Haven Sunflowers

currently unavailable Found as a chance seedling in Grand Haven, Michigan, this sunflower is a semi-dwarf plant with both black and striped seeds. After growing out for several years, I have winnowed it down to smaller plants with small heads that ripen early thereby making it possible to harvest in a short period of time in 60 days or less.

Since I have reselected this variety, I am currently hoping to offer some Foundation Seed of it for those interested in continuing the variety. Since covid,  it was impossible to get employees or interns to work on some of my annual crops. This one in particular was inspired by another researcher working on short season crops that offer a potential for oil and edible meal production in cold areas beyond canola. I liked the idea of having a form of auxiliary crop that has a quick turn around and is essentially not the major crop but something that would quickly integrate into a perennial or annual cropping system, yet provides nutrition and of course in this case pollinators. I have found several 30 day plants as well as early ripening larger headed varieties with small seeds high in oil. A new grow out is planned and this grow out, more will be known on the availability and the results of my low tech experiments where selection is done on the basis of plant health and over the top adaptivity from disease and insects as well as drought for short season possibilities. 

To grow: Plant after frost covering the seed with about a half an inch of soil. If in a single row space 6-12 inches apart. The wider spacing produces stronger plants.