Growing Sunflowers in Santa Clara County
by Nancy Garrison, former Horticultural Advisor, Santa Clara County, 1986
Sunflowers are exceptionally easy to grow
Just follow these guidelines and then check out the 2001 Sunflower Field Trials .
Plant In ...
- full sun.
- fertile soil with good drainage.
- spring after frost danger is past
And keep the following in mind ...
- Grow at least two feet apart.
- Keep soil moist until after germination, then water less frequently as plants grow larger.
- Regular deep irrigation encourages stronger plants and deeper root systems. These plants will be less apt to need staking.
- Mulching will help keep down weeds and conserve water.
- Sunflowers are somewhat drought tolerant, but flowers and seed production are better with adequate watering.
- No fertilizer necessary in good garden soil.
- Sunflowers grown in home gardens generally have few if any pest or disease problems.
- Remember sunflowers like the summer heat. Our planting here was done on May 3rd. We sowed the seeds directly in the soil.
- The blossoms generally face east. Keep that in mind when choosing a planting location. If growing for seeds, the heads may need to bagged to protect them from bird damage.
- To harvest heads for seeds, cut the stems when dry but before the seeds begin to fall out. If you need to harvest before the stems and heads are dry, hang them up indoors to complete drying.
WHY GROW SUNFLOWERS?
- Easy for kids to grow.
- Fast growers.
- Good background for other plants.
- Pretty flowers.
- Good to eat.