Growing Harvesting Sunflowers

Growing harvesting sunflowers is easy to do. The sun does all the work all we have to do is enjoy them as they grow.

Once harvested we will complete the process from drying to cooking to eating.

Germination: 7-10 days at 70-75°F.

Culture: Indoors - 6-8 weeks before last frost. Light aids in germination. Transplant out after danger of frost is past.

Outdoors - after last frost, only where summers are long. Growing on: 60°F night, 65-70°F day. Light/Soil: Full sun; average, well-drained soil.

Spacing: 10-12". May require support. Use: Cut or dried flower, filler, borders, back of beds. Harvest:

Fresh or dried - cut when 2-3 layers of petals have unfolded but before flowers fully open.

Below is a picture of the Sunflower I am growing for harvesting. I lost my package and do not know what kind it is.

I am growing giant sunflowers. They will have large heavy heads full of sunflower seeds. When one sees the number of seeds in a head, then one can begin to understand how they propagate so easily.

I have been plagued with some growing problems because I did not plant them where they could get full sunlight or I planted them to close to something else.

In the picture below is one of my sunflowers that is almost ready to be harvested.

In the picture below, the plant has gotten so tall I had to stake this plant to keep it from falling over. The plant is now past the top of the stake.

In the pictures are some of sunflowers which are just about ready for harvesting. The head has bent over and I wonder if it is some sort of self protection to keep the birds off of them.

For more information on Sunflowers, visit Growing Giant Sunflowers and Growing Sunflowers.

Thank you for your visit.

Return to Sunflower Home Page from Growing Harvesting Sunflowers.

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