info about sunflowers?

Question

1.wanting to know if sunflowers are a good flower to plant in front of a fence? 2. do sunflowers attract lots of bugs? 3. and any other good info anyone has about them thanks

Answer 1

Yes Sunflowers are great for planting in front of a fence and I also recommend planting a multi-branching variety because as the single headed variety gets larger the head begins to lean over and fall.

The multi-branching sunflower can support itself, produces lots of blooms and can fill an empty space quite nicely.

Keep in mind this variety spreads as it grows so do not plant them closer together than 2.5 ft, trust me on that.

My favorite is the Mexican Torch sunflower which produces lots of Orange sunflowers which attract bees & Butterflies. People have stopped to ask what kind of plant is that. The first year I planted them I fertilized them with "Once" and the grew to 6 ft. and looked like a wall of flowers.

After that its the Autumn Beauty which will produce a variety of colors (Yellow, burgundgy, red-brown) on a single stalk

Answer 2

I love sunflowers. There are many varieties. I do not grow the large sunflowers because they look gangly and half dead most of the time and reach heights of 8 feet. By your fence, you would want a smaller sunflower that has branching heads. Just look at the descriptions on the seed packets or in the catalogs. I find that the squirrels are more of a pest than the insects. When the sunflower heads begin to ripen, the squirrels will attack the heads, gnaw on them, even chew them off and take them away. Some sunflowers also leak oil from the seeds which seems to "poison" the ground underneath them. I dont think poison is a good word but undergrowth is discouraged by this oil. I love sunflowers, plant them every year and dont care much about the squirrel damage because they dont bother the flowers. I plant what are called "oilers." If the squirrels dont get the heads, I dry the heads and have birdseed for the winter for my permanent bird residents.

Answer 3

I am absolutely shocked that with all of the great answers you've been given that no one mentioned to ask you in which direction your fence was facing. Sunflowers when they first pop up out of the ground the heads will start to turn towards where the sun rises. If the side of your fence that you look at is facing the west and you plant your seeds in front of it when they start growing the heads will be facing over the fence backwards or toward the east. I know this because I had huge sunflowers that I wanted my daughter to take a picture of me with and I had to stand ******** and try to twist them around without tearing them up My arms are all tangled looking in that picture. But the flowers are beautiful and my favorite. But trust me they will face where the sun comes up first. Unless you plant them in pots and after they grow you can set them in front of your fence still in their pots. If your fence faces that direction then you've got it made. Ever notice how a huge flower can stay so upright on a small stem? Those heads get heavy and eventually will droop some but for the most part they remain up. That was God's planning not ours. Oh and I think you'll have more birds and bees than any other creatures.

Answer 4

Sunflowers do attract ants and bees. Yes they are a good plant in front of a fence because they have a shallow root system and they grow straight. Watch them once they have flowered and cut off and spent flowers or they will seed and you will have sunflowers absolutely every where.

Answer 5

Sunflowers are very pretty with their varieties especially growing them in front of fence. They attract bees. It is normal.

Answer 6

Yes they are but can be difficult to mow around. I usually plant mine in the garden or near the house and in flower beds. They don't attract alot of bugs....mostly BEES (they LOVE them). Also, they're very pretty and you can actually eat the seeds. I have planted them every Spring for a long time now.

Answer 7

they attract bugs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!