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Plant the seeds no more than an inch deep and about 6 inches apart. Thin the seedlings once they hit 6 inches tall, leaving the strongest plants about 12 inches apart. For continuous blooms, stagger your planting, sowing a new row of seeds every two to three weeks, beginning in the spring.
Should I soak sunflower seeds before planting?
It is recommended that you only soak most seeds for 12 to 24 hours and no more than 48 hours. After soaking your seeds, they can be planted as directed. The benefit of soaking seeds before planting is that your germination time will be reduced, which means you can have happy, growing plants faster.
What month do you plant sunflower seeds?
Plant sunflowers in late spring, once the ground is nice and warm. Most sunflowers germinate when soil has reached 70 to 85 degrees F. The best time to plant sunflowers is just before the soil reaches this temperature. Look for a ground temp of between 60 to 70 degrees.
Do you plant sunflower seeds point up or down?
Sunflower seeds will sprout best if you plant them with the narrow pointed seed-end facing down. They’re going to repay us with beautiful blooms and nutritious seeds after all. The narrow end of the seed is where roots will emerge, so putting this end down saves the plant from having to right itself in the ground.
How many sunflower seeds do you plant in one hole?
When planting in containers fill them with any commercial potting compost up to about half an inch from the top. You should then thoroughly soak the soil and make a hole about an inch deep with a pencil and drop 1 seed into your hole.
Are sunflowers easy to grow?
Growing sunflower plants is easy because they’re heat tolerant, pest resistant and fast growing. They’re native to North America so they can adapt to conditions in most locations. You can use them for cut flowers, leave them on the stalk for a gorgeous outdoor display in your garden, or harvest and eat their seeds.
Do you plant sunflower seeds with the shell?
Select a sunflower variety. It is not possible to grow plants from roasted sunflower seeds, but you can grow it from sunflowers in bird seed, as long as the outer shell is present.
How long do sunflower seeds last for planting?
Once dry, you can store sunflower seeds for 2-3 months in a sealed container, or up to a year if kept in the freezer.
Can sunflowers grow in pots?
Potted sunflowers may seem an unlikely endeavor, however, some of the smaller dwarf varieties do very well as container grown sunflowers, and even the giant cultivars can be grown as container plants. Growing sunflowers in a pot or planter does require some special care though.
What are the easiest sunflowers to grow?
‘Pacino’ sunflower. This sunflower mix stays small — just 12 to 16 inches tall when grown in a pot, a little taller in the garden. ‘Ballad’ sunflower. ‘Double Dandy’ sunflower. ‘Red Courtesan’ sunflower. ‘Honey Bear’ sunflower. ‘Magic Roundabout’ sunflower. ‘Mammoth Gray Stripe’ sunflower.
Do sunflowers grow back?
Sunflowers are either an annual (where they need to be replanted every year) or a perennial (where they will come back every year from the same plant) and telling the difference is not that hard if you know how. Annual sunflowers growing from reseeding will not start to show up until late spring.
How often do you water sunflower seed?
Sow seeds in pots from April and plant out when all risk of frost has passed. Prepare the soil well and add plenty of organic matter to the planting hole. Keep your sunflowers well watered and feed weekly to encourage them to grow tall.
How do you speed up the germination of sunflower seeds?
You can soak your sunflower seeds before planting to encourage faster germination. Put them in clean water and let them sit for up to 24 hours before planting. However, this is not required – as long as the growing medium is moist and warm, the sunflower seeds should germinate well.
What happens if you plant seeds too close together?
Overcrowded plants must compete with each other for soil nutrients, which can result in increased fertilizer needs. Plants suffering from nutrient deficiencies may develop weak or yellow foliage, grow poorly, or they may fail to fruit or flower well.
Can you just put seeds in the ground?
Another option is to tuck seeds directly into soil outdoors. Planting seeds this way is called direct sowing, and it is an easy process that yields great results. Even so, many vegetables, annuals, herbs and perennials sprout easily from seed sown directly into garden soil.
Should you plant sunflowers in your garden?
Sunflowers can help a garden by making certain areas more attractive. For example, a row of sunflowers can add color to a fence or hide a compost pile. Planted closely together in a line, they can provide a windbreak for other plants in the garden if it is in a particularly windy area.
When should I plant sunflowers in my garden?
When growing sunflowers, you can generally plant the seeds from early March to mid-May, but this will differ by variety so always check the seed packet.
What months do sunflowers bloom?
Annual sunflowers bloom during summer and into autumn. Sow new plants every few weeks and you’ll enjoy non-stop flowers until the first frost. Perennial sunflowers bloom for a period of 8-12 weeks with some beginning as early as July and others finishing as late as October.
