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Planting and Growing Sunflowers

a field of sunflowers with the heads of the yellow flowers with brown centers facing the sun
Image Credit:
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Helianthus annuus
Grown as
Annual
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Height
6-10 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Multicolor
Orange
Red
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Low Maintenance
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Songbirds
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Drought-Tolerant
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Flowers
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

If flowers could throw a party, sunflowers would be the hosts—tall, bright, and always facing the fun (aka the Sun). These golden giants are a breeze to grow, loved by bees, birds, and humans alike. Sunflowers bring joy from seed to snack. 

Let’s get growing and glowing!

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant with a sizable daisy-like flower face. The flowers come in many colors (yellow, red, orange, maroon, brown), but they are commonly bright yellow with brown centers that ripen into heavy heads filled with seeds. Sunflowers make excellent cut flowers, and many attract bees, birds, and butterflies.

Buy Seeds Now 

How Long Do Sunflowers Take to Bloom?

A reasonably fast-growing flower for its size, most sunflower varieties mature in only 70 to 95 days. The largest sunflower varieties grow to over 16 feet tall, while smaller varieties have been developed for small spaces and containers and rarely grow larger than a foot tall! The flower heads can reach over 12 inches in diameter within the large-seeded varieties.

Learn why you should start growing these happy flowers in your garden.

Planting

When to Plant Sunflowers

  • It’s best to sow sunflower seeds directly into the garden (or outdoor containers) after the danger of spring frost has passed, anytime after soils have warmed to at least 50°F (10°C).
  • In the northern half of the U.S. and in Canada, this will fall between April and mid-June. In the South, this will probably occur in mid-March or early April.
  • Sunflowers dislike having their roots disturbed, so we recommend direct sowing instead of transplanting.

field of Sunflowers

Where to Plant Sunflowers

First and foremost, find a sunny spot! Sunflowers grow best in locations with direct sunlight (6 to 8 hours per day); they require long, warm summers to flower well. Shelter from strong winds—for example, along a fence or near a building—helps as they mature. Larger varieties may become top-heavy, and a strong wind can topple them.

Choose a location with well-draining soil. The planting spot shouldn’t pool with water after it rains. Otherwise, sunflowers aren’t too picky about soil, but the soil shouldn’t be too compacted for the best results. They have long taproots that need to stretch out; in preparing a bed, dig down or till 2 feet in depth and about 3 feet across. They’re not too fussy when it comes to soil pH, either. Sunflowers thrive in slightly acidic to somewhat alkaline soil (pH 6.0 to 7.5).

Sunflowers are heavy feeders, so the soil needs to be nutrient-rich with organic matter or composted (aged) manure. Or work in a slow-release granular fertilizer 8 inches deep into your soil.

Plant sunflowers in a spot sheltered from strong winds, perhaps along a fence or building. Larger varieties may become top-heavy, and a strong wind can be devastating.

Before choosing a planting site, decide whether or not you want to grow a sunflower tower—a fun project for kids!

Planting Sunflower Seeds

  • Sunflowers should be planted 1 to 1½ inches deep and about 6 inches apart after the soil has thoroughly warmed. If you wish, you can plant multiple seeds and thin them to the strongest contenders when the plants are 6 inches tall.
  • Give plants plenty of room, especially for low-growing varieties that will branch out. Make rows about 30 inches apart. (For very small varieties, plant closer together.)
  • A light application of fertilizer mixed in at planting time will encourage strong root growth to protect them from blowing over in the wind.
  • Experiment with plantings staggered over 5 to 6 weeks to keep enjoying continuous blooms.
  • If you see birds scratching around for the seeds, spread netting over the planted area until the seeds germinate. See more ways to keep birds away from your garden.

Check out this video to learn how to plant sunflowers:

Growing

Watering

While the plant is small, water around the roots, about 3 to 4 inches from the plant. To protect the plant, it may help to put snail or slug bait around the stem.

Once the plant is established, water deeply, though infrequently, to encourage deep rooting. Unless the weather is exceptionally wet or dry, water once a week with several gallons of water.

Fertilizing

Feed plants only sparingly; overfertilization can cause stems to break in the fall. You can add diluted fertilizer into the water, though avoid getting the fertilizer near the plant’s base; it may help to build a moat in a circle around the plant about 18 inches out.

Staking

Tall species and cultivars require support. Bamboo stakes are a good choice for any plant that has a strong, single stem and needs support for a short period of time.

Red sunflower.
Photo Credit: Chris Burnett

Harvesting

Cutting Sunflowers for Bouquets

  • For indoor bouquets, cut the main stem just before its flower bud has a chance to open to encourage side blooms.
  • Cut stems early in the morning. Harvesting flowers during the middle of the day may lead to flower wilting.
  • Strip stems of all leaves except for those closest to the flower head. Recut bottoms of stems at a 45-degree angle.
  • Handle sunflowers gently. The flowers should last at least a week in water at room temperature.
  • Arrange sunflowers in tall containers that provide good support for their heavy heads, and change the water every day to keep them fresh.

Dried sunflower heads ready to harvest the sunflower seeds

Harvesting Sunflower Seeds

At the end of the season, harvest sunflower seeds for a tasty snack and/or to replant or to feed the birds in the winter! 

  • Let the flower dry on or off the stem until the back of the head turns brown, the foliage turns yellow, the petals die down, and the seeds look plump and somewhat loose.
  • With sharp scissors or pruners, cut the head off the plant (about 6 inches below the flower head). Place in a container to catch loose seeds.
  • Lay the sunflower head on a flat, clean surface and grab a bowl to hold the seeds.
  • To remove the seeds, rub your hand over the seeded area and pull them off the plant, or you can use a fork. Another way to remove them is to rub the head of the sunflower across an old washboard or something similar. Just grip the head and rub it across the board as if you were washing clothes.
  • If you are going to harvest the seeds for roasting, you can cover the flowers with a light fabric (such as cheesecloth) and a rubber band to protect the heads from the birds.
  • Alternatively, you can cut the flower head early and hang the heads upside down until the seeds are dry; hang indoors or in a place that’s safe from birds and mice.
  • Rinse sunflower seeds before laying out to dry for several hours or overnight.
  • If you’re saving seeds to replant, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until you are ready to plant. 

Read our complete article on harvesting sunflower seeds here.

Pests and Problems

Sunflower Problems

Sunflowers are easy to grow and generally low-maintenance, but they can occasionally experience pest and disease issues, especially in damp or crowded conditions.

Good air circulation, full sun, proper spacing, and well-drained soil help keep plants healthy throughout the growing season.

Sunflower Pests

Birds, squirrels, deer, and sunflower moths are the most common sunflower pests.

Birds and squirrels are attracted to ripening seeds, while deer may chew young plants or bite flower heads. Sunflower moth larvae feed inside flower heads and can damage developing seeds.

To help prevent pest problems:

  • Cover seed heads with garden fleece or mesh as they mature
  • Use fencing or barriers to deter deer
  • Inspect flower heads regularly for caterpillars or larvae
  • Keep the garden clean and remove damaged flower heads

Sunflower Diseases

Sunflowers may occasionally develop fungal and disease problems, including downy mildew, powdery mildew, rust, fungal leaf spot, Sclerotinia mold, Phoma black stem, Botrytis blight, Verticillium wilt, and viruses.

These issues can cause leaf spots, moldy growth, wilting, stem discoloration, or weakened plants.

Types

There are tons of varieties of sunflowers available today, so there’s bound to be one that fits your garden. Choose between those with branching stems or single stems, those that produce ample pollen for pollinators or are pollen-free (best for bouquets), those that stay small or tower above the rest of the garden, or those that produce edible seeds!  

Everyone is familiar with those huge sunflowers that grow on towering 8-foot-tall stalks. But did you know some varieties top off at a modest 15 inches? Sunflowers are a diverse bunch!

  • The towering ‘Mammoth’ variety is the traditional giant sunflower, sometimes growing to over 12 feet tall. Its seeds are excellent for snacks and for feeding the birds, too.
  • ’Autumn Beauty’: One of the most spectacular cultivars, the ‘Autumn Beauty’ has many 6-inch flowers in shades of yellow, bronze, and mahogany on branching stems up to 7 feet tall.
  • ’Sunrich Gold’: An excellent flower for bouquets and arrangements, this sunflower grows to be about 5 feet tall and produces a single 4- to 6-inch flower. The big, no-mess, pollenless flowers have rich, golden-yellow rays and green-yellow centers. This variety is wonderful for arrangements.
  • ’Teddy Bear’: Just 2 to 3 feet tall, this small sunflower is perfect for small gardens and containers. The fluffy, deep-gold, 5-inch blossoms on branching stems last for days in a vase.

Wit and Wisdom

  • Sunflowers are heliotropic, which means that they turn their flowers to follow the movement of the Sun across the sky from east to west and then return at night to face the east, ready again for the morning sun. 
  • Some people call sunflowers the “fourth sister,” in reference to the Three Sisters: corn, beans, and squash.
  • Some cultures see sunflowers as a symbol of courage.
  • Sunflowers were not only used for cooking by Native Americans but also for healing (the oil was used to cure skin ailments) and making clothing (yellow dye was made from the flower petals and black or blue dye from the seeds).
  • Need a bird feeder? Save whole, dry sunflower heads and set them out in winter. Birds will gladly pick at the delicious seeds!
  • Save thick sunflower stems and dry them for winter kindling.
  • An anonymous buyer paid over $39 million in 1987 for Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
  • The tallest sunflower ever recorded was grown in Germany in 2014. It measured in at a stunning 30 feet and 1 inch tall!
  • Kansas is “The Sunflower State.”

Flowers

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 03/12/2013 - 15:57
Plant 3 seeds per hole. Then thin sunflower to one plant per hole at 4 true leaf stage.
<span>Anonymous</span> Mon, 03/04/2013 - 12:18
I plan on growing sunny smile sunflowers in pots for my wedding july 27th of this year. I started a test batch of 10 1/21/2013...8 germinated and have been placed into 4 inch pots. The leaves were growing nicely but have stopped recently. They are on a mat warmer with flourescent lights overhead. I moved the lights up some today as the flowers were close. Could that be why the gowth has stagnated? Nothing to reach for? Or could I be over watering?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 03/06/2013 - 14:09
Keep the light about 6 or so inches above the seedlings; no more than 12 inches above. Turn the light off each night, after the seedlings have had about 12 to 14 hours of light for the day. After the seedlings were transplanted into the 4-inch pots, there might have been a pause in upper growth while the plants focus on developing roots. Also, sunflowers do not like transplanting, so they may be recovering from their relocation to a larger pot. Sowing seeds in peat pots, newspaper pots, or other biodegradable container helps to avoid shock, as you can transplant them directly (pot and all) into the ground without disturbing the roots. Also check that the temperature is appropriate (about 70 to 80F), and that there aren't any drafts: too cold or hot may delay growth. The seedlings need consistent water, but do not over water, as this may invite disease. Hope this helps!
<span>Anonymous</span> Fri, 03/08/2013 - 11:36
Thank you! The light was much closer than that. I sowed the seeds in little peat pods and put those entirely into the pot with the potting mix. I think its a temperature issue. The plants are under lights in the basement and its chilly. I will find a warmer spot!
<span>Anonymous</span> Thu, 02/14/2013 - 12:07
Are the sunflower seeds sold for wild bird feeders appropriate for planting also? I want to grow the plants for the birds and for fertilizer at the end of the season. Glenys, Grandview, Texas
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 02/15/2013 - 17:23
Sunflower seeds from bird seed can be planted in the garden if they have not been hulled or otherwise treated. You need the entire seed, including the outer shell. Planting from seed packets, on the other hand, will give you more options as to the type of sunflower--height, petal color, size of seed head, etc. (Also, the taller the variety, the more vegetation you'll likely have for fertilizer/compost.)
<span>Anonymous</span> Fri, 02/08/2013 - 22:13
Can we harvest our sunflowers seeds and then plant again next summer? Thanks!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 02/12/2013 - 11:31
Yes. Remove the sunflower seeds from the flower heads and dry them on paper towels in a warm place. Put the seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry storage place.
<span>Anonymous</span> Thu, 01/24/2013 - 19:59
You might have answered my question in a previous reply to another person. I am having a country Rustic wedding in the first week of October. when is the earliest i can plant my sunflower seeds ?
<span>Anonymous</span> Thu, 01/24/2013 - 20:01
I also live in north Florida if that makes a diffrence