Growing Sunflowers Indoors and Out

Sunflower seeds are easy to harvest and replant each year. I've learned to spot the seedlings early and weed around them each spring. Now I'll plant them on purpose to get sunflowers growing in new places.

In late summer through our windows we see yellow finches flitter around and chipmunks and squirrels climb up the stalks to eat sunflower seeds.

Sunflowers have become very popular with hobby home gardeners. Growing a group of sunflowers near a fence or right in the middle of your yard creates interest. Many gardeners are having fun trying it out for themselves.

For the last several years my home has been surrounded by gardens with huge sunflowers reigning over them. Now I notice sunflowers everywhere, don't you?

Gardeners like sunflowers because they are beautiful, versatile, and easy-to-grow.

In the last five to ten years, we have grown more sunflowers in our gardens each season. You see, both the birds and my husband spread the sunflower seeds around from our previous year's crop. We have learned to harvest the seeds with success. I make sure to weed around them when I find the seedlings in the spring.

Plant Sunflowers Yourself

If you like sunflowers like I do, you can plant them creatively around your yard and gardens and even indoors. Here are a few sunflower gardening tips to get you started.

How to Save Sunflower Seeds to Plant Them Next Year:

Wait until the head is totally ripe and the critters are eating the seeds already

Harvest what you need and leave the rest for nature, and chance

Scrape or scratch the seeds from the flower head

Avoid mold by ensuring they are completely dry - I use a box to let them dry, but be sure to hide them from the chipmunks who may raid the box when they can!

Store in a cool dry place until next spring - shoe box, large envelopes

Plant Sunflower Seeds in Gardens in the Spring

Plant about 1 inch deep and 2-3 feet apart in full sun for best height

If you put 3-5 seeds in a small hole, you should get at least one sturdy seedling, but be sure to clip off all but one - UNLESS,

If you want to cluster sunflowers in a small area, the seedlings can grow 6-8 inches apart and will likely be somewhat stunted, but can be a stunning display. You may need to rope them together or to a fence to keep them upright.

Give them PLENTY of water and a little plant food

Weed around the seedlings carefully

How to Grow Sunflowers in Flower Pots

Use a large flower pot with "garden" soil or "potting" soil

Use seeds from the multiple head variety - also called "wild sunflowers", "garden sunflowers" and other names

Plant 2 or 3 seeds and inch or two apart, pinch out all but one seedling for a small pot, or not

Give them PLENTY of WATER, a little plant food, and LIGHT if you are trying this indoors

To keep the plant from being really tall, you can move it into part-time shade after the seedling is about 10-12 inches high

Turn or rotate the pot regularly to avoid the stem leaning over

To force blooms on a shorter stalk (at anytime of year), grow them under a low-hanging light source (florescent lights work) directly above the plant for about 16 hours per day with 8 hours of darkness

Sunflowers with multiple heads were once considered the wild sunflowers. They will remain fresh and beautiful after the first flower petals fall and the head begins to dry out.

Keep the plant looking its best by cutting the first heads off to enjoy the secondary flowers at their best. The multi-head sunflower seeds are now available in varieties and colors for the home gardener. They make a great display in pots around your deck or porch.

Grow Sunflowers For School Science Projects

Sunflowers have become popular for school science projects around here lately. Recently I helped out a family that had an "accident". Dad raked up/trampled on his son's sunflower seedling for his school science project. So the next day I dug up two of my own and gave them away for the cause. (Confession, I worked at a local Gardening Center that spring.)

Home

Veggie Garden

Portentilla Bush

Green Thumb Garden Tips

◦	Harvesting Annual Seeds
◦	Fall Chores for Gardeners

Growing Sunflowers

Sunflower Trivia

Growing Sunflowers Early

Sunflower Pictures

◦	Sunflower Man
◦	Sunflower Photos 2008
◦	Sunflower Pictures 2007
◦	Garden Photos Sept07
◦	Spring - Parrot Flowers
◦	Zinnea Pictures and Care
◦	Iris Collection
◦	Friends Flower Photos

Indoor Plants

Violet Care

Iris Planting and Care

Gardeners Check In

Sunflower Pot Project

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"Subject: I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE!

My sister Karen sent your website to me today. Alas, I have found another person whose home looks like a nursery!
See the pics she sent here.

Thanks for your hints! I have two grown daughters but my flowers are my "babies".

Emily

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