An Easy Way to Brighten Your Home

Discover the treasure of fiery, bi-color sunflowers with their 5-inch diameter blooms in yellow and deep orange-red, perfect for creating vibrant bouquets. Enjoy filling your home with these warm, sunny arrangements. For an exquisite display, pair them with ‘Sallyfun Blue Emotion’ salvia in a vase.

How to Sow and Plant Sunflowers

Sunflowers thrive when directly sown in the garden after the last frost:

• Plant seeds in average soil and full sun once frost danger has passed.
• Choose a well-drained site, as sunflowers face the sun and require an open garden area. Taller varieties should be planted at the north end to prevent shading other plants.
• Prepare soil by removing weeds and incorporating organic matter into the top 6-8 inches. Level and smooth the soil.
• Organic matter like compost enriches soil with nutrients and ideal pH. If compost isn’t available, top-dress soil after planting with 1-2 inches of organic mulch, which will gradually break down.
• Sow seeds ½ inch deep in groups of 2 or 3, spacing groups 18-24 inches apart depending on the variety.
• Lightly firm soil, water thoroughly, and maintain even moisture.
• Seedlings emerge in 7-10 days. Thin to one plant per group when seedlings develop two sets of leaves.

How to Grow

• Control weeds to avoid competition for water, space, and nutrients. Cultivate regularly or use mulch to prevent weed seeds from germinating.
• Mulch helps retain soil moisture and stabilize soil temperature. Use organic mulch like shredded leaves for an aesthetic and soil-improving effect. Ensure mulch does not touch plant stems to prevent potential rot.
• Keep soil evenly moist without overwatering.
• Established sunflowers tolerate drought conditions.
• Only fertilize poor soil sparingly; avoid over-fertilization.
• Monitor for pests and diseases; consult local Cooperative Extension Services for pest control recommendations.
• Some varieties produce a single bloom; remove plants after blooming to prevent disease in subsequent years.

Tips

• Edible sunflowers mature within 3 months after sowing. Harvest seeds after flower heads dry but before fall or winter rains. Look for mature flower heads with shrunken florets and yellowing backs. Cut with a foot of stalk attached, then dry seeds in a warm, dry, ventilated area protected by cheesecloth, netting, or a perforated paper bag.
• Shorter sunflower varieties thrive in containers with commercial potting mix.
• Pollenless varieties are excellent as cut flowers.

FAQs

1. What direction do sunflowers face? Sunflowers follow the sun.
2. Are sunflower seeds toxic? No, though only giant sunflower seeds are edible.
3. Why are sunflower seeds hollow? This can result from inadequate pollination; sunflowers rely on insects for pollination. Sunflower moth larvae may also cause tiny holes in seeds.
4. How many flowers does each stem of giant sunflowers produce? Each stem produces one flower.
5. How long do sunflowers bloom? Sunflowers typically bloom for 4-6 weeks.