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Thread: Why Do Sunflowers Always Face East?

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    Member DR_GONZO's Avatar
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    Why Do Sunflowers Always Face East?

    Anyone? I never realized this until this year. Years past I have always planted them on the east side of the house. They always faced out, which I never gave much thought to. Then this year I planted them in the back yard against the fence thinking they would look nice starring at the house. Yet they all turned towards my neighbor. Towards the east. Weird!

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    Member ForestBird's Avatar
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    "Facing east at sunrise, the sunflower’s head follows the sun across the sky to face west at sunset. This heliotropic movement, called nutation, results from a bending of the stem toward the sunlight; there is asymmetric growth on the shaded side, causing the flowers to be in a position facing toward the sun. Growth is equalized during the night, the stem slowly straightens out and by dawn is facing east again. On a cloudy overcast day, the sunflower remains facing eastward, awaiting the next clear sunrise. The leaves of the sunflower are also heliotropic. If they are removed, the sunflower head would be unable to follow the sun.

    When sunflower plants reach maturity, most flower heads permanently face east while their backs change color from green to yellow. "

    My safflowers do the same thing, but there's enough tree shade toward the West that they quit turning around Noon-1pm .

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    Member speaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DR_GONZO
    Anyone? I never realized this until this year. Years past I have always planted them on the east side of the house. They always faced out, which I never gave much thought to. Then this year I planted them in the back yard against the fence thinking they would look nice starring at the house. Yet they all turned towards my neighbor. Towards the east. Weird!
    Well, they may be of the Muslim faith.

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    Member wheresthesun's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by speaker
    Well, they may be of the Muslim faith.
    Yes, historically, they are of the Muslim faith.
    Madsci.com said this: The orientation of
    the sunflower to the sun is a direct result of the direction of light. The
    actual movement of the flower occurs as a result of motor cells in a
    structure called the pulvinus.

    Really??? I didn't know they were all male.

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    Member DR_GONZO's Avatar
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    Cool, thanks folks! I had thought mine just didn't like me or something. It was while driving I noticed just about everyone who had sunflowers, they were all facing east. One of those things that you never real notice unless it affects yourself in some way or another.

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    Member speaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wheresthesun
    Yes, historically, they are of the Muslim faith.
    Madsci.com said this: The orientation of
    the sunflower to the sun is a direct result of the direction of light. The
    actual movement of the flower occurs as a result of motor cells in a
    structure called the pulvinus.

    Really??? I didn't know they were all male.
    Let's face it---there's gotta be a loose female or two in the patch, somewhere.

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    Member granpabob's Avatar
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    they are begging albany for more funds
    One good thing about growing old is your secrets are safe with your friends they can't remember them either

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    How will they grow if faced west?

    What happens if you plant them next to your house (against the house) on the west side of your house?

    How will they face east then?
    Youth and beauty is sexy...
    engineering a system by which one can deliver running water throughout an estate is sexier.

    Leonardo da Vinci

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    Member speaker's Avatar
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    Ah--we're safe on this subject, huh, truebe?

    Well, if they're planted on the west side of a house they'll risk popping a cervical disk--nos 3 & 4, I believe. Have to wear a neckbrace.

  10. #10
    Member DR_GONZO's Avatar
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    I'm going to try the west side next year, truebe. Just one or two. The rest will go back to the east side of the homestead.

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    I will also plant some sunflowers on the west side

    I think I will also plant some sunflowers on the west side of my house next year. I will have a mini neck brace prepared just in case…LOL…

    On another note…
    Can you save the seeds from a green pepper and plant them next year? I always wonder. A friend said I would have to dry them properly.
    Youth and beauty is sexy...
    engineering a system by which one can deliver running water throughout an estate is sexier.

    Leonardo da Vinci

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    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    A friend gave me a garden book to read and it said you can acutally bring your pepper plants indoors for the winter and replant them again in the spring for a head start.

    Mine are already in pots so I'll see if I have a spot in the house to have 4 of them near a window.

  13. #13
    Member DR_GONZO's Avatar
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    I dry my hot pepper seeds every year and plant them the following year with no problems. I try to keep the clump of seeds together and lay them on a napkin on the desk until they are dried.

    Be careful with bringing the plants inside. There are all sorts of bugs and critters that end up flying/crawling around the house. Does anyone know if there is something you can spray not only on the plant, but the dirt as well, without killing the plant before bringing it into the house? I'd love to take some of my peppers inside.

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    Can I just start growing in the house?

    Can I just start growing in the house? Will they bloom in the house or do they have to be out side?
    House peppers? Or House tomatoes?

    My grandfather was from Sicily and he had the best spaghetti sauce I ever had. Now I like to make it, but it takes a lot of things including 30 hours on the stove.
    If there is a way to simply grow these things all year long in the house, that would be awesome and save me a lot of money. Canning can be expensive.
    Youth and beauty is sexy...
    engineering a system by which one can deliver running water throughout an estate is sexier.

    Leonardo da Vinci

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    Member speaker's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=truebe]I think I will also plant some sunflowers on the west side of my house next year. I will have a mini neck brace prepared just in case…LOL…[QUOTE]

    Ooohkay!

    If I hear the flower police have picked up someone for abuse, or even cruelty to sunflowers, I'll know who it is!!

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