Growing Sunflower

helianthus annuus : Asteraceae / the daisy family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                  P P P

(Best months for growing Sunflower in New Zealand - cool/mountain 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 50°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 18 inches apart
  • Harvest in 10-11 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Cucumbers, Melons, Sweetcorn, Squash
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

02 Mar 17, Bella (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi Yesterday I scraped out a handful of sunflower seeds from a plant in a friends garden. I have them in a brown paper bag. Can I plant them today or do I need dry them out before I plant them. Thanks
03 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
You would probably be better to buy a packet of seed or get a small handful from a produce store (they would likely give it to you). The seed you have may not be sufficiently dry and is likelt to rot. It is getting late to plant sunflowers unless you are in the warmer north of the country. Save your seed for next season or swap it for something else. Trust this helps.
Showing 11 - 12 of 12 comments

Sunflowers have multiple uses: edible oil, seeds to feed for livestock, snack seeds, flower production etc. You didn't mention your intended use. End use will impact cultivar selection. My best guess is you are trying for oil seeds -- since this is probably the most lucrative sunflower product. Most likely there are University studies for sunflowers in your area to help you with cultivar selection. Your looking for Sunflower seed trial results -- or something like that -- favoring agricultural publications and University papers over other sites. Many of these publications will not be applicable -- so it is a matter of wading through the various publications (from creditable and "neutral" sources) -- clearly much of the information will be "excessively detailed" -- but eventually, hopefully you will find a nice chart the compares the YIELDs for the various cultivars in your area, or an area similar to yours. My search engines always seem to throw me back to North America -- so I am unable to hunt down a good publication/article for you.

- Celeste Archer

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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