Annual
Sunflower
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in July | Flowers in August | Flowers in September | |||||||||
| Plant | Plant in April | Plant in May | Plant in June | |||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in July | Looks good in August | Looks good in September |
Overview
Sunflowers are fast, cheerful and a brilliant way to get children gardening, racing from seed to towering flower in a single summer. Not all are giants: 'Russian Giant' can top three metres, 'Teddy Bear' is a fluffy, double dwarf for pots, 'Velvet Queen' has deep mahogany-red petals and 'Italian White' carries pale lemon flowers on branching stems. Pollen-free varieties bred for cutting, such as the 'ProCut' range, won't shed dust on tablecloths.
Where to grow sunflower
Give them the sunniest spot you have, ideally with shelter from strong wind. Tall types make a summer screen along a fence or at the back of an allotment; shorter branching kinds suit borders and large pots.
Planting
Sow seeds 1–2cm deep in small pots indoors from April, or directly outdoors from late April to May once the soil warms. Plant out or thin to 45cm apart for tall varieties, closer for dwarf ones. Sow in batches a few weeks apart for a longer display.
Care through the year
Spring
Protect young seedlings from slugs and snails, which can wipe out a sowing overnight.
Summer
Water deeply in dry spells and feed giants with a general fertiliser. Tie tall stems to a sturdy stake as they grow.
Autumn
Leave seed heads on the plant for birds, or cut and dry them indoors to feed out over winter.
Winter
Pull out old stems; thick ones can be chopped to make insect habitat in a quiet corner.
Pruning
No pruning. On branching varieties, cutting the flowers encourages more side blooms.
Propagation
Grow from seed each year. Save seed from open-pollinated varieties by drying a mature head, covered with a paper bag to keep birds off, and store seeds somewhere cool and dry.
Common problems
Slugs and snails are the main threat to seedlings. Birds and squirrels may pull up seeds sown direct, so sowing in pots can be safer. Grey mould can rot seed heads in damp autumns. Grey or downy mildew occasionally affects leaves late in the season.
Guides to the problems most likely to affect sunflower:
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in April, May and June. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.