This will help keep the stem strong and the plant will be encouraged to grow straight. Once the sunflowers become taller, use a cane to support the stems by loosely tying the stem to the cane with some string. As the seedlings grow, thin the plants out so they’re around 45cm (18 inches) apart. It’s good practice to add some organic matter such as Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure to the area you’re planting in as this will help to nourish your sunflowers.Ĭreate a drill (a shallow depression in the soil) for each seed with a 10cm gap between each one the drills should be about 12mm deep.Ĭarefully place the seeds into the drill and cover with soil. Don’t do this any earlier than May to avoid them being damaged by any late frosts.īefore you get started, you need to make sure that the soil in which you’ll be sowing your seeds is a fine crumbly texture and weed free make sure you choose an area with full sunlight and well-drained soil. Once your plants have reached 30cm (12 inches) in height, you can plant them in the garden or move them to a bigger pot. Tip: from this point, you can start to use a liquid fertiliser to support the seedlings’ growth the fertiliser should be diluted by 50% and used twice a week. If needed, gently run a narrow, flat object such as a dinner knife or even a plant label, around the inside of the cell to loosen it. Tip: be gentle when removing the seedlings from their cells to avoid causing damage to the plant or roots. Position the pots in a warm, bright spot. Fill with compost then gently push the compost down to compact it and secure the seedling. ![]() Add a small amount of multi-purpose compost to each pot then carefully remove the seedling from the tray and place into the new pot. Once your seedlings have germinated and grown to around 5cm (2 inches), they can be moved into individual pots around 7.5cm (3 inches) in diameter. ![]() Position the filled seed tray in a warm, bright spot a sunny windowsill is ideal for this. Finally, add a plant label so you know what you’ve planted. Fill each cell to the top with more compost and then water well. Add one seed per cell and push it down gently into the compost. Growing sunflowers from seedįill the seed tray with some multi-purpose compost to around 1cm below the top. To give them the best start, the seeds will need to be protected until they’ve germinated, and seedlings are around 5cm tall it’s best to do this indoors to avoid any damage from frost. When growing sunflowers, you can generally plant the seeds from early March to mid-May, but this will differ by variety so always check the seed packet. Today, as well as the flowers making a stunning addition to our gardens, or cut and placed into a vase indoors, the seeds and their oil are still popular for eating. They’re also very easy to grow and make an excellent flower for children to take care of.įirst discovered around 3,000 BC, sunflowers were a source of food for American Indian tribes, harvested for the oil and nutrient-rich seeds which would often be ground and used as flour for baking bread. ![]() With beautiful, golden yellow petals they bring a feeling of happiness and a vibrant splash of colour to the garden. Sunflowers are one of the biggest and brightest flowers around. Want to know how to grow sunflowers? This step-by-step guide will give you all the information you need to grow sunflowers from seed in your own garden or allotment.
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