How to Grow Sunflowers in your Garden
As a flower farmer I often get asked about how to grow sunflowers.
Well, let me give you all the tips.
Everyone loves sunflowers, and for good reason as they are both easy to grow yourself, and delightful to cut and enjoy in your home.
What variety of Sunflower should I grow?
There are hundreds if not thousands of varieties of sunflowers. But they are mostly split into two types; single stem and branching.
I Grow all Single Stem Sunflowers on my farm
You plant one seed and it sends up one stem and one flower will grow on that stem and when it is done it goes to seed and no more flowers will blooms off of that stem.
DO NOT PINCH single stem sunflowers or you will not have any flowers!!!
If you want branching sunflowers you plant one seed and it sends up a sprout that then branches, sending out several stalks that make multiple flowers, usually between 6-8 depending on the variety.
However, there is one trick to branching sunflowers. You should “pinch” branching sunflowers. Pinching is a technique the involves taking out the first bud on the plant that comes up. Though painful, this stimulates the plant to branch even more and send up 6-8 long straight stems with a bud on each stem. If you don’t pinch the stem the branching sunflower will send up one huge stem, think broomstick size, and shoot off short small stems with small blooms, none of these are useful for cutting.
A bunch of Procut Orange Sunflowers
I mostly grow single stem varieties all of which are in the Procut series of sunflowers. Procut sunflowers are pollenless and come in a variety of colors. I have grown some branching ones as well, but I’m still experimenting with those for good cut flowers. I would recommend you look at Johnny’s Selected Seeds sunflower section and you will have plenty to choose from, both single stem and branching. Look for pollenless sunflower seeds as when you cut them they will not drop pollen all over your table. Some of my favorites include precut orange, procut gold, Vincent’s choice, and Sunrich.
Bloom Size for Sunflowers
Many people ask me how do I grow “mini” sunflowers? Well…..the secret is in the spacing of single stem sunflowers. The closer that you space them together the smaller the blooms with be. There are other variants as well such as temperature, and amount of daylight, but it is mostly dependent on the spacing. The closer together you space them, the smaller they will be.
I plant mine in a 6 inch grid . . . yes that is correct . . . in a 6 inch apart. This gives me a blooms size of about 4-5 inches in diameter. If you would plant that same seed giving it lots of space it would grow 12 inches across.
Transplant vs Direct seed
If you transplant a seed, meaning you start it inside and then transplant it outside, you know that the plant will grow into a bloom. So for farmers, most farmers will transplant their flowers, including sunflowers. But sunflowers do well even if you direct seed them. That means you directly place the seed into the ground and it sprouts there and grows.
3 day old tray of Procut Sunflowers
Sunflower House
This is just a fun idea . . .you buy MAMMOTH sunflower seed . . . plants that grow 12-15 feet tall with HUGE heads, then you plant them in a square, leaving space for a “door.” Then over the summer this “house” grows into a fun fort/play house for kids and adults alike. It also provides shade! Which can be a refreshing on a hot summer day. I did this last summer and it was a big hit with my kids. I am planning another one for this summer as well. Also the birds and bees love them!!! But they are so high up that it keeps the bees away from the kids, and you can just sit inside and listen to the humming!
Our 2020 Sunflower house from the back (there is a “door” in the front). It’s hard to see the perspective, but those stalks are over 10 feet tall.
Enjoy growing your sunflowers this year! I hope they bring delight, wonder, and abundance.
Until next time . . . Ruth Ann
Are you ready to learn more and grow flowers in your backyard with your children? You are in the right place. I have created a SUPER affordable beginners Guide so you can get started planning and growing TODAY so that you also can experience the joy of watching your children and flowers grow together just as I have.
