Sunflower

Sunflower: plant 45 cm (18 in) apart in the row and 75 cm (30 in) between rows, 1 per square. Good neighbours: Cucumber.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	45 cm (18 in)
Between rows	75 cm (30 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 per square
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	40 cm (16 in)
Height when grown	220 cm (87 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	Sown straight into the bed
Seeds per hole	3
Plants kept after thinning	1
Seeds per metre of row	7
Sowing depth	2.5 cm (1 in)
Soil temperature	from 13 °C, best 18–24 °C
Days to emerge	7–12 days
Light while germinating	Needs darkness, cover well
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to sow	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 13 °C

Pricking out	sown where it grows
Takes transplanting	Badly, sow where it grows
Hardening off	7–10 days
Life cycle	Annual
Cold tolerance	Tender, hurt by frost → takes a light frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 6–7.5
In a pot	5 L, 20 cm (7.9 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down
Feeding	Little; at planting
Support and training	A stake; tie in as it grows

Days to first harvest	90–120 days, from sowing
Ready when	The back of the head turns yellow
Harvest window	All at once, 2–3 weeks
Typical yield	0.1–0.4 kg per plant
Botanical family	Asteraceae
Watch out for	Birds, powdery mildew

Open the free planner, drop Sunflower onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Sow outdoors	May
Harvest	Aug–Sep

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Asteraceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.