Big beautiful and easy to grow.
Sunflowers are one of the easiest plants to grow in a short time, creating a big impact on the garden. They typically bloom around 12 weeks after the seeds are sown.
Reasons to grow sunflowers
- Feed the pollinators - The centre of a sunflower houses hundreds of tiny individual florets that contain nectar and pollen, making them an excellent food source for bees.
- Attract birds to your garden - When sunflower heads are fully formed and begin to dry, cut off the head, collect the seeds, and place them in a bird feeder. Some birds may also use parts of the sunflower stem as nesting material. Chickens love sunflower seeds too, just toss the heads into their coop.
- Beautiful cut flowers - Sunflowers are visually stunning and make lovely cut flowers for your home or as gifts.
Potting sunflowers
Sunflowers are often planted directly in open ground, but if you don’t have much space, they can also be grown in pots. The best variety for container growing is the Dwarf Sunflower, a smaller type that grows to about 14 inches tall, with blooms around 6 inches in diameter.
Tips for harvesting seeds
- Harvest sunflowers when the petals have dried and begun to fall. The green base of the head will turn yellow, and eventually brown. Seeds should look plump, with fully black or black-and-white coats (depending on the variety).
- Allow seeds to full ripen on to the steam. When they are ripe and just starting to loosen, cut the stem about 2.5 cm below the head. Rub the seeds from the head with you hand and let them dry completely before storing.
- For feeds that will be stored for a short time, place them in a container in a cool, dark place and use within 3 months.