Kanepi farmers invite public to pick sunflowers before season ends

Farmers in Kanepi parish have decided to open their sunflower field to everyone wishing to pick flowers and enjoy their beauty, before autumn weather brings the season to a close.

The field, previously known in past years as a hemp maze, has this year been turned into a roughly one-hectare sunflower field. According to a report by "Aktuaalne Kaamera", local residents are already making active use of the opportunity, with many stopping by on their way to work. Ahead of the start of the school year, sunflowers were used to decorate the local school, and recently a group from the Kanepi kindergarten visited the field to gather flowers for an autumn exhibition at the kindergarten.

Grown as a cover crop

In Estonia, sunflower seeds usually do not have time to ripen due to insufficient warmth, so the plant is grown as an intermediate, or cover, crop. Kaido Kõiv, owner of the Kellamäe farm, explained that in the region's grey climate, sunshine is scarce, so a blooming yellow field brings people joy and lets them take a bit of sunshine home with them.

According to farm owner Jaak Kõiv, about 20 percent of the sunflowers have been picked so far, so visitors are still welcome to come and gather flowers. He advises choosing smaller blooms rather than the largest ones, since bigger flowers tend to look less attractive. After cutting a flower, the stem should be trimmed slightly and placed in warm water before being moved to a vase; with this care, flowers can stay fresh for up to two weeks.

The sunflower season is nearing its end. In a couple of weeks, the field is expected to be processed with a shredder, turning the plants into green fertilizer that will then be plowed into the soil to add nutrients. Next year, the farmers are considering planting a grain crop on the field instead.