When would be the best time to begin planting sunflower seeds?
Posted on Aug 01, 2009 under Best Seeds |I want to have sunflowers in my yard. I tried last year, but ended up planting the seeds too late and they didn’t have a chance to blossom.
When is the best time to plant sunflower seeds?
In a hot summer it can take only 60 days from sowing the sunflower seeds to the flowers blooming!
You can either plant your seeds directly into the garden from April or, to get really tall plants you could plant them earlier indoors – anytime from March onwards.
To sow outdoors
Sow thinly, 12 mm (1/2 inch) deep in drills 30cm (12 inches) apart
The soil should be well composted and raked finely
Germination takes only 21 days
When large enough to handle – thin the seedlings to 30cm (12 inches) apart
To sow indoors – for earlier flowering
Use 7.5cm (3inch) pots (yoghurt pots would be ideal) and a good sowing compost
Plant one seed per pot – about one inch deep
Add some water to the pot
Cover with polythene to retain the heat
Remove the cover when leaves appear
When the seedlings are large enough to be handled re-pot them, or plant them outside when all risk of frost has passed. The seedlings would prefer to be acclimatised gradually to life outside. They prefer a sunny open site, but will grow in most sites and soils.
To really thrive they will need plenty of direct sun and good drainage
When the 2nd set of leaves appear you can feed them once a week for three weeks and then once a fortnight
All your sunflower plants will need to be staked, and tied so that they grow tall and strong. To do this, tie them every six inches with soft ties
Remember – your plants can grow up to 12 inches every day
CAUTION:
Over the last two years some nurseries have reported their sunflower seedlings disappearing overnight! The main causes of these have turned out to be hungry rabbits and pigeons.
August 2nd, 2009 at 1:05 am
I don’t know where you live but here in central Indiana we plant them around May 15th - 30th. You should find out what climate zone you live in, then check the planting guide on the back of the seed packets to see when to plant. Good luck.
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August 2nd, 2009 at 1:21 am
I’ve got a package right here and all it says is to plant in a sunny spot as soon as all danger of frost is past.
References :
August 2nd, 2009 at 1:37 am
In a hot summer it can take only 60 days from sowing the sunflower seeds to the flowers blooming!
You can either plant your seeds directly into the garden from April or, to get really tall plants you could plant them earlier indoors – anytime from March onwards.
To sow outdoors
Sow thinly, 12 mm (1/2 inch) deep in drills 30cm (12 inches) apart
The soil should be well composted and raked finely
Germination takes only 21 days
When large enough to handle – thin the seedlings to 30cm (12 inches) apart
To sow indoors – for earlier flowering
Use 7.5cm (3inch) pots (yoghurt pots would be ideal) and a good sowing compost
Plant one seed per pot – about one inch deep
Add some water to the pot
Cover with polythene to retain the heat
Remove the cover when leaves appear
When the seedlings are large enough to be handled re-pot them, or plant them outside when all risk of frost has passed. The seedlings would prefer to be acclimatised gradually to life outside. They prefer a sunny open site, but will grow in most sites and soils.
To really thrive they will need plenty of direct sun and good drainage
When the 2nd set of leaves appear you can feed them once a week for three weeks and then once a fortnight
All your sunflower plants will need to be staked, and tied so that they grow tall and strong. To do this, tie them every six inches with soft ties
Remember – your plants can grow up to 12 inches every day
CAUTION:
Over the last two years some nurseries have reported their sunflower seedlings disappearing overnight! The main causes of these have turned out to be hungry rabbits and pigeons.
References :
August 2nd, 2009 at 2:15 am
now, in feb, it will spout in lat march, and in april, transplant
References :
August 2nd, 2009 at 2:21 am
I’ve had sunflower seeds overwinter in the ground in my garden. It gets down to -40C(-40F) here (in Alberta, Canada) so you could possibly plant them in autumn for the next year. If you want them to flower earlier plant seeds in pots and plant outside after last frost.
It may be that not all seeds are able to survive the cold but save some seeds and try it.
References :