HOW TO GROW SUNFLOWERS FROM SEED

How to grow sunflowers from seed

In the United Kingdom sunflowers are generally not seen as anything other than a large and perhaps ‘clumsy’ flower, but in most other countries they are also highly valued as a food plant. As a native to the Americas, the popularity of sunflowers has seen them travel the globe and they are now available in many different sizes and colour forms. The most popular – and mainly bought by parents on behalf of their children - are the giant cultivars such as the popular ‘Giant Single’. However there are many ‘dwarf’, multi-flowered forms that are becoming increasingly popular, in particular the stunning mixed shades of ‘Calypso’ and the magnificent, velvety ‘Black Magic’.

Growing sunflowers from seed is thankfully very easy, and usually a large selection of cultivars will be available almost all year round from both garden centres and online retailers.

How to grow sunflowers from seed

Sunflower seeds are best grown outdoors sown directly into a prepared seedbed. In truth, they will germinate with very little help, but to get the best out of them they will need to be planted into a nutrient rich soil, so add plenty of well-rotted farm manure to the ground a few weeks prior to sowing, digging it in deeply.

Try to avoid planting into light sandy soils – especially for the taller specimens – as they can be prone to blowing over in strong winds. After planting, it’s worth covering the newly sown seed with some kind of an open mesh, as birds, squirrels and other animals are more than capable of digging them up for a quick and easy meal.

If you want to get a head start on the year then begin by planting your sunflowers indoors. This will need to be done about 6 weeks before the threat of late frosts are over – for most places that will be from mid to late February.

How to grow sunflowers from seed

Use individual pots containing good quality seed compost, planting two seeds per pot. Cover the seed with ½ an inch of compost and water so that the compost is damp throughout.

Now cover with clear plastic to help keep the compost moist and humid. As soon as the seeds begin to germinate the plastic will need to be removed in order to prevent fungal rots. A week or so later the seedlings can be thinned out to strongest specimen as they begin to show through the compost.

When planting them in the garden perhaps the most important thing to be aware off is the plant's sensitivity to light and its ability to ‘track’ the sun as it travels across the sky when the flower buds are young. It is this ability and of course its resemblance to the sun and its rays which is why in English speaking cultures it has been given the name the sunflower.

With this in mind make sure that you plant your sunflower seed in that part of the garden that is facing the sun, otherwise you will spend that year looking at the back of those outrageous flower heads instead of being able to get the full frontal effect, as it were! Plant in station with 3 seeds per station. Once germinated grow on for a few weeks before removing the weakest plants.

Experience has shown that sunflowers can tolerate a certain amount of shade such as an east facing border, however they will grow their best in full sun.

Always sow approximately 50% more seeds than plants required. That way you can remove any weak plants or any affected by the many diseases they can fall foul of.

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