Sunflower Care Must-Knows
Sunflowers thrive in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Start plants from seed indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost or sow them directly in the garden once soil has warmed in spring. In the garden, plant seeds about 1 inch deep and about 6 inches apart. Water as needed to keep the soil moist. Seedlings emerge in about two weeks. When seedlings are about 3 inches tall, thin them so there is one plant every 12 to 18 inches. Well-spaced seedlings are key to strong, upright sunflowers later in the season. Plants will develop weak and wobbly stems if they grow too closely together, or if they don’t get enough light.
Sunflower Seed Harvest Tips
A few varieties of sunflowers are grown for their edible seeds. ‘Giant Grey Stripe’ and ‘Mammoth Russian’ are two popular varieties. These sunflowers form a single large flower head atop a stem that may reach 10 feet or more. Allow the seed heads of these varieties to start to dry and turn yellow before cutting the head off the stalk. Store the head in a dry, well-ventilated place where the seeds can fully mature. Seeds are ready to store or eat when the disk at the back of the flower has turned dark brown.
More Varieties of Sunflower, Annual
‘Autumn Beauty’ Sunflower
This Helianthus variety bears large reddish-orange flowers on 5-foot-tall plants.
‘Evening Sun’ Sunflower
Helianthus ‘Evening Sun’ bears reddish-mahogany flowers on large, 6-foot-tall plants.
‘Gloriosa’ Sunflower
This type of Helianthus bears large reddish-orange flowers on 8-foot-tall plants with multiple branches.
‘Italian White’ Sunflower
Helianthus ‘Italian White’ bears creamy-white flowers on 5-foot-tall plants.
‘Music Box’ Dwarf Sunflower
This Helianthus cultivar bears red and yellow flowers on dwarf 3-foot-tall plants.
Sunbeam Sunflower
Helianthus ‘Sunbeam’ bears pollenless yellow flowers with yellow centers on 6-foot-tall plants.
‘Teddy Bear’ Double Sunflower
This Helianthus variety bears interesting double yellow flowers on dwarf 3-foot-tall plants.
‘Velvet Queen’ Sunflower
Helianthus ‘Velvet Queen’ bears rich, rusty-red flowers shaded with bronze on plants that grow 5 feet tall.
Sunflower, Annual Companion Plants
Castor Bean
Plant a castor bean and then stand back. This is one of the fastest-growing, giant annuals in the garden, rivaled only perhaps by giant sunflowers. By midsummer, you’ll have a huge (it can hit up to 20 feet) tropical plant sporting burgundy foliage. It’s a great plant to grow with kids. Be careful, though. The seeds are extremely toxic. Wait to plant it outdoors after all danger of frost has passed; castor bean hates cool weather and won’t grow well until temperatures heat up in summer.
Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate
Try this delightful flower to grow something different and striking in your garden. You don’t see this old-fashioned plant as often as you used to, but when you do it is spectacular. Chains of delicate pink flowers hang down from tall stems that can reach 12 or more feet tall on this fast-growing annual. It’s great for creating a quick privacy screen or making a bold statement in big containers. Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate can self-seed in the garden.
Zinnia
Want fast color for just pennies? Plant zinnias! A packet of seeds will fill an area with gorgeous flowers in an amazing array of shapes and colors—even green! And it will happen in just weeks. There are dwarf types of zinnias, tall types, quill-leaf cactus types, spider types, multicolor, special seed blends for cutting, special blends for attracting butterflies, and more. Zinnias are so highly attractive to butterflies that you can count on having these fluttering guests dining in your garden every afternoon. But to attract the most, plant lots of tall, red or hot pink zinnias in a large patch. ‘Big Red’ is especially nice for this, and the flowers are outstanding, excellent for cutting. Zinnias grow quickly from seed sown right in the ground and do best in full sun with dry to well-drained soil.
