Sunflower from seeds

[TareqPhoto]

Hi again,

I bought a seedling of a sunflower which has a flower already, it was in very very small pots and I really don't know why they do that when sell, so simply I transplanted it to a bigger pot, not so big but much bigger than that one they came with, and I will see how it will grow so far.

Now, I want to grow sunflower from the seeds, so how the seeds look like and how to plant them? I bought seeds from normal supermarkets but those are for eating, not sure if they are good enough to be planted, I think they salted it or roasted, but the seeds looked like as they are original, I was thinking to pour them in water so it can clean/wash them and then I try to plant them, but if they are no longer good for that then I will try to buy new raw ones if possible, but I wanted to be sure how those seeds look like first.

what is the size of the pot it will be fine with? I don't have any more containers and I have few pots left with different sizes, but they are not so big or huge ones, I think nearly 7-8" diameter and nearly 9-10" deep, I want to plant only one seed and have only one flower to test, I am planning to grow sunflower outside of my house in that out of the fence another space for garden not much big, but enough for some plants, I may transplant the one I have and the one I will grow if I know how and which seed, and later when I can make that other outside area ready I can plant more seeds of sunflower for permanent bed.

[TareqPhoto]

Here is a package I bought yesterday and it says "RAW", now sure how true is that, but is this good for planted? Should I soak them in water first so to make sure they are washed and clean from anything before planting the seed?

[ButterflyLady29]

They grow those sunflowers in pots because they sell really well. I've never tried to use food sunflower seeds to plant so I don't know if they would work. The roasted ones won't work because they've been heated. If the raw ones have been treated in any way they might not sprout but it won't hurt to try a few. Don't the stores there sell sunflower seed? If they do that would be the best way to buy seed.

Pot size depends on how big the sunflowers get. There are tiny teddy bear sunflowers that can be planted in 10 inch diameter pots. And there are huge sunflowers that would have to be planted in the ground because they get too big for any pot. Unfortunately the big ones (Mammoth Russian is one variety) are the best for producing edible seed.

I have a lot of problems with birds eating the seed from the smaller sunflowers. Before the seed is ready the birds eat them all. Sunflower seeds are ready to pick when the flower part starts to dry up and turn brown.

[TareqPhoto]

Ok, I took the one from that package and planted in small pots and drinking cups, just as a test, I have too many seeds, so it is not a big lose if they germinated and died or never germinated, if it works and germinated then simply I will prepare the beds outside the house where I want to plant sunflower and just leave them there, I don't know how deep that area outside my house, but I am sure it is much much deeper than any pot I have, and the space isn't bad, so I can plant some sunflowers in a block just next to the main gate of my house so I can always watch/see those sunflowers when I leave or when I come back.

I am not sure if I will find any original un-treated sunflower seeds in any store, I don't want to waste money to buy them and then it never work, I bought 2 packs, one of them is roasted and salted it is mentioned, and this one above never mention about salted or roasted so it means that it is really a raw seeds, I can't confirm until I plant them or place on some wet environment [toilet paper/cotton,....] and then see if it will germinate.

Aren't those seeds telling you that it was taken from a giant sunflower? because if it wasn't a giant sunflower then how come it is big size seed?

[ButterflyLady29]

The seeds in your picture are most likely giant sunflower seeds. Usually you buy seeds for planting from the garden stores. Maybe the ones from your package will grow, maybe they won't. You never know until you try.

[TareqPhoto]

The seeds in your picture are most likely giant sunflower seeds. Usually you buy seeds for planting from the garden stores. Maybe the ones from your package will grow, maybe they won't. You never know until you try.

And this is what I did, I planted some and I will see, hope it will work, I won't be sad if it didn't.

The usual question, what temp do the sunflowers need? and what about watering? fertilizer? how long it takes usually from sprouting until flowering?

[ButterflyLady29]

Any temperature above freezing and they can sprout. I have a lot of birdseed sunflowers come up every spring. I never fertilize them, and they get only the water the rain provides (but remember I get a lot more rain than you do). Time from seed to flower will depend on the variety but I think it's anywhere between 40 and 60 days.

[TareqPhoto]

Any temperature above freezing and they can sprout. I have a lot of birdseed sunflowers come up every spring. I never fertilize them, and they get only the water the rain provides (but remember I get a lot more rain than you do). Time from seed to flower will depend on the variety but I think it's anywhere between 40 and 60 days.

40 to 60 days means up to 2 months, I will give it 3 months or say 90 days, if it didn't flower within 90 days then I have everything wrong in my house and garden and soil, if my plants can't grow good within 3 months say up to 4 months and I mean those know fast growing plants, then it is better I start over again just at the end of summer so they got last heat then they grow fast in warm not very hot weather until winter so they can flower, I will wait until almost the spring which we don't have here, but once the low temp season gone then I want to see how my plants doing so far.

I saw some videos where they place the seeds in very small pots even something like eggs beds, I did plant the sunflower seeds in a drinking cups and small pots, only to see if they will germinate and sprout, if yet then I will try hard to transplant them immediately to the ground out of my house where I want them to be permanently, if it didn't work for all cups and pots then it means 2 things.

1. The seeds are dead or not good for planting

2. Small pots and cups are bad beds/place for germinating sunflower seeds

[applestar]

For your ref. Only copied link for first pic. But you can click on the link to go see the rest.

Subject: 2014 pre-germinating/sprouting experiment Peas, Corn, Curcs

Did I mention I'm trying sunflowers and beets now? Started soaking them two nights ago and after full day of rinse and drain, the sunflower seeds have already started to germinate:



I already knew it works for sunflowers after last year's experiment, but I had a couple of sunflower seed heads hanging upside down on the end of a curtain rod all this time (completely forgot about them) and I had no idea if they were still viable after being near the window and all.

Still waiting on the beets. Started nasturtiums and cleome.

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Looking at the nice unbroken rows of sprouted peas and corn already growing in the garden, I'm really liking how the pre-germinated seeds hardly ever fail to grow where you sowed them. I'm going to try growing a fence row of sunflowers (along a difference fence than the last time where they were all facing the neighbor's house when they bloomed ). I'm planting them along the fence with the neighbor who is using a lawn service. Hopefully, the sunflowers will help to provide a screen barrier against wind drift, soak up any unwanted chemicals, and also act as warning by indicating any sign of broadleaf herbicide.

[rainbowgardener]

Raw should be fine for planting. Any hard shell seed benefits from being soaked for 24 hours (or more if you do rinse and drain as applestar did).

[TareqPhoto]

Well, I planted RAW seeds directly from the package without soaking in water, I did a mistake to plant in 10 [5 small pots and 5 plastic or nylon drinking cup], I should just plant 3-5 raw seeds directly and try with soaked seeds for another 5 to check out which will work better, but now I made it already I should just wait and watch, I like testing and I am not in rush for many plants.

[ButterflyLady29]

Sunflowers are not good for small pots or cups because they grow so fast. The roots can grow 6 inches in just a few days. It would be much better to plant sprouted seeds directly in the garden.

The 40 to 60 days is the time they take to develop flowers, not time to harvest mature seeds. Mature seeds that can be planted or eaten take a bit longer, another 30 to 45 days.

[TareqPhoto]

Sunflowers are not good for small pots or cups because they grow so fast. The roots can grow 6 inches in just a few days. It would be much better to plant sprouted seeds directly in the garden.

The 40 to 60 days is the time they take to develop flowers, not time to harvest mature seeds. Mature seeds that can be planted or eaten take a bit longer, another 30 to 45 days.

I see, I just wanted to test the seeds if they will germinate and sprout, if so then I was thinking to transplant them directly while they are still small sprouted seedlings to a permanent ground, the cup and small pots can be turned upside down so I take the whole plant with the soil used and planted in the ground, but if that is not really good then it is very very easy and simple that I plant new SF seeds in the grounds directly.

I still not sure about those RAW seeds, so that I tested them in small cups and pots, if they germinated and sprouted it means the seeds are ok, if not all of them then it is no point to test/try in the ground, I always test the seeds in smaller pots or in wetting cotton/toilet papers before I use larger containers/pots or the ground, most seeds I tested germinated successfully so I know what I can germinate in the ground, the damaged/failed seeds will be thrown away, or can be used if they are type of seeds to be added in food such as coriander or cumin seeds or some that can be cooked/boiled to be eaten such as pop corn and cowpeas.

[ButterflyLady29]

You can put those seeds in damp paper towels or toilet paper and see if they sprout. If they do sprout you can plant the sprouted seeds directly in the garden. The garden spot should be watered well before the sprouted seeds are planted and once you plant the seeds the garden area should be watered lightly again. This saves a few steps and you don't have to buy bagged soil to do it.

Look at the seeds in applestars picture above. The tiny little thing coming out of the seed end is the root. Those roots are the perfect size for planting in the garden directly and you can see which ones are good.

Popcorn and cowpeas can be treated the same way.

Plant the seeds with the root part pointed down. Don't push the seed into the soil. Make a little depression in the soil with your finger, set the seed in the depression with the pointed part down, then gently cover the seed with the soil on the edge of the depression. Once you are done with the row or plot it needs to be watered. A gentle spray from a hose would be best. If you can't do that just pour a little water over the seeded area, but do it gently so you don't uncover the seeds.

[TareqPhoto]

You can put those seeds in damp paper towels or toilet paper and see if they sprout. If they do sprout you can plant the sprouted seeds directly in the garden. The garden spot should be watered well before the sprouted seeds are planted and once you plant the seeds the garden area should be watered lightly again. This saves a few steps and you don't have to buy bagged soil to do it.

Look at the seeds in applestars picture above. The tiny little thing coming out of the seed end is the root. Those roots are the perfect size for planting in the garden directly and you can see which ones are good.

Popcorn and cowpeas can be treated the same way.

Plant the seeds with the root part pointed down. Don't push the seed into the soil. Make a little depression in the soil with your finger, set the seed in the depression with the pointed part down, then gently cover the seed with the soil on the edge of the depression. Once you are done with the row or plot it needs to be watered. A gentle spray from a hose would be best. If you can't do that just pour a little water over the seeded area, but do it gently so you don't uncover the seeds.

This is a good idea, I will follow those steps.

Well, I am still waiting the seeds I planted in those small pots/cups to sprout, because I prefer to test soil more than wet papers, because it will give me a better idea if the soil environment is good enough, I planted some germinated seeds and only few sprouted before of kind of plant, same with tomatoes seeds, I planted 3 germinated seeds apart from each other in 1 container, only 1 sprouted, and same with another container and only 2 sprouted, so why didn't all of germinated seeds sprouted and grown the same way if they are planted in same container and soil?

One sunflower seedling died, I don't know why, is it because it hates heat or something else I don't know what? maybe because I transplanted to slightly bigger pot that it was in before when I bought it, it has flower, but I really don't know what happened, water problem, soil? sun light? pot? many factors, so I just don't know what I will do with that seedling now, I mean if it didn't die completely yet so I will try to get it back to life, but I really not putting sunflower is top priority or must/important to have, and I will take long time until I prepare the outside garden where I chose sunflowers to be one of plants there.

[ButterflyLady29]

Were those pots watered by your helper? If so the seedlings might have died from being watered too hard.

Your sunflower that died, was it one that you bought that was already blooming or a seedling you planted from seed? Plants with flowers are not seedlings, just plants or flowering plants.

Sunflowers love heat and sun. They don't like dry soil or broken roots. They are very hard to transplant. I've killed several when trying to move them.

[TareqPhoto]

Were those pots watered by your helper? If so the seedlings might have died from being watered too hard.

Your sunflower that died, was it one that you bought that was already blooming or a seedling you planted from seed? Plants with flowers are not seedlings, just plants or flowering plants.

Sunflowers love heat and sun. They don't like dry soil or broken roots. They are very hard to transplant. I've killed several when trying to move them.

Ah ok, the one I bought was already blooming or flowering plant, and I transplanted second day or third to a bit bigger pot that it was in, but I feel even that new pot isn't big enough, but maybe what killed it is that hard watering, I told him not to water hard maybe late, in all cases, I feel sorry I lost it, good it wasn't expensive at all, but I think I will focus on planting from seeds instead.

The outside garden isn't so very big, but it is enough for some plants, and I was planning to choose the nearer one to the main gate for sunflower, and I think it is about 3meter by 2meter that I chose for sunflower because there is a palm tree after that 2 meter on the long direction, the width is almost same about 3meter or could be 3.5meter, so if I will choose that 3x2 meter area for sunflowers, how many seeds I can plant or the spacing?

[applestar]

It will depend on the sunflower variety. Smaller 4-5 ft varieties could grow 1 ft apart, average 6-8 ft varieties would do better 2 ft apart, and tallest 9-12 ft varieties would need to be at least 3 ft apart.

In the past, I sowed seeds and also tried transplanting seedlings 1 ft apart, planning to thin to every other one. Usually, though, it turned out that some wouldn't germinate or some transplanted seedling would inexplicably wilt and die (I think due to damaged or shocked roots). Also, many pests as well as animals (especially slugs and rabbits) like to nibble on the seedlings.

Since I started pre-germinating first in the seed sprouter, then sowing the pre-germinated seeds directly in the ground, I have better success with seedlings popping up where I planned them to grow, but I still have occasional losses to slugs and snails. I do put up a fence to keep out rabbits until the sunflowers grow tall and tough enough for them to no bother them anymore. I plant in staggered double row along a 5 ft picket fence.

Mine are tall varieties and need to be supported to keep from leaning and falling over once they start blooming and become top-heavy. I tie them to the fence.

Sunflowers turn their flowerbuds to face the sun as it travels across the sky from sunrise to sunset. But when the petals finally open, they seem to freeze in the direction they were facing when the first sunlight hits them. Over the years of trying different locations, I have finally found the length of the fence with sufficient direct sun along which the sunflowers open facing MY house rather than outward toward the neighbors' houses.

Before I knew this and was convinced --

One year I grew sunflowers that ALL opened facing directly into the neighbor's side door and windows. I have a substantial stretch of side yard on that side but the neighbors property line is close to their house on that side. It was a comical albeit disappointing sight to see them all turned away from my house, and it must have been awkward and even creepy for the neighbor to have those giant yellow faces crowded along the fence and peering in

One year, I tried growing sunflowers along another part of the fence thinking they would look impressive if they all faced the street -- unfortunately, the street is located to the NORTH of the fence there, and they all opened facing EAST and some SE (neighbor's yard). I realized the differences most likely was due to neighbor's house blocking the sun as it rose, casting shadows on some of them along the fence line until the sun came around.

[TareqPhoto]

Well, I was thinking to grow sunflowers outside my house also facing the main street there, because I am surrounded by houses from both directions left and right with the right house [when facing my house] having a small pathway in between with my house, and also a house behind mine, so only in the front is facing the street, and there is a space garden on the extension of my house out of the main fence but still inside my land, we sometimes leave some space in the front for Interlock blocks/tiles so the road is not just not exactly on the limit of the house fence.

Anyway, yesterday I checked my small pots/cups, almost most of them germinated, didn't see it well but I saw the seeds look like they came out from the soil, I thought because the water moved them out, but when I saw that from other post and cups I came closer to see something green came out, it was a bit darker so I didn't see the germinating seeds well, tomorrow I will check again. I always forget when did I planted seeds, but I think you remember when I told you about when did I planted the seeds, I think almost 5-6 days maybe, not a bad time.

So with those germinated seeds I have 2 conclusions:

1. The seed are ok, they will germinate, let's say 98% of them maybe, so good that I bought RAW seeds and it did works, but I doubt if this variety will give me that large "Giant" sunflower in my garden outside the house, the street is located to the north of the sun, or maybe nearly Northern east, so the flowers may see the light in the beginning of the day but then most of the day it will be in opposite until the sunset, if the sunflowers try to move facing the sun maybe the fence shadow will cover them, maybe just part of the garden will have the light of the sun so some of the SF will grow better, but I can't judge or finalize this assumption until I watch the garden all the day long or watching the SF if I plant them there.

2. The soil is good enough, I always have doubt about the soil mix I do and use, many times I feel either they are not so much perfect or they lack something or they have too much of elements that are unnecessary, and everyone telling me a story about the soil, but I have a feeling that the soil I use and I mixed is really strong, but it consist from 3 things, and those 3 things each has their own advantages so I keep thinking about combining those 3 advantages will eliminate each other weakness, and as long most seeds germinated already and sprouted even if some died it means the soil is doing its job, what else after the soil that may kill the plants could be something else not mainly the soil even if it is a factor sometimes.

So I am happy now to see those seeds germinated, and watching them sprouting later, I know they will die sooner or later, but watching it happened before it dies give me hope and entertainment, so the package I have have lot's of seeds that I can plant even the entire garden, so I am not in rush, once I prepare the other outside smaller garden then I will plant SF seeds and watch them grow better, but that blooming one I bought with the flower and died in no time worrying me about it may happen to the ones I will plant in the ground too, and the worse part is if not knowing what killed it, the pot or the soil or the water or the climate or something else?

[imafan26]

Sunflowers are annuals. They only bloom once and the bloom lasts about 10 days from the first opening before the head starts to die.

Sunflowers will grow to face the morning sun (east).

[TareqPhoto]

Sunflowers are annuals. They only bloom once and the bloom lasts about 10 days from the first opening before the head starts to die.

Sunflowers will grow to face the morning sun (east).

I see, god to know, something to learn, I will put that in mind.