How to Pick Sunflowers

Sunflowers are beautiful and get their name from their resemblance to the sun. They flower in summer and enjoy full sun to grow. Sunflowers an annuals and need replanting every year. If you want to beautify your home, read on to learn how to pick sunflowers.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hand clippers
• Garden gloves
• Vase
• Room temperature water

1. 

   Take a sharp pair of hand clippers.

2. Measure from the end of the flower down to the desired length of the stalk.

3. Angle the clippers downward and clip the stalk. Clipping the stalk at an angle helps keep the pathways open for the plant to drink water from a vase.

4. Place the picked sunflower in a vase with room temperature water.

5. Place vase in full sunlight for optimal life.

Tips & Warnings

• Harvesting sunflower seeds from your sunflowers is a great way of making the enjoyment of your flowers last longer. Some can be put aside to plant next year, others can be used in various health food alternatives.
• Sunflower oil is a great cooking oil. The oil is also used in margarine and can be used for biodiesel.
• Sunflower seeds are a wonderful snack, and are even sold covered with chocolate.
• Sunflower seeds have been used in a peanut butter alternative called sunbutter.
• There is also a bread made of sunflowers that is sold in health food stores.