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Wednesday 16 March 2022
Sunflowers thrive despite the rain Jenny nicholson In the battle of sunflowers versus slugs, sunflowers have won at Eyebright. Eyebright owner Peter Owen says it’s been a challenging season for sunflowers. The winter was hor-
rendous with wet weather bringing out the slugs. “It hasn’t been a vintage year, but the flowers are looking fantastic.” He says sunflowers are a very reliable plant. “Sometimes people say they planted a sunflower plant and it didn’t grow,” Peter
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says. “What will have happened is slugs will get it when it first comes above ground.” Eyebright grows about 2000 sunflowers annually, and each year the flowers are planted in a different position. “You come unstuck if you don’t
rotate the field. Last year I planted the rows a metre apart and this year sowed them exactly where they weren’t planted last year. The same paddock, but relocated within the paddock.” Although sunflowers can be seen throughout February in local gar-
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Eyebright’s Peter Owen says sunflowers bring cheer on the cooler days. Photo: Sara Hollyman.
dens, Peter times his sunflowers to be in bloom near the start of autumn. “In the summer everyone is busy enjoying themselves at the beach,” he says. “I time mine for when it’s getting a bit nippy and people might need cheering up.”