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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:Summer is winding down here in the Northern Hemisphere. For our readers in the Southern Hemisphere, you're getting anxious to get your hands dirty. Here in the United States, our Labor Day holiday (next Monday) pretty well marks the end of our summer, at least psychologically. This week we take an in depth look at sunflowers, talk about those pesky white deposits on our terra cotta pots, share a reader mailbag item, and more. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor "Exotic & Unusual Seeds from Around the World" 2) Sunflowers:The sunflower is the only crop harvested for seed that was originally domesticated in the United States. The sunflower was a common crop grown by Native Americans.
Throughout much of the United States, wild sunflowers can be found growing in ditches, and other areas. In fact in the native habitat of the U.S., there are over 50 species and 19 subspecies. Since the native sunflower is pollinated by insects, they grew like wild fire. Most commercial sunflowers originated from the wild sunflower. The two types of sunflowers grown commercially in the U.S. are oilseed and confectionery. The oilseed sunflower is a small black seed very high in oil content. Most oilseed sunflowers are processed into sunflower oil and sunflower meal (animal feed). This sunflower kernel has a light color and is low in saturated fat. It has a natural taste and is able to withstand high cooking temperatures. Many people around the world prefer using the oil of this seed for cooking. Confectionery sunflowers are known as non-oilseed sunflowers. They are black and white striped. They are roasted, de-hulled, salted and sold as snacks. The confectionery type is rapidly growing in sales because they are used both for bird and human consumption. All sunflowers do best in soils with adequate water-holding capacity and good fertility. However, they do tolerate a wide range of soil types. Be warned, soil too high in nitrogen will cause excessive plant growth. If you fertilize you sunflowers, use a fertilizer lower in nitrogen, but with a higher phosphorus and potassium content. The plant's roots grow deep in the soil, and spread extensively. This makes them great for withstanding most drought conditions. In your home garden, plant your seeds about one or two inches deep, and space them about 12-inches apart. They will be ready to harvest in mid-September (or so) and can run into October. You can tell when they begin to ripen by checking the florets in the center of the flower disk -- they begin to shrivel and the heads downturn, and it gets a yellow color is on the backside. At that point, you may want to pull a few seeds, split them with a knife to see if the meat is properly filled. It is possible that poorly filled seeds were poorly pollination by bees and insects, but this rarely happens. Raw mature seeds are easily prepared for consumption in your home. Cover the unshelled seeds with salted water (about two quarts of water to about 1/2 cup of salt). Bring the water to a boil and let the seeds simmer for about two hours. Let the seeds soak over night in the salt solution. The next day, drain and let them dry on absorbent paper. Next, put the sunflower seeds in a shallow pan in a 300-degree oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until they turn a golden brown. Take them from the oven and add a teaspoon of butter or margarine to a cup of seeds. Then put them on an absorbent towel and salt to taste. You might want to grow Cumberleaf Sunflower (H. debilis). This is a four-foot plant with multiple branches. It is excellent for cut flowers with a three-inch flower and a purple disk and yellow rays. Another good choice: #D8622 Sunrich Lemon F-1 Hybrid Sunflower This sunflower grows to abut 2-1/2 feet tall. It is very early, pollenless, with a 6-inch bright yellow color. 10 Seeds per Package. $2.90 Are paying too much for long distance? Check out our best rate calculator. Click here or visit http://ld.net/calculator/?goalsmint 3) Humor for Today:A teacher was upset that one little boy was swearing in class. "Todd," she said, "you shouldn't use that kind of language. Where did you hear those words?" "My daddy says that," Todd replied. "Well, that doesn't matter," the teacher explained. "I don't want to hear that language in here again." Turning away, the teacher muttered "At least he doesn't know what it means." "I do, too!" the little boy replied. "It means the car won't start!" 4) Terra Cotta Pot Deposits:
This material is minerals, especially salt, which the pots absorb from water. Plants that come in contact with the crust can wilt and even die. If you've tried to scrub these deposits, you know how difficult they are to get rid of. We just came across this tip. Grab a piece of a candle and place it and the pot in the sun for a couple hours. Rub the warmed candle around the pot rim. This candle waxing of the rim will seal terra cotta so it won't absorb the water that eventually forms the mineral deposits. 5) Are You a Skilled Muskmelon Picker?
But you certainly want to pick the fruit at the right time. Look closely at the muskmelon -- has the background of the shell beneath the webbing turned tan? When the green fades, you're getting close. Second, do the tried and true smell test. A ripe muskmelon will let you know when it's ready by releasing a rich melon scent. Finally, press the base of the stem with your thumb. If the melon slips off easily, grab your favorite melon knife and enjoy. It's not to early to
start planning for your fall decorations. Click Here or visit http://rexseedco.com/art/autumn.htm 6) Quote for Today:"The older I get, the better I was." 7) Reader Mailbag: Hickory Horned Devil"Last week I found this large weird looking caterpillar crawling through my yard. It was about 5-inches long, had horns on its head and had spikes sticking all over it. I took it to the extension office. It turned out that it is a hickory horned devil and regal moth. It was pretty neat. I just wanted to pass it on in case you might be interested." PamThanks, Pam. We have rarely seen this caterpillar. Our readers might be interested in learning about them. The hickory horned devil (citheronia ragalis fabricius) is seldom seen. Their natural range is from the New England States to northern Florida and west to Kansas. It is believed that their population is declining. The first part of their life is spent in black walnut trees, hickory trees, butternut trees, and sometimes in other trees. Hickory horned devils grow from 4 to 5.5-inches in length. The caterpillars range in color from turquoise, to tan and will blend well with the leaves they feed upon. When disturbed, they will rear up and toss their heads violently side-to-side to frighten predators. Hickory horned devils appear ferocious but this is only in appearance. The caterpillars are really harmless. In July or August, hickory horned devils will leave the trees and search for a spot of open ground. This is generally when you'll spot them. They burrow into soft earth to pupate through the winter months. This pupation process will take 11 months to complete. During the morning hours in late spring or early summer, the hickory horned moth will emerge from the its case. The body will be covered with soft orange yellow hair like scales. The wings will be brown with orange veins and yellow spots and have a wingspan of up to 6 inches. After emerging from the soil, at night it will seek a mate. The females will lay eggs about a day later. The moth will survive on food reserves stored during its caterpillar stage. This beautiful moth will only live a few days after it lays its eggs. To view photographs, click
here or visit: 8) Museum of Unnatural Mystery:Maybe you've heard of a natural history museum. Well, have you heard of the Museum of Unnatural Mystery? This website describes itself as "a slightly bizarre, cyberspace, science museum for all ages. Are there really flying saucers? What killed the dinosaurs? Is there something ancient and alive in Loch Ness? The Museum takes a scientific look at these, and other, questions. Feel free to wander our halls and make some serendipitous discoveries." You can visit the Museum
of Unnatural Mystery at: 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times Click Here or send email to subscribegtt@goalsmint.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@goalsmint.com Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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In the 1500's, Spanish explorers took the exotic sunflower plant back
to Europe where it was widely used as an ornamental plant. Early in
the 19th Century, Russian farmers also began growing sunflowers. By
late in the 19th century, Russians were plating over two-million acres
of sunflowers. Russian immigrants re- introduced the sunflower to the
United States as a commercial crop.
In the past we've had tips on the accumulation of white crusty crystals
around the rim of your terra cotta pots. If you've seen these deposits,
you know that your plants may suffer if they touch this stuff.
For anyone who has tried growing muskmelons (a.k.a. cantaloupes),
you know they aren't as easy to tell when ripe as watermelon. With
watermelon, you can tell their ripeness by giving them a good thump
to test for a hollow sound - that won't work with muskmelon. 