Sunflower Growing Competition at Burston Garden Centre

Grow a sunflower for summer

We love to encourage the younger generation to grow flowers, fruit and veg. Now is the perfect time to plant sunflower seeds in pots and watch the growing shoot emerge.

So just follow our handy step by step guide to plant the biggest and best sunflowers!

Step by Step Sunflower Planting

You will need;

  • A pack of sunflower seeds

  • 7.5 cm plastic pots

  • Multipurpose compost

  • Gardening gloves

  • Bamboo canes

  • Watering can

  • Slug control (optional)

  • Fertiliser (optional)

  • Step One: Fill a 7.5cm plastic pot with multi-purpose compost leaving a 1cm gap at the top.

  • Step Two: Sow one seed per pot and cover with more compost until the pot is full.

  • Step Three: Water each pot until the compost is moist – don’t be tempted to over-water.

  • Step Four: Cover the pots with a propagator lid or cloche and keep on the windowsill until May when they are ready to be planted outside. If you don’t have a lid/cloche, you can make your own using an old plastic bottle. Always keep the compost moist .

  • Step Five: In May, the seedlings can be planted outside in a sunny, well prepared flower bed or large pot. We advise putting them in a spot where there will receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.

  • Step Six: Keep the young plants well-watered ensuring the compost never dries out. Once the flower heads open, they will need watering daily.

  • Step Seven: As the sunflowers get taller, they will need to be stabilised with a bamboo cane.

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