Growing Sunflower

helianthus annuus : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        P P            

(Best months for growing Sunflower in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 20 - 45 cm apart
  • Harvest in 10-11 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Cucumbers, Melons, Sweetcorn, Squash
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

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09 Feb 16, linn (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
hi there, i live in broome in north western australia, was wondering when is the best time to plant sunflowers
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10 Mar 15, (Australia - temperate climate)
I am trying to grow giant sunflowers from seed I purchased at a reputable seed dealer, I can get a 40% germination rate in seed pots but the seedlings are very leggy and tend to lay down at 7.5cm high. In the ground I did get three to sprout, quite upright about 10cm high but then nothing. No further growth for around around four weeks. What am I doing wrong? Good quality potting soil, slow release in soil and I also use fish emulsion about every 8 weeks. All my other plants in the garden and pots are thriving. Any ideas? Please
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20 Feb 20, Bazza (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, Are you using manure from a farm ? Your description sounds like Clopyralid poisoning.
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31 May 14, sherlie eady (Australia - temperate climate)
Im planning a wedding in Perth end of September and would love to have a patch of sunflowers blooming then but when is the right time to plant the seeds and which variety is the most spectacular/easy to grow ?
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24 May 14, Anton Marais (Australia - arid climate)
Is the Margeret River area good for the arid type sunflower - I'm from - South Africa where we used to travel down to the coast thro sunflower fields up to 300 to 400 km long - I love them on the other side of the road was gaint corn called a mielies in sa
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10 May 14, dan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I'm planning for wedding on october 11. I'd love to have a big patch of flowering sunflowers. It's in Lennox Head (near Byron) When would be a good time to plant?
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16 Aug 14, Pete (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Dan, I'm only going from the 10-12 weeks to harvest in the description, but if you want them for the end of September, you better get them in the ground ASAP! Unless you buy seedlings, in which case they could be anywhere from 2-4 weeks old.
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21 Jul 13, Peter Smith (Australia - temperate climate)
The cheapest place I've found to get sunflower seeds is in the birdseed section of the supermarket. The ones I bought came up well. There were two varieties; ones with a single large flower and ones with multiple smaller flowers. One bag gave enough seeds for me and to supply every gardener I know.
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22 Jul 13, (Australia - temperate climate)
Yes - those seeds grow really well!
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11 Jul 13, Rule the world (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Sunflowers, Grow for your chooks. They love them!
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Showing 31 - 40 of 82 comments
See comments for all plants

Sunflowers have multiple uses: edible oil, seeds to feed for livestock, snack seeds, flower production etc. You didn't mention your intended use. End use will impact cultivar selection. My best guess is you are trying for oil seeds -- since this is probably the most lucrative sunflower product. Most likely there are University studies for sunflowers in your area to help you with cultivar selection. Your looking for Sunflower seed trial results -- or something like that -- favoring agricultural publications and University papers over other sites. Many of these publications will not be applicable -- so it is a matter of wading through the various publications (from creditable and "neutral" sources) -- clearly much of the information will be "excessively detailed" -- but eventually, hopefully you will find a nice chart the compares the YIELDs for the various cultivars in your area, or an area similar to yours. My search engines always seem to throw me back to North America -- so I am unable to hunt down a good publication/article for you.

- Celeste Archer

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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