Welcome to the sunny side of gardening sunflower seeds!🌻
Sunflowers (Helianthus annua) are one of the beautiful flowers you can plant in your home garden this summer season. These are among the easiest flowers to grow, they thrive well in the heat of summer. Sunflowers are native to North America, so they can easily adapt to the conditions of most of the locations.
Today, we talk about everything you need to know about how you can sow sunflower seeds for planting. Other related questions that often pop up in your mind. Such as; When do you plant sunflower seeds? How to grow sunflower seeds? When do you harvest sunflower seeds?
In this one guide, you will get all your answers, which will help you plant beautiful sunflowers, and care for them well.
Contents
When to Plant Sunflower Seeds?
The best time to plant your sunflower seeds is after the danger of spring frost has passed away, and the soil temperature is 60 degrees. If we talk about the Northern half of the U.S. and Canada, then for them, April and mid-June is the ideal time to sow their sunflower seeds in the warm soil. While for the South half, mid-March or early April, is the appropriate time.
It is very easy to plant sunflowers if you follow the planting guide rigorously. Be ready to take care of your beautiful sunflowers effectively and efficiently. Keep one more thing in mind, sunflowers cannot tolerate the transplanting procedure, so we recommend you to directly sow their seeds.
How to Plant Sunflower Seeds?
Well, for planting sunflowers outdoors or in your backyard, you need to keep a few factors in mind before planting. Such as choosing the best location, which receives direct sunlight for about 6 to 8 hours daily. In addition, sunflowers are heavy feeders, they need more soil as compared to other crops. So, it is recommended to select a location with well-draining soil. If the planting spot gets waterlogged after it rains, then it is not a good location.
After selecting an appropriate location for your sunflowers, you need to follow the basic planting steps;
- The first step is to sow the sunflower seeds 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil, and about 6 inches apart.
- You can make rows and then sow seeds. It would be best if you provide space for low-growing varieties of seeds, as they will branch out in the future.
- Then be regular with the watering routine, you will need to water the seeds daily until you observe the sprouting. It can take a week to sprout out.
- During the planting time, you can also apply light fertilizer application, it will not harm your seeds. The light fertilizer application will boost the roots to grow stronger and fight against harsh weather like rain or wind.
- To protect your seeds from birds, you can cover them with a net until the full flowers bloom.
Sunflowers are not only beautiful but also attract bees and birds to your home garden, so you need to be careful while planting them.
What Month Are Sunflowers Harvested?
So far, we learned a step-by-step guide to sunflower seeds to plant in your home garden. After getting a bloomed sunflower all season, it’s important to look at whether it needs harvesting or not. This is because harvesting is an essential task to do, it helps you to keep your plant happy and thriving. So, it’s important to prune your plants on time, and, get rid of reaped ones, and collect mature plants or seeds for future planting.
The best time to harvest your sunflower seeds is during the month of July-October month. It has been observed that most of the sunflower varieties bloom after three months of planting procedure. If we talk about the seeds, they get mature enough when flowers open up, i.e., about 80–140 days after sowing them.
Furthermore, you will notice some signs, which will indicate your sunflower seeds are ready for harvesting procedure. Such as;
- The backs of your sunflower heads turn yellow to brown.
- The foliage has died back completely.
- Seeds will get loose
- You will notice dead flowers
All these signs are indications, that it’s time to harvest seeds. Or, your sunflower is ready to be picked.
How to Harvest Sunflower Seeds for Planting?
Well, after identifying the signs, the next step is to harvest your sunflower seeds for planting next season. To start with this procedure, you need to get ready for it. The materials and tools, you will need for harvesting and storage are as follows; pruners, buckets, twine, gloves, paper towels, cardboard boxes, labels, markers, and storage containers. Once, you are ready with all the equipment, you need to follow a basic step-by-step guide for harvesting sunflower seeds.
For your reference, we have jotted down the steps, let’s get started.🌻
1. Prune Sunflower Heads
First, put on your gloves and use a sharp tool/pruner to cut the stem of each sunflower head about one foot below the blooms. But, be careful while cutting the stalk because it can be picky. Now place them in a large container, and keep it out of birds’ reach, or else they will do the harvesting for you.😅
2. Time to Dry out Your Sunflowers
For this step, you need to cover sunflower heads with paper bags and hang them upside down in a warmer place. It might take around 5 days to dry out completely. So, you need to wait and keep a watch that seeds are safe from pesky birds. It would be better if you hang them inside the house, where your seeds get warm to dry out fast.
3. Remove Seeds and Debris
Once, your sunflower heads are dry out completely, the next is to collect the seeds. For that, you need to take a bucket, and, rub the sunflower head on it, so that mature seeds will come out easily. Apart from seeds, you will notice, petals, and, dead plant bits will also fall off. But, right now, your main focus will be its seeds, so bifurcate them properly.
After collecting seeds, now it’s time to get rid of the debris as well, then only we will be able to plant healthy sunflowers for next season. To remove debris, you need to take a colander, place the seeds on it, and rinse off the seeds well. It will help you to get rid of dead parts of plants, and debris as well.
4. Store Your Sunflower Seeds
Last but not least, take a cardboard box, place a paper towel on it, and evenly spread the seeds in a single layer. Make sure you are leaving an inch of space between each seed. Then let it dry out completely before you shift them to an airtight container. The next morning you can store healthy seeds in a container, and label them properly with the sunflower variety name, and date of harvesting. It will help you in the future when you plan to plant it.
Related Post:
FAQs
When is the best time to plant sunflower seeds?
Well, spring is the best time to plant your sunflower seeds, i.e., between April to May month. Planting seeds after frost will give you a healthy result.
How long do sunflower seeds last?
It has been observed that sunflower seeds can last up to two to three months. Whether you are storing a raw or salted one, you can store it for up to three months easily. If you wish to store the seeds for more than three months, you can store them in a refrigerator in a tight container.
How often to water sunflower seeds?
In the beginning, it’s a good idea to water your sunflower seedlings every day. This will keep the soil moist, and not dry for a longer period. Once, you observe your sunflower is establishing, you can water it once a week for better results.
Can dogs eat sunflower seeds?
The short answer is yes, dogs can eat sunflower seeds in moderation. But, unsalted ones, unshelled, and natural seeds are safe for your dog. They can enjoy this nutrient-filled treat in moderate amounts, as too much can lead to gastrointestinal issues.
How to germinate sunflower seeds?
One of the best ways to germinate your sunflower seeds is by using a paper towel. For that, you need to take seeds, and, place them on the top half of your paper towel. But, remember to leave an inch of space between the seeds, then fold the towel over the seeds. Then you need to keep them in a secured place for three days until you observe the sprouting.
Hello, I’m Rose Lehman, the content writer of cozynest. I have been a gardener for over 5 years, and I have a certificate in master gardening from the Oregon State University Extension Service. I enjoy writing about all aspects of gardening, from the basics to the advanced, and from the practical to the creative. I also love to explore different types of gardens, cultures, and styles, and share them with our readers. My goal is to inspire and inform our audience, and help them grow their own cozynest.
