Helianthus, is the genus to which the sunflower belongs. It is a combination of two words viz., Helios meaning sun and Anthos meaning flower. It is the national flower of Ukraine and dates back to nearly 3000 years.
The Great Russian ruler Peter, while visiting Holland, was so fascinated by its charm, that he took sunflower seeds back with him to Russia. The first evidence of domestication of the sunflower as a crop comes from the region called Mesoamerica, as early as 2600 B.C. It has been found that the natives of this region consumed the seeds of the sunflower plant as they were rich in calcium. Apart from being used for consumption purposes, the plant had numerous other uses, especially for native Americans - a dye of yellow color was extracted from its petals, oil that was extracted was used for painting the body during religious ceremonies, the stems produced an extraordinarily light fiber, and the time of the blooming of the flowers determined dates in the hunting calendar. A sunflower head is made up of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers, that are joined at the base. The large petals that are found around the edge are individual ray flowers, which do not develop into seeds. A single sunflower can have up to 2,000 seeds.
A domesticated sunflower has a single stem and a large seed-head. This is in contrast to the wild variety that is highly branched with small heads and seeds. A sunflower plant can grow from 3 feet to 18 feet tall, and requires only 90 to 100 days to mature.
The cherry fruit is part of the Rosaceae family which also includes almonds, peaches, apricots and plums.
They are small and fleshy, red or reddish black fruits that contain a hard seed on the inside. It is believed the Romans discovered this fruit in Asia Minor around 70 BC. They then introduced these cherries to Britain in the first century AD. Available in many species, the two kinds that are commonly eaten are the wild or sweet cherry Prunus avium and the sour cherry Prunus Cerasus. Cherries are known to have a very short fruiting season. Areas of Northern America see these cherries as the first ones to ripen amongst other fruits; therefore the term 'in cherry condition' has been derived which means something new.
Michigan has around 35,000 acres of tart cherry trees. This place grows almost 75% of the tart cherries which are produced in the United States. The Traverse City is therefore called the Cherry Capital of the World. Depending on the conditions of the growth, about 7,000 cherries grow on an average tart cherry tree. A cherry pie is made out of about 250 cherries. Thus, 28 pies can be made with the cherries from one tree.
150 to 200 pounds of tart cherries are produced annually in Michigan which has almost 4 million cherry trees.
Raspberry agreeably tastes best in its original form as is the case with many other fruits, it can also be used to make some scrumptious desserts.
Raspberry can be grown in vegetable gardens or greenhouses. In terms of fruit bearing, there are two raspberry types, namely, June-bearing and fall. The former crop, as the name suggests, bears fruit in June or July; whereas, the latter crop is ever bearing and bears two harvests per season. For better crop yield, it is important that the fruits are not exposed to extreme climates like very hot or cold conditions. Besides this, if the soil is too wet, then the fruits are susceptible to fungal infections. Keeping this in mind, many cultivators prefer crop cultivation during spring or summer. For proper maintenance of the Raspberry plants, it is advisable to prune them to a manageable size using sharp garden tools. While doing so, it is advisable to wear thick gloves to protect from the thorns. Raspberry pruning is done twice a year, first in the late winter or early spring and second in summer.
Strawberry is a small, sweet, fleshy red fruit dotted with small seeds and a tiny green leafy cap.
Strawberries are one of the most attractive fruits and a sure shot favorite of millions. This guide provides information and tips on growing strawberry plants, planting strawberry varieties, how to plant and grow strawberries in containers and hanging pots, and interesting facts about strawberries.The strawberry is a native plant of North America. The name 'strawberry', that it holds is derived from a farmers' practice of mulching the plant with straw. There is one more theory about the origin of the word strawberry. Strawberries being abundant in nature, was not cultivated as a cash-crop. Strawberries strewn among fallen leaves was a common sight in olden days. This might have led to the development of the word strawberry from the two words, 'strewn' and 'berries'. In England, children used to pick strawberries scattered in the wild and sell them in local markets. In order to handle them properly, the strawberries were tied to pieces of straws. Varieties of strawberries are also found in Europe. The history of strawberry in Italy can be traced back to 234 BC.
There are more than 60 species and 8000 varieties of grapes all over the world. Some common varieties of grapes are blue, black, green, red, golden, blue-black, white and purple.
The main two types of grapes are European and American. They come in seedless and seeded varieties.
American grapes are available in September and October, while European grapes are available round the year.The Thompson Seedless is the best selling grape in the USA. Golden raisins are prepared from these types of grapes.The production of grapes is more than 72 million tons all over the world. There are approximately 25 million acres of grapes throughout the world.It takes about 2½ pounds of grapes to produce a bottle of wine.Grapes consist of about 80% of water, which make them a low-calorie snack or dessert. Raisins or dried grapes consist of about 15% of water. It contain flavonoids that give vibrant purple color to grapes, red wine and grape juice.One grape cluster has on an average 75 grapes.
One grape vine can grow up to 50 feet long and can have about 40 clusters of grapes.Eating too many grapes can give a laxative effect. Fresh grapes can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days, when kept in a plastic bag or a covered container.
