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  1. Home
  2. Garden

How to grow sunflowers

Brighten up your day. - by Lottie Dalziel
  • 27 Nov 2019
How to grow sunflowers

Put a smile on that dial, sunflowers Helianthus are one of the easiest flowers to grow and add an instant pop of colour to pots and garden beds. Like their name suggests young sunflowers follow the sun so that the head gets enough sun and shields the stem from too much. 

Varieties

Whilst you may see pictures and images of sunflower fields all over Instagram in 2014 the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service named the whorled sunflower as an endangered species. 

Mammoth or Giant Russian

  • Mammoth sunflowers are, like their name suggests the biggest of the sunflower varieties growing between 2.7-3.7m tall. They have the largest centre and yield the largest number of seeds.

Sunbeam

  • Sunbeam sunflowers have long delicate asymmetrical petals. Their centre is either yellow or brown which makes them a popular choice for bouquets. 
teddy bear

Teddy Bear

Teddy Bear

  • Fluffy like a teddy bear, teddy bear sunflowers look like a cross between chrysanthemum and a sunflower and are also a popular choice for bees, butterflies and birds.

Red sunflowers

  • Red sunflowers and exotic and difficult to find. Their ruby-red petals are glorious and 

Climate

Sunflowers are pretty hardy and grow well in well-drained soil year round. 

sunflower

Aspect

The most important thing to think of when choosing where to position your sunflowers is how much sun they’ll get. Sunflowers need a minimum of eight hours of sunlight each day. 

How to grow

Growing sunflowers from seeds are the easiest way to go and better yet they grow year-round so no need to wait for the seasons to change. You can purchase some seeds from your local Bunnings or ask a friend who has sunflowers. Simply sow seeds 2cm deep, 60cm apart in a garden bed or pot. It will take sunflowers 10-12 weeks to fully mature. 

How to harvest

As sunflowers mature their heads dry out and fill with seeds. Simply cut off the head and allow to dry out. Once dry use your fingers or a fork to pull out sunflower seeds. Then you can either plant them and continue your crop or bake them and toss them on top of your salads.

Care & Problems

Staking

As sunflowers grow so tall you might need to protect them from high winds and rain by stake them to a bamboo post. 

Pest control

Baby sunflower leaves and seedlings are a crowd-favourite for snails and slugs so spread some pellets or mulch early on to protect them.

Birds

As sunflowers mature and the heads start to dry out they will attract birds. Cover the flowers with netting earlier rather than later.

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Lottie Dalziel
Lottie Dalziel
Lottie Dalziel, is a 4AM riser and coffee-addict who loves reading up on the latest trends in sustainability or discovering ways to upcycle almost anything! You can find her by the beach, cooking up a storm or adding to her abundant (some would say out of control) plant collection.

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YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

How to grow sweet potatoes at home

How to grow sweet potatoes at home

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How to grow passionfruit

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Everything you need to know about growing cucumbers at home

Everything you need to know about growing cucumbers at home

{headline}

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How to grow hibiscus

How to grow hibiscus

How to plant seedlings

How to plant seedlings

How to grow roses

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{headline}

{headline}

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How to grow an apple tree

How to grow and care for blueberries at home

How to grow and care for blueberries at home

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How to grow a fig tree

How to grow bougainvilleas

How to grow bougainvilleas

How to plant and grow lemons

How to plant and grow lemons

How to grow watermelons

How to grow watermelons

How to grow strawberries at home

How to grow strawberries at home

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