Growing Sunflower In USA - Zone 6b Climate - Gardenate

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helianthus annuus : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
P	P

(Best months for growing Sunflower in USA - Zone 6b 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

• 
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Sunflowers need full sun and grow best in fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of mulch. Sunflowers do not like to be transplanted so are best grown direct from seed. The giant or Russian varieties are preferred for seed production.

Grow to 1 - 2 metres (4 - 6 ft) so need staking or protection from the wind. Protect seed heads from birds when ripening with nets or paper bags. Chickens love a sunflower head hung for them to peck!

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Sunflower

Use seeds fresh or toasted or press for oil.

Your comments and tips

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for USA | for all countries 08 Feb 26, Elaine Alldredge (USA - Zone 8a climate) What is the hardiest sunflower I can plant along my fence line, not in a a flower bed Reply or Post a new comment 13 Aug 25, Michael (USA - Zone 8a climate) Want to grow sunflowers to support the birds that eat them. What are the best for growing fast and large quantity for bird food? Birdies in Atlanta georgia TYIA Reply or Post a new comment 04 Oct 25, dz (USA - Zone 10a climate) I’m in San Diego county, zone 10A, and I have had good success with Mammoth sunflowers. I even had a couple wild ones sprout and grow to maturation from seeds that dropped from previous mature flowers. Reply or Post a new comment 06 Sep 25, Dave (Canada - Zone 3b Temperate Warm Summer climate) Can't answer for certain, but I suspect the birds will eat most. I'm doing similar myself, in containers on my balcony, in Regina. I managed to start a few indoors and transplant them successfully. I definitely lost a bunch, but I've got 5 that survived. 1 giant one, a few dwarf ones and a couple that the birds planted scattering their feed. They're mini, but seem to be the species their feed is made from. My giant one's top flower is just about to clear the bottom railing of the balcony above me! It's got 3 blooming flowers and 4 more buds for 7 on the one plant. The others all seem to only have 1 flower each. But even with no edible seeds yet, they're definitely attracting more birds. They hang out on them. I think the perches with vantages help, along with some cover. I'm a chaos gardener, so I just let their scattered seeds take over a few pots I had other plants in. Some survived and shared, but a couple are only bird grass, currently going to seed. There's young chickadees, sparrows and nut hatches that hang out on my balcony in the pots. So I'd say whatever sunflowers you want to grow will get eaten, the trick is to keep them from the squirrels. I've got 1 acrobatic red squirrel that figured out how to get onto the first floor balcony. I caught it staring at a sunflower and put out seeds for it instead. 'So far' we're at peace, but the cheeky thing will eat the nuts 20 inches from me on the railing while I'm on the balcony. Feel like a Disney princess or something, lol. Reply or Post a new comment 13 Sep 25, Faith Celeste (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate) Really enjoyed your reply....it left me smiling, no easy feat lately. Reply or Post a new comment 26 Jul 25, Dtalmon (USA - Zone 5b climate) Can we plant sunflower plant now and will they made thus winter here. Reply or Post a new comment 29 Jan 25, Judy McCollom (USA - Zone 9b climate) The first time I planted SF seeds it was more like a tall bush with multiple branches, not a single stem. Now I can't remember the variety. Can you please recommend the best multiple branch variety, not a single stem. Thank you. Reply or Post a new comment 06 Feb 25, Celeste Archer (Australia - temperate climate) --- correction -- the video is at this location https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8qEhh39scA Reply or Post a new comment 03 Feb 25, Celeste Archer (Australia - temperate climate) A good video on this topic -- branching verses single stem sunflowers can be found here -- https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/flowers/sunflowers/library-flowers-choose-sunflowers.html THIS PRO SAYS not to pinch single stem because you will not get a bloom --- I imagine the sunflower that I mentioned below was not a single stem (perhaps a not so bushy bush sunflower) -- anyhow I recommended checking out the video. Reply or Post a new comment 03 Feb 25, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate) There are two types of sunflowers: Single Stem and Branching. From the net Lemon Queen is a wonderful, medium tall sunflower with brilliant light lemon yellow flowers that are typically 10-13cm (5-6") wide. with chocolate brown centers. This sunflower develops numerous branches, and each bears multiple flowers. .... other branching sunflower types are: Buttercream, Strawberry Blonde, Florenza Teddy Bear, Firecracker... and there are more. Additionally, I recall when I had some single stem sunflowers, planted together, I snipped the top of some of the outer sunflowers when they were about 7" tall, so they would be shorter then the others and produce SEVERAL flowers (not nearly as many as the branching varieties) - this provided a little fullness/fill and more blooms. Reply or Post a new comment

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