Plant Some Sunshine with Sunflowers
Of all the flowers I grow, sunflowers are one of my top favorites that I anxiously await each summer. Their cheery, happy faces always make me smile as I watch them emerge through the dirt and up towards the sun.
Did you know that sunflowers follow the sun throughout the day? Their heads will literally turn one direction to the next in order to face the sunlight. It is truly a magical sight to behold.
If this it the year you want to add some to your garden or landscaping, let me give you some helpful information and tips on how to grow them. You won’t be sorry!
Getting Started with Sunflowers
One main thing to realize is that there are A TON of varieties of sunflowers, and they all vary with regards to color, flower size and height. Some are small and short, and others have flowers the size of your face at eight feet tall. So be aware of where you are wanting to plant these that you choose the right variety.
Another thing to realize is that sunflowers are either single-stemmed or branching. Single-stemmed will grow one flower and then that is the end of their life cycle. Branching will grow flowers over and over again. The single-stemmed make better cut flowers and the branching are lovely for landscaping.
The varieties I am planting this year include:
- Pro Cut White from Floret Flower
- Ruby Eclipse from Floret Flower
- Tiger’s Eye Mix from Seeds of Change
- Paquito from Wildseed Farms
- Branching Sonja from Johnny’s Selected Seeds
- Mammoth from Burpee
- Evening Sun Mixed from Burpee
Planting and Care
Sunflowers are heat-loving and are best planted after the last frost when the soil temp is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. They are best direct sown instead of transplanted. Spacing can vary. If you want taller, longer stems then space them further apart; if you want shorter, smaller flowers then space them closer together. General spacing tends to be 6-12 inches. Also consider sequential planting every 1-3 weeks to have blooms all summer and fall.
These flowers will do better with more frequent watering, and definitely need at least an inch of water each week. Also feed them three times throughout their growing season with a general purpose flower fertilizer.
Harvest and Use
You will want to cut your sunflowers when the centers are tight and dark, and then put them in a flower preservative immediately to prolong vase life, which can be upward of 7-9 days.
They also dry very well and can make beautiful additions to decorative wreaths or other dried flower products. And of course, you can let them flower out and go to seed and then collect the seeds to eat! In the garden, sunflowers are beneficial for both bees and birds.
Well that is it! Sunflowers are pretty easy to grow and make such a cheery, interesting addition to your garden and landscaping. If you have never grown them before, I really hope you give them a try this year.
As always comment below if you have any questions!
Happy gardening!
Dani