Locally Grown Sunflowers
We grow 14 varieties of sunflowers primarily for wholesale customers who are looking for 3"-6" heads with thinner stems. Florists love the upright Horizon and Bravo varieties for the classic upward facing flower that is so easy to add to arrangements and bouquets. We succession plant each week to ensure blooms August through October frost.
Our sunflowers are special because of the care we take to ensure our customers have the longest lasting flowers to sell as bouquets or use in design work. All stems are pollen free hybrids that are harvested just as they are blooming to prevent insect damage and are fully hydrated in the field for straight stems. We work with each florist to determine the best stage of harvest for their needs.
Sunflowers are sold in loose buckets or in premade bunches and we appreciate weekly standing orders but are able to plant for a specific date with two months notice.
Sunflower bunches are available through stores and farmstands through out the region. We also sell off our porch in West Winfield, NY.
The stages of harvest of a sunflower. We cut them just as two petals are lifting off the head to prevents damage, then open in the studio. We sell them just as the open petals set back so that there is at least a week of enjoyment for each bunch. As they fill in the center, we stop selling about a quarter of the way full. Notice that the bugs have munched on the petals at this stage. If we wait for them to open this much in the field, they are often already damaged. The last image is a blown out sunflower that will last just a few days in the vase.
