Content

• Part 2 of 3: Planting the Seeds
• Part 3 of 3: Sunflower Care
• Tips
• Warnings

1 Purchase sunflower seeds. You can buy sunflower seeds from your garden supply store, plant nursery, or online.If you want to order a rare sunflower variety, it is better to do it online. Small varieties are better suited for growing in pots.

• Sunflower seeds are also sold in grocery stores, but they are meant to be eaten, not grown. Roasted sunflower seeds are not suitable for germination.

2 Choose the right variety. The sunflower seed package (or description on the website) must list the specific sunflower variety and the approximate plant height. If you buy seeds from a plant nursery, you can get all the information you need from the seller.

• In single-stemmed sunflowers, one flower grows from one seed. If you want your sunflowers to bloom all summer, they must be planted every 10-14 days. Single-stemmed sunflower varieties are pollen-free, so they won't contaminate your porch, furniture or clothing.
• Branching sunflower varieties produce several flowers throughout the season and do not need to be replanted. In addition, the flowers of a branching sunflower can have unusual colors, such as burgundy and chocolate.

3 Find a suitable pot. When choosing a pot, consider the expected height of the sunflowers and the number of plants you plan to plant in one pot. As a rule, pots of 30-40 centimeters are suitable for dwarf sunflowers.

• Large sunflowers require at least 20 liters of pots.
• If you've already used the pot for something else, make sure it is clean and sterile. It is also recommended to make drainage holes in the pot. Without these holes, sunflower seeds can rot.
• Place the pot on a plate or saucer to drain the water from the pot.

4 Fill the pot with soil and compost. Choose a high quality nutrient soil (such as potting soil). Add compost to it to provide the plants with the nutrients they need.

• The soil pH should be 5.5–7.5 and the organic matter content should be at least three percent. These values ​​are indicated on the soil bag.
• If you are using high quality soil, there is no need to place drainage material (sand or stones) on the bottom of the pot. In this case, the drainage material will slow down the movement of the water and prevent it from being drained away.

Part 2 of 3: Planting the Seeds

1. 1 Plant the seeds in the soil 2 to 3 centimeters deep. If you are planting several seeds in one pot, the distance between them should be at least 10-13 centimeters. After planting the seeds, cover the soil with a thin layer of compost.
   • Make sure there is 10-13 centimeters of free space around each seed. Do not plant seeds too close to the sides of the pot.
2. 2 Water the seeds every day. When growing, sunflowers require more water than many other plants. Keep the soil moist and water permeable. When seeds are germinating, spend at least 8 liters of water per day on them.
   • Insufficient water during the seed germination stage will result in sunflowers having thin and weak stems that cannot support heavy flowers.
   • The soil permits moisture well if water seeps through it relatively quickly. If water stagnates in the soil and puddles form, it means that it does not drain water well.
3. 3 Watch the seeds germinate. After 7-10 days, sunflower seeds will germinate and give small shoots. During this time, continue to water the seeds daily and keep the soil moist, especially around the seeds.
   • If you are growing your sunflowers outdoors, you can cover the shoots with a canopy or netting to protect them from birds.

Part 3 of 3: Sunflower Care

1. 1 Use fertilizers if desired. Although sunflowers can do without fertilization, additional feeding will make their flowers brighter and more luxuriant.First, use high-nitrogen fertilizers, and after the flowers appear, switch to fertilizers with bOhigher phosphorus content.
   • You can also add diluted fertilizer to your irrigation water. However, be careful: too much fertilizer can damage the stem of the plant.
2. 2 Keep plants in direct sunlight. When the seeds germinate, they need as much natural light as possible to form thick and strong stems that can support the large heads of sunflowers. During the growing season, sunflowers require 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
   • The heliotropic heads of sunflowers turn in the wake of the sun. In the absence of direct sunlight, they will bend to try to find it, and over time this can damage the stem.
3. 3 Water your sunflowers several times a week. The sunflower should be watered more often than most other plants. Check the soil every 1–2 days to keep it moist. Usually, about 2.5 centimeters of water per week is enough for sunflowers.
   • If you grow sunflowers outdoors, the plants will have enough rainwater after they reach a height of 30-60 centimeters. However, water them in hot, dry weather.
   • When flowers appear, water the ground in an 8–10 cm radius around the base of the stem.
   • Spray the sunflower heads regularly with water from a spray bottle.
4. 4 Support the plants if necessary. Dwarf sunflower varieties are low in height, so they do not need props. However, if the sunflowers grow to one meter or more, they will need support so that their heads do not hang down.
   • Do not support the plant pot. When the sunflower grows, the pot may tip over. Tie the stem to a downpipe, wall, or other secure support.
5. 5 Collect the seeds. If you are growing a sunflower with edible seeds, wait for the flower to dry. At the same time, the seeds will ripen and also dry out. If sunflowers are growing outdoors, cover the flowers with nets or paper bags to protect the seeds from birds.
   • Usually edible sunflower seeds are black or gray with white stripes.
   • Generally, sunflower seeds can be harvested after the back of the flower head turns brown.
   • Dried sunflower seeds can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 months. You can freeze the seeds to keep them longer.
   • Sunflower buds can also be eaten. Blanch them first to get rid of the bitterness, then steam or in water for 3 minutes. Sunflower buds are delicious with garlic oil.

Tips

• There are various non-profit organizations such as the Seed Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org) that sell rare and elite sunflower seeds.
• Although most people roast sunflower seeds, they can be eaten raw as well. Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamins B and E and are high in protein.

Warnings

• The sunflower does not tolerate transplanting well, so choose a pot that is large enough so that the plant will not be cramped after it has grown.
• Not all sunflower seeds are edible. If you are going to eat sunflower seeds from farmed sunflowers, choose an edible variety.