How to Grow Sunflowers

I have good news: It does not take a green thumb to grow a sunflower! They grow quickly, they don’t ask for much, and they reward your efforts with amazing blooms!

Sunflowers are known for being easy to grow because they simply want one thing: Sun! Lots of sun! And soil. Ok, they want sun and soil. And water. And a sprinkling of love. At the very minimum, all it takes to grow big, bold, beautiful sunflowers are sun, soil, water, and love! SSW&L!

With a little SSW&L sunflowers grow into big, beautiful flowers that will put a smile on your face every time you look at them!

How to Grow Sunflowers: the basics 

Sunflowers NEED Sun!

One of the most important considerations for growing sunflowers is making sure they get enough sun. Sunflowers need at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight to grow to their fullest potential. Most sunflowers will still grow with less but without 6-8 hours of direct sun may not grow as big as they could.

You will know if your sunflowers are not getting enough sun if they get leggy. A leggy plant has a lot of long stem and not as many leaves on it as it should have to help it grow. A leggy sunflower looks like a lanky teenager after a growth spurt.

To grow happy sunflowers, be sure to pick a sunny spot for them. If your sunflowers don’t grow well or look leggy in the area you planted them this year, you might scout out another location for next year.

Sunflowers need soil!

Sunflowers prefer soil that is not super hard and compacted, but, as you can see from the picture of my seedling, they can handle just about any soil!

If you find a perfect sunny spot where you want to grow your sunflowers, but it has rock-hard soil you may want to “amend” the soil by adding some compost to the top 8 inches or so to help the sunflower grow to its best. You can do this by working the compost into the dirt with a shovel. Think of it as a gardener's bonus workout session.

Because every state has different types of soil you might want to ask a local nursery or call your local extension office for ideas on what you may need to amend your soil.

TBT, I did not amend the soil for my sunflowers and they grew quite nicely. If you really don’t want to amend the soil then that’s probably ok too! Just try to loosen up some of the hard topsoil before you plant the sunflowers seeds. This will help their roots take hold, so they have a better chance of healthy growth.

You typically want to plant your sunflower seeds about an inch deep into the soil, your sunflowers will appreciate this AND planting depth is important to keep the birds from stealing your seeds!

A great planting resource is the back of your sunflower seed packet. It should provide you some helpful information on the needs of your particular sunflower seeds. Be sure to read it before you plant your seeds. Bigger seeds might need to be planted even deeper than an inch. The seed will germinate better if it is at the right depth.

Seed spacing is also important, sunflowers that are planted too close together may not grow as big as they would if they more elbow room. When plants are too close together, they compete for soil nutrients and sunshine, there’s usually not one winner. Rather, they all suffer a bit. So give them some space.

Sunflowers need Water!

While sunflowers are drought tolerant, they may need you to help them along and provide extra water for them to grow to their fullest potential.

The most critical times for watering your sunflowers are during the germination stage when the sunflower is trying to get established (and growing its tap root!), and during the time between budding and flowering.

During germination, you want to make sure the seeds don’t dry out too much. If it is hot and dry with no rain, then water them as needed to make sure the soil stays moist (but not soggy!).

As sunflowers grow, they will be fine with less water since they are drought-tolerant. They are actually better off if you don’t overwater them because it forces their tap root to grow deeper into the ground. So, if you do water them be sure to let them dry out between waterings!

Sunflowers also like extra water when they are producing flowers. If you don’t get much rain when your sunflowers are budding be sure to give them a long, slow drink. You can put a hose near the stem and turn it on low so a small, steady stream of water comes out. Set a timer for about 15-20 minutes per plant. This deep watering is important because it encourages that taproot to grow!

Sunflowers need Love

Sunflower seeds will go through quite a journey in their short life! The seeds you plant will grow to produce beautiful flowers within months! Soon you will know the joy of watching a sunflower bloom! Beware, though, the sunflower blooms only last for a short time, so please take the time to appreciate your sunflowers when they are at their peak of blooming.

Show your sunflowers some love and they will love you back by adorning your garden with beautiful flowers! 

Back to the Q: How do you grow sunflowers?

The answer to our original question, How to Grow Sunflowers, is that sunflowers must have their basic needs met. Sunflowers must have sun, soil, water, & love to grow!

I hope this has inspired you to grow your own sunflowers this year!

Enjoy your sunflower journey!

Sunflower Truths...