest - they were only there to provide the pollen. The seeds on them would not have the desired hybrid values and so you don't want to them mixed with the harvest.Tigger's Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15829665785202495073noreply@blogger.com