Plant sunflowers in pots
Growing Sunflowers in Pots: A Step-by-Step Guide
Cheerful and charming, sunflowers are one of the most popular – and easiest! – annual plants to grow. There are pint-sized sunflowers that grow just a foot tall and giant varieties that reach for the sky, but you don’t need a big garden to grow sunflowers. These classic summer bloomers can be planted in plastic pots, fabric planters, or even buckets. Keep reading to learn more about growing sunflowers in pots.
Suntastic sunflower is an All-America Selections winning variety that is short in stature, but big on charm. (Photo courtesy of National Garden Bureau)Why grow sunflowers in pots
There are many reasons to grow sunflowers in pots, but perhaps the best reason is space. Sunflower plants can take up a lot of room in the garden, but there are many compact and container-friendly varieties available to plant in pots. Sunflowers not only brighten up a sunny deck, patio, or balcony, but the blooms also attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, and can be clipped for summer bouquets. Need more reasons to plant sunflowers in pots? They’re also an easy flower to grow and drought, insect, and disease-resistant.
Selecting containers for growing sunflowers in pots
Success growing sunflowers in pots starts with choosing the best containers. I have a rag-tag collection of plastic containers, fabric pots, and terra cotta planters in my garden shed and all can be used for growing sunflowers in pots. The two biggest considerations when selecting containers is size and drainage. Start by reading the seed packet description to see how large your chosen sunflower variety will grow. Is it a dwarf sunflower? Or a single stem tall variety? Is it a large, branching sunflower? By matching the mature size of the variety to the size of the pot you can be assured you’re providing enough space for healthy root growth. I generally plant sunflowers in 7 gallon to 10 gallon fabric pots or plastic containers that are at least 10 to 12 inches in diameter.
Or perhaps you want to grow several sunflowers in a single window box or planter.
Again, look to the seed packet to learn the mature size of the sunflower variety so you can figure out how far apart to space each seed. To make it easier, I’ve got a handy seed spacing guide below.
The other consideration when selecting a container is drainage. Sunflowers need well-draining soil so a pot that has ample holes for water drainage is essential. If the pot doesn’t have any drainage holes, you’ll need to add some to the bottom or choose another pot. It’s easy to add drainage holes to a plastic pot, window box, or bucket using a drill and 1/2 inch drill bit.
Sunfinity sunflower is a stunning multi-branched variety that can be grown in pots on a deck or patio with direct sunlight. (Photo courtesy of National Garden Bureau)The best soil for growing sunflowers in pots
Sunflowers grow best in a loose potting mix amended with organic matter like compost or aged manure. When growing sunflowers in pots I fill my containers with a blend that is roughly 50% good quality potting mix and 50% compost.
I also add a slow-release organic flower fertilizer to the growing medium to ensure my sunflowers have plenty of nutrients to promote healthy growth and big flowers.
The best site for growing sunflowers
Sunflowers, as the name suggests, are light-loving plants that need full sun to grow well. The best site for growing sunflowers in pots is one that provides at least 6 to 8 hours of direct light each day. If grown in less light you may find the stalks stretch and topple over as they reach for the sun.
You can direct sow sunflower seeds in containers or pick up transplants from a local garden centre or nursery.Types of sunflowers to plant in pots
Sunflowers can be categorized by their flower production or height and these characteristics can help you select the best types to grow in containers. You can buy sunflower seeds from seed catalogs or pick up packets from your favorite local nursery.
Sunflowers by flower production:
- Single stem sunflowers – Single stem varieties are often grown for cut flower production as they produce one high-quality bloom per stalk.
These varieties are easy to grow in pots. For a non-stop display of color all summer long, succession plant single stem sunflowers every two weeks from late spring through early to mid-summer. - Branching sunflowers – These varieties can also be grown in pots, but they do produce sizeable plants with continuous blooms. Once again, match the pot size to the mature size of the variety. Expect up to several dozen, often smaller, flowers per stalk. The individual stems of branching sunflowers aren’t as long as single stalk varieties, but they can be cut for bouquets or left in the garden for the bees and butterflies.
Sunflowers by height:
- Dwarf sunflowers – Sunflowers that grow between 12 to 42 inches tall are classified as dwarf varieties. They make excellent pot plants alone or in combination with other sunflower varieties or annual flowers.
- Tall sunflowers – The height of tall sunflowers varies, but varieties that grow taller than 42 inches are considered tall sunflowers.
When to plant sunflowers in pots
Sunflowers are heat loving plants and direct seeded once the last frost has passed in spring. You can get a head start on the flowering season by sowing the seeds indoors under grow lights. Sow the seeds in 4 inch pots 2 to 3 weeks before the frost date, but don’t start them indoors too early. Pot-bound sunflower seedlings are sensitive to transplanting which can impact the mature plant and flower size.
How to plant sunflowers in pots
When you’re ready to plant your pots, fill them with the growing medium and grab your seed packets. If you want a head-start on the blooming season, you’ll find seedlings of container-friendly varieties like Sunfinity at local nurseries.
Keep in mind that the mature height of the flower stalk and the mature size of the flower head are dependant on plant spacing.
If you crowd sunflowers in their containers you’ll end up with shorter plants and smaller flowers. Give them space to grow if you want full-sized plants and blooms. To direct sow, plant sunflower seeds a 1/2 inch deep. To learn how far apart to plant sunflowers, check out my handy spacing guide below:
- Single stem tall sunflowers – Space plants 8 inches apart, or grow one plant in a 3 gallon pot, or three plants in a 10 gallon pot.
- Single stem dwarf sunflowers – Space plants 6 inches apart, or grow one plant in a 1 gallon pot, or three plants in a 5 gallon pot.
- Branching tall sunflowers – Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart or grow one plant in a 7 to 10 gallon pot.
- Branching dwarf sunflowers – Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart, or grow one plant in 3 gallon pot, or 3 plants in a 7 gallon pot.
- Giant sunflowers – Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart or grow one plant in a 10 to 15 gallon pot.
Growing sunflowers in pots
Once the seeds sprout, sunflowers need regular water to help them form sturdy stalks and large flowers. You’ll have to water sunflowers planted in pots more often than those grown in garden beds. This is because pots dry out quicker. Watering frequency depends on the weather as well as plant and pot size. I check soil moisture by sticking my index finger into the growing medium. If it’s dry an inch down I’ll water.
Sunflowers aren’t plagued by many pests but it’s a good idea to watch for insects like aphids which can cluster on the growing tips of the plants or beneath the leaves. If you spot any aphids, knock them off the plant with a jet of water from your hose. Slugs and snails also enjoy sunflower seedlings. Handpick and dispose of these slimy creatures. I’ve also had wildlife like squirrels and chipmunks feast on the seeds of my late summer sunflowers, but I don’t mind.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons I grow them! It’s fun to watch the antics of these critters as they gobble up the seed heads and leap from stalk to stalk.
Growing giant sunflowers in pots
Can you grow giant sunflowers in pots? Yes! The keys to success are variety selection and pot size. First, choose a variety like Giganteus, Mammoth, or American Giant, whose plants can grow up to 16 feet tall and produce 10 to 12 inch diameter flowers. Next get a big pot, ideally one that holds 10 to 15 gallons of soil. Fill it with a blend of half compost and half potting mix and add a slow release organic flower fertilizer. Direct seed or transplant a giant sunflower seedling after the risk of frost has passed in late spring. Water consistently throughout the growing season to ensure the plant has ample moisture.
There are many reasons to grow sunflowers in pots but for me it’s a fun and easy way to add bright color to my sunny back deck. You can plant other annual flowers in the pot as well.
Pair sunflowers with marigolds, nasturtiums, million bells, or sweet alyssum.The best sunflowers to grow in pots
Classic sunflowers have golden-orange petals and large chocolate centers. And while these remain extremely popular, seed catalogs offer many different varieties of sunflower seeds to grow. Have fun with the diversity of flower sizes and colors. Below are some of my favorite sunflowers to grow in pots, but again, any varieties can be planted in containers if you choose the right planter.
Dwarf Double Sungold sunflower
Shake up your deck or patio pots with Dwarf Double Sungold, a sunflower that grows just 2 to 3 feet tall. Each flower is fully doubled and packed with petals. The plants may be on the small side, but they produce a dozen or more fluffy flowers which make long-lived bouquets.
Sunfinity sunflower
Sunfinity has been called “the next generation of sunflower” due to its extended blooming period that lasts for much of the summer.
It’s definitely a knockout in a pot! The plants grow up to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide and can produce 50 flowers per plant. Each bloom is 3 to 4 inches in diameter. This hybrid variety is available from select seed companies as well as at local garden centres, but expect to pay several dollars per seed.
SunBuzz sunflower
SunBuzz is a standout in pots and planters. It grows up to 20 inches tall with 4 inch diameter flowers that have bright yellow petals and deep brown centers. It’s quick to bloom and pumps out fresh flowers all summer long. To grow one SunBuzz sunflower in a pot, select a container that is at least 8 to 10 inches in diameter. If planting multiple seeds in a larger container, space them 6 to 7 inches apart.
Solsation Flame sunflower
This ultra compact sunflower was bred for growing in pots. It has a bush-habit and grows just 18 inches tall, but produces its eye-catching two-toned flowers from mid-summer until first frost.
Each bloom has bronze red petals tipped in gold and dark brown centers.
Suntastic sunflower
Suntastic is an All-America Selections winning dwarf sunflower with plants that grow a tidy one-foot tall. They’re super early to flower and perfect for pots, planters, and window boxes. The flowers reach 5 to 6 inches across and have sunny yellow petals and brown centers. This is a great sunflower for kids who can watch their potted plant go from seed to flower in just 65 days.
Firecracker sunflower
I love the brilliant two-tone flowers of Firecracker, a branching sunflower that grows 36 to 42 inches tall. Each plant yields armfuls of the 4 to 5 inch diameter red and gold flowers. The compact, dense growth makes this a great choice for containers, but it’s also the perfect variety for a cutting garden. Why? It’s because each flower has a 16 to 24 inch long stem. Harvest the stems as each flower bud begins to open.
For further reading on growing sunflowers and other annual flowers, be sure to check out these articles:
- When to plant sunflowers: 3 easy options
- Growing marigolds from seeds
- How to grow Salpiglossis: the painted tongue flower
- Learn how to grow zinnia profusion
Are you planning on growing sunflowers in pots?
Growing sunflowers in pots: easy step-by-step guide
If you’re looking for easy seeds to grow with children, it’s hard to beat growing sunflowers in pots. If you’re not gardening with children sunflowers are still fantastic plants to grow, and they make wonderful cut sunflowers too.
This step-by-step guide shows you how to grow sunflowers in pots, covering which seeds to choose, tips on planting sunflower seeds, and advice on caring for sunflowers. I’ve also included some fun sunflower themed activities for kids to try.
Make sure you take a look at my 100 quotes about sunflowers for lots of floral inspiration too.
Growing sunflowers in pots
As well as producing seriously impressive blooms, growing sunflowers from seed is a perfect gardening project for kids. Sunflower seeds are a decent size, so they’re easy for little hands to deal with, and sunflower plants are pretty low maintenance to grow. Planting sunflowers in the garden is also brilliant for local wildlife; the flowers are great for bees and other pollinating insects, and birds love to eat the seeds.
Can you grow sunflowers in a pot?
People often ask “Do sunflowers grow well in pots?”. The answer to this question is yes!
Sunflowers (also known by their Latin name Helianthus) will be perfectly happy growing in a pot. You do need to provide them with a container that’s the right size for the plant. Some varieties of sunflower grow much bigger than others, so check the height information on your packet of seeds.
To give you a rough idea of pot size, we use pots with approximately 15-20cm diameter to grow our biggest sunflowers, and pots with approximately 10-15cm diameter to grow our smaller varieties.
You can always re-pot your sunflowers into a larger container if they look like they’ve grown too big for the original pot, so don’t worry too much about getting it right.
When to plant sunflower seeds
The best time to plant sunflower seeds is spring. In the UK this is April and May. At this time of year the risk of frost is lower, and there’s still plenty of time for the plants to grow and flower before temperatures drop again in autumn.
If you’re growing sunflowers in pots, you can plant the seeds earlier than April, and give the pots some protection from the cold. A greenhouse, cold frame, or simply a windowsill indoors are all ideal.
When is the latest you can plant sunflowers?
If you’ve left it a bit late to plant your sunflower seeds, don’t panic. Sunflowers will still grow if you plant the seeds in early summer. You will just need to wait a bit longer for those amazing flowers.
When do sunflowers bloom?
Sunflowers usually bloom in summer and early autumn.
The peak flowering time is around midsummer. These timings are dependent upon when you plant your sunflower seeds, and the weather conditions where you live.
How to grow sunflowers in pots
If you’re new to growing sunflowers in pots outdoors, here’s what you need to know to make it a success.
The best sunflower seeds for planting
First of all, you need your seeds. There are so many varieties of sunflower to choose from, and a real range of colours, heights, flower size and texture. All this choice means it’s easy to find one that suits your space, colour scheme and garden style.
If you’re keen on big, tall sunflowers, *Mongolian Giant, *Mammoth and *Russian Giant can all reach over 3m tall.
When it comes to colour, you’re not limited to yellow. *Velvet Queen, Red Giant and Prado Red are all exotic red shades.
Prado Yellow, *Choco Sun and *Hallo are all good for bold yellows.
There are also some lovely white varieties with chocolate brown centres – try *Italian White, Moonlight or Moonwalker.
A simpler approach, which works well with kids, is to head down to the garden centre or go online, and let them have fun choosing whichever packet of seeds they like best.
My kids always want to grow a giant sunflower variety, so we usually end up choosing one of those. We also love growing a dwarf variety called *Teddy Bear (pictured above), which is very compact and has wonderfully soft, fluffy flower heads which are low enough for children to touch.
The best garden tools for growing sunflowers in pots
Once you’ve got your sunflower seeds, you’ll need some basic equipment to plant them. Here’s a handy list.
- Small plant pots with drainage holes – if you’re buying new pots, try to avoid plastic. There are *biodegradable alternatives widely available now.
- General purpose *compost.
- A trowel – *child-size tools are great for this job.
- *Plant labels and a marker pen.
- You might also like to use *children’s gardening gloves.
How to plant sunflower seeds in a pot
Planting sunflower seeds in pots is really quick and easy.
Start off by filling your plant pots with compost, until they’re about two thirds full.
Use your finger to poke a little hole into the middle of the compost.
Next, pop a few seeds into your palm, and drop one into each hole.
It really doesn’t matter if you end up putting more than one seed in each pot; in fact, you can show kids the difference this has on the size of the plant later.
Top up each pot with compost, and label it. My kids always want to know which seed they planted, so we put their names on the back of the labels as well.
Now it’s time to give your pots a good drink.
How long does it take for sunflowers to grow?
Your sunflower seeds should germinate and start to grow within 1-2 weeks.
The amount of time it takes for your sunflowers to grow will depend on the time of year, the weather, and the variety you choose. Warmer temperatures and longer days will make them grow faster.
The back of the seed packet will show you how soon after planting you can expect your sunflowers to bloom. If you’re in a rush, choose a fast-growing variety.
We planted these seeds in mid-April, and kept the pots indoors for the first couple of weeks. Here’s how our sunflowers looked about four weeks after planting:
Can you see how the plants in the pots that had more than one seed are smaller? This is a lovely visual way to explain to children how the amount of soil and nutrients affects the way plants grow.
You can of course split up the crowded plants and pot them into individual pots if they’re struggling.
How do you care for sunflowers in pots?
Wondering how to take care of sunflowers in pots? There are only a couple of things you need to pay attention to.
If there’s still a chance of overnight frost outdoors, you need to give your sunflower pots some protection, so that the seeds germinate and grow well. A sunny windowsill is perfect; you can also put them in a greenhouse or cold frame. Move your pots outdoors when the risk of frost has gone.
If you’re growing sunflowers in a pot in late spring, it’s usually fine to leave them outside.
If you’ve got your sunflower seedlings on a windowsill, you may need to turn the pots around every now and then, to stop the seedlings leaning towards the light.
How much water do sunflowers need?
Sunflowers need regular watering to keep them healthy. They put on lots of growth in a short time, and water is a key element to supporting this (along with sunlight and good soil).
If you’re not sure how often to water sunflowers, the best approach is to check the compost in your sunflower pots regularly. If the surface of the soil feels dry, it’s time to water your plants – and kids love this job! You’re aiming to keep the compost moist, not really soggy.
It’s also a good idea to water your sunflower plants more in the early stages of growth, to help them produce strong stems.
How much sun do sunflowers need?
Sunflowers love full sun. Your plants will thrive in a sheltered spot that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
All that sunlight means your pots can dry out pretty quickly, so you may need to water your sunflower plants pretty regularly.
What to feed sunflowers in pots
Sunflowers are hungry plants, and if you’re growing them in pots they can quickly exhaust the nutrients in the soil. Using good quality compost and re-potting your plants into bigger pots as they grow is the best way to provide them with the nutrients they need. General purpose compost is fine for potted sunflowers, but if you’d like to garden more sustainably you can easily make your own using a compost tumbler or bin.
You can also feed your sunflower plants with a *general purpose plant food or tomato feed to encourage strong growth.
The bottle or packet will have instructions on how often to do this.
How tall do sunflowers grow?
The height of your sunflowers is determined by the variety you grow. You can expect standard sunflower varieties to grow 6-10 feet tall, while giant varieties can reach up to 20 feet tall. Dwarf varieties will be much smaller at around 2-3 feet tall. Check the seed packet for height details before making your choice.
Providing support for sunflowers in pots
As your sunflowers grow taller, you will probably need to support the stems with canes. Push the cane into the compost, and use a small length of string to tie the stem to the cane. Don’t tie your string too tight, because the stem will get thicker as the plant grows.
As I mentioned earlier, you can transfer your sunflower plants to bigger pots as they grow. Choose a suitably sized pot and add some compost to the bottom. Then take your plant out of it’s old pot, pop it into the new one, and fill up any gaps around the sides and top with more compost.
Finish off by watering your plant.
How long do sunflowers bloom?
Most varieties of sunflower bloom for a period of 8-12 weeks. This makes them a great plant choice for adding colour and impact to your garden throughout summer and early autumn.
You can extend the blooming time of your sunflowers by planting a few seeds every couple of weeks. This will result in plants that are at their flowering peak for a longer period.
Should you deadhead sunflowers?
As a general rule, sunflowers don’t produce more flowers as a result of deadheading. Having said that, it’s fine to remove the dead flowers if you’d like to tidy up the plant. The flower heads will be full of seeds, so you can harvest these for planting next year, or leave them out for local wildlife to enjoy.
How to plant sunflowers in pots with other plants
If you’re growing a dwarf sunflower variety, you can also use a plant alongside other bedding plants to create a lovely mixed display.
Sunflowers make a perfect star of the show here.
Fun activities to do with your sunflowers
So you’ve grown a bumper crop of sunflowers with the kids, now it’s time for some cool activities!
You can start off with some fun sunflower facts:
- Most sunflowers originate from the Americas.
- Sunflowers get their name from their behaviour. The flowers actually track the daily movement of the sun.
- Sunflowers aren’t just garden plants. They are also grown as a valuable crop plant, with the seeds used to produce sunflower oil, or harvested for the food and wild bird industry.
- Not all sunflowers are big and tall. Many varieties are compact and ideal for smaller gardens and containers.
- Sunflowers come in more colours than yellow. You can grow them in shades of orange, pink, red and even white.
Once your sunflowers bloom, you can have fun observing all the pollinating insects that pay a visit. You could keep an insect diary, draw pictures of your sunflower visitors, or make a bar chart from your observations.
When the flower heads start to turn brown, you can cut them off and let them dry out, then put them out in the garden for the birds to eat. Birds adore sunflower seeds, so you’re bound to get lots of interest.
We’ve also got a great little book called *I Can Grow A Sunflower which takes younger children through the process of growing a sunflower from seed in a lovely visual way.
This video also covers the life cycle of a sunflower nicely for kids:
And of course, you can’t grow sunflowers without having a height competition. My kids love doing this every year, and it’s perfect for sneaking a bit of maths into the project. We always make a chart which takes pride of place on the fridge and is eagerly updated.
The prospect of winning tends to make them look after their plants very diligently!
More nature fun for kids
Growing sunflowers from seeds is just one of the fun nature projects in my new book, *A Year of Nature Craft and Play. There’s a nature play activity for every week of the year and it includes fun crafts, gardening, games, art and science experiments – perfect for inspiring kids to get creative with nature and explore the amazing natural world.
More fun kids gardening ideas
If you’d like some more inspiration for fun things to do in the garden with the kids, you might like to take a look at these other posts.
10 brilliant garden projects to do with children
50 fun ways to get kids gardening
60 fun garden activities to do with kids
Easy grow your own for kids: growing microgreens
The best seeds to grow with kids
How to make gardening fun for children
And if you’d like some inspiration on fun outdoor activities for kids, download my free printable bucket lists for spring, summer, autumn and winter.
More gardening inspiration
For lots of ideas on garden projects and plants to grow, check out these posts:
Garden jobs for each month
Planting calendar for flowers, bulbs, fruit & vegetables
Quick and easy vegetables to grow
Easy flowers to grow from seed
How to grow a windowsill herb garden
Houseplant care tips
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How to grow a sunflower in a pot
Gomelskie Vedomosti Text author
18:00 15 June 2020 Society
The sunflower is native to America. This plant is widely used for various purposes: it is used to make biodiesel fuel and vegetable oil, its seeds are eaten. In addition, bright and light sunflowers can decorate a window sill or balcony. Sunflowers are easy to grow in a pot - even small children can do it.
Sunflower and pot selection
If you want to order a rare variety of sunflower, it is better to do it online. Small varieties are best for growing in pots. - Sunflower seeds are also sold in grocery stores, but they are for eating, not growing. Roasted sunflower seeds are not suitable for sprouting.
- Single stem sunflowers produce one flower from one seed. If you want sunflowers to bloom all summer, they need to be planted every 10-14 days. Single-stemmed sunflowers do not have pollen, so they won't pollute your porch, furniture, or clothes.
- Branching sunflower varieties produce several flowers throughout the season and do not need to be repotted. In addition, the flowers of the branching sunflower may have unusual colors, such as burgundy and chocolate.
3 Find the right pot. When choosing a pot, consider the expected height of the sunflowers and the number of plants you plan to plant in one pot. As a rule, 30–40 cm pots are suitable for dwarf sunflowers.
- Large sunflowers require at least 20 liter pots.
- If you have already used the pot for something else, make sure it is clean and sterile. In addition, it is recommended to make drainage holes in the pot. Without such holes, sunflower seeds can rot.
- Place the pot on a plate or saucer to catch the water from the pot.
4 Fill the pot with soil and compost. Select a high quality nutrient soil (e.g. potting soil). Add compost to it to provide the plants with the nutrients they need.
- The soil pH should be 5.5-7.5 and the organic matter content should be at least 3%. These values are indicated on the package with the soil.
- If you are using high quality soil, there is no need to put drainage material (sand or stones) in the bottom of the pot.
In this case, the drainage material will slow down the movement of water and prevent its drainage.
Planting seeds
1 Plant the seeds in the soil at a depth of 2-3 centimeters. If you plant several seeds in one pot, the distance between them should be at least 10-13 centimeters. After you plant the seeds, the soil can be covered with a thin layer of compost.
- Make sure there is 10-13 centimeters of free space around each seed. Do not plant seeds too close to the sides of the pot.
2 Water the seeds every day. Sunflowers require more water to grow than many other plants. Make sure the soil stays moist and well drained. During the germination period, spend at least 8 liters of water per day on them.
- Insufficient water during the seed germination stage will cause sunflowers to have thin and weak stems that cannot support heavy flowers.
- Soil is permeable if water seeps through it relatively quickly.
If water stagnates in the soil and puddles form, then it does not drain water well.
- If you are growing sunflowers outdoors, you can cover the shoots with a canopy or netting to protect them from birds.
Sunflower care
1 Use fertilizer if desired. Although sunflowers can do without fertilizer, additional feeding will make their flowers brighter and more magnificent. Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer to begin with, and after the flowers appear, switch to a fertilizer with a high phosphorus content.- Diluted fertilizer can also be added to irrigation water. However, be careful: too much fertilizer can damage the stem of the plant.
2 Keep plants in direct sunlight. When the seeds germinate, they will need as much natural light as possible to form stems thick and strong enough to support large sunflower heads.
Sunflowers need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day during their growing season. - Heliotropic sunflower heads follow the sun. In the absence of direct sunlight, they will bend in an attempt to find it, and over time this can damage the stem.
3 Water sunflowers several times a week. Sunflowers need to be watered more often than most other plants. Check the soil every 1-2 days - it should remain moist. Sunflowers usually need about 2.5 centimeters of water per week.
- If you grow sunflowers outdoors, rainwater will be sufficient for the plants once they have reached a height of 30–60 centimeters. However, water them in hot and dry weather.
- When flowers appear, water the soil in a radius of 8-10 centimeters around the base of the stem.
- Spray sunflower heads regularly with water from a spray bottle.
4 Support plants if necessary. Dwarf sunflower varieties are low in height and do not require props.
However, if the sunflowers grow to one meter or more, they will need support so that the heads do not hang down. [18] - Do not place supports in the plant pot. When the sunflower grows, the pot may tip over. Tie the stem to a drainpipe, wall, or other secure support.
5 Collect seeds. If you are growing sunflowers with edible seeds, wait until the flower is dry. At the same time, the seeds will ripen and also dry. If sunflowers grow outdoors, cover the flowers with netting or paper bags to protect the seeds from birds.
- Generally edible sunflower seeds are black or gray with white stripes.
- Generally, sunflower seeds can be harvested after the underside of the flower head has turned brown.
- Dried sunflower seeds can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 months. To keep the seeds longer, you can freeze them.
- Sunflower buds can also be eaten. First blanch them to get rid of the bitterness, then steam or boil them in water for 3 minutes.
Sunflower buds are delicious with garlic butter.
- There are various non-profit organizations such as the Seed Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org) that sell rare and premium sunflower seeds.
- Although most people roast sunflower seeds, they can also be eaten raw. Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamins B and E, they contain a large amount of protein.
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Sunflower on the window – FloweryVale.
ru0021 Indoor/
Try to grow at home on the windowsill not only beans, but also sunflowers. This is not quite as simple as it might seem at first glance. In fact, this is painstaking work. But then, when the sunflower blooms, you will feel joy and satisfaction from the fact that everything worked out for you.
Sunflowers have large flowers and grow tall. In England, the sunflower is grown as a flower, and the seeds are not eaten.
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1. Buy a bag of sunflower seeds. Only you should take into account that roasted seeds will not sprout. You need to choose sunflower seeds for sowing. Fill pot with well-rotted compost (garden soil, potting mix). Press two seeds into it. Leave a gap between them. |
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2. Water the soil in the pot. |
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3. Two branches should appear. Remove the smaller one so that the other one grows strong. |
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4. Transplant the plant into a larger pot when it is as tall as your hand. |
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5. Water your sunflower and keep it in a bright, sunny, draft-free area. |
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| 6. Stick a peg into the compost and tie the stem to it when the sunflower is knee-high on your leg. |
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| 7. Tie the sunflower higher and higher as it grows. The seed bag should say how tall your sunflower can grow. |
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| 8. When the petals fall from the flower, leave the seeds in the flower basket to grow and mature. |
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| 9. Shake out some seeds for planting next year. The rest you can eat or feed to the birds. |
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Put it in a bright place. Water frequently to keep the soil from drying out. 
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