When Should We Be Planting Sunflower Seeds? The Complete Sunflower Guide

Sunflowers are a popular type of flower and they are great to grow at home in your own gardens. They are happy flowers and they can add a bright splash of colour to your home.

 Sunflowers can bring a great variety of wildlife to your garden, attracting birds, who love to feast on the seeds, mice, squirrels, rats voles and chipmunks. You can also find a variety of insects that enjoy the flower.

As well as growing sunflowers for the animals, they are a valuable food source. They're easy to grow and they can make great projects for those with young children.

When To Plant Sunflower Seeds

Whilst growing sunflowers is not necessarily a difficult task, if you have never grown them before, it can be hard to know exactly the best way to do so. Below, we have outlined some of the best ways to plant sunflower seeds.

Sow indoors during the early season

It is a great idea to start the life of sunflower seeds by sowing them indoors. This can be done in small pots filled with peat-free compost. You should aim to place two seeds into each pot and you will soon start to see small seedlings produce within the following fourteen to twenty-one days. 

At this point, you are going to want to transfer them to a large container but keep them inside. During late May, you can transfer them outside, but before you plant them into the ground, you need to ensure that they acclimatise to the weather in their own pots.

Once this process is done, you can plant them in a sunny spot and water them as needed.

Sow outside in the later season

If is it later into the season, you can start by sowing the sunflowers directly into the ground or into pots. If you are going to sow them into the pots, then follow the same process as above. For the ground, dig a hole around 5cm deep and again plant two seeds into the hole and cover with 1.5cm of soil.

If you are planting more than one sunflower, ensure that you leave a gap of at least 45cm between plants. You will start to see seedlings within the same time frame.

Support

As the sunflower starts to grow, you will notice that they will grow very tall. As they start to get taller, you will need to ensure that you are offering the plant support in the form of a standing structure, such as bamboo sticks that will go into the ground and protect the plant from the root upwards.

If you do not provide support for your sunflower as it starts to get taller then there is a risk that it will become unstable and the stem will become damaged. This could then lead to the sunflower falling over. The head of the sunflower can become quite heavy and so this will help to support that weight. Note that sunflowers can grow to be over 16 feet tall, so this is an important step should your sunflower start to gain such height.

Timing

The best time to plant sunflower seeds is during the spring, particularly late spring. You do not want to plant them much earlier unless you sow them inside, this gives the ground time to warm up before they are placed into the ground.

Sunflowers will most commonly germinate in soil that reaches 21-29°C. The best time to plant them is at a temperature between 15-21°C.

When to Harvest Sunflower Seeds

Once your sunflowers have grown and died completely, instead of disposing of them, they can be harvested for their seeds. You will know when the seeds are ready to harvest because the backs of the blooms will be coloured brown.

You may also notice that the seeds are starting to become loose. The easiest way to harvest the seeds is to cut the stem and collect the seeds in a container. Note that it is possible for birds to try and take the seeds from the sunflower before you have collected them.

To remove the seeds, you are going to want to rub the seeds so that they fall out from the head of the flower and into the container of your choice.

Most sunflower seeds will be ready for harvesting from mid-September to late October.

How Does a Sunflower Grow?

For a full-grown sunflower, it is going to take between 11 and 18 weeks, depending on if you have grown them from a seedling. You want to pick your type of sunflower carefully as some are likely to grow much higher than others and this will impact the want that they grow.

Sunflowers grow with plenty of water and feed to encourage them to grow. A sunflower will grow much better in a space full of sunshine. Each different variety will grow in a different way, for example, the following varieties will grow as explored.

American Giant: This type of sunflower grows to be around 5m high. They have a strong stem, which means that they require little to no support.

Giant Single: This type of sunflower grows to be around 4m tall. They grow quickly and will produce a single flower, this may require some support.

Toy Shop: This type of sunflower grows to be around 90cm in height. They will produce both single and double flowers.

Junior: This type of sunflower grows to be around 60cm in height. They will produce multiple flowers on each branch.

Sunshine Giant: These are a slightly smaller type of giant sunflower and grow to be around 2m high. They are recommended for children wanting to grow sunflowers.

Firecracker: This type of sunflower grows to be around 60cm in height. They are among the smaller variety of sunflowers and produce red and yellow flowers.

Velvet Queen: This type of sunflower grows to be around 1.5m high. It produces bright red flowers. The flower is around 4 to 6 inches wide.

Sunsation Yellow: This type of sunflower grows to be around 75cm. They grow multiple flowers and glossy, dark green leaves. The flowers can reach up to 17cm in width.

Skyscraper: This type of sunflower can grow up to 12 feet in size. They have durable stems and the head will grow to be around 14 inches in width.

Sunforest: This type of sunflower grows to be around 10- 15 feet high with the flower being up to 40 inches wide. They grow with 3 to 4 feet between them.

Russian Mammoth: This can grow between 9 and 12 feet high and it grows very well and quite quickly. This grows best in the Mediterranean climate. or something similar.

Pacino: This is among the smaller, dwarf sunflowers and grows between 12 and 16 inches, but can get to 2 feet high. 

What Are Sunflower Seeds Good For?

Whilst sunflower seeds are used for a variety of different products, it is thought that around 25% of all sunflower seeds are actually used to produce birdfeed. Other uses include oil and culinary uses, as well as different cultural attributes associated with the seed.

Birdfeed

Sunflower seeds are often added to a birdseed mix which can be used to feed the birds in your garden. They are a great addition, as well as sunflower hearts, and can boost the diet of the birds. They a naturally beneficial for the birds by containing a healthy standard of fat and fibre. It is thought that sunflower seeds are one of the most nutritious foods that you can give to wild birds.

They are also rich in vitamins and minerals, which are essential for the bird's health. Note that feeding sunflower seeds to the birds may cause a mess in your garden since they can crack open the shell and leave that behind in favour of the inside.

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil is made by pressing the seeds of a sunflower to create a healthy oil containing unsaturated fats. This type of oil is commonly used for cooking purposes but can be seen in cosmetic formulants and an emollient. When used in food production, it serves as a frying oil, but can also be used for butter, baking and in some instances, salad dressing.

The process is done through a method of extraction where the oil is extracted using chemical solvents or it can be done through pressing. This means that the sunflower seed is crushed.

Sunflower seeds as a snack

Sunflower seeds have become a popular snack that can either be eaten on their own or incorporated into other dishes. Quite often, you will find that they have either been roasted, or you can eat them raw.

They hold great nutritional values as they are high in protein and contain healthy fats. In addition, they are an antioxidant that lowers your risk of developing potentially serious conditions. They are also beneficial for the following:

• Heart health
• Supporting the immune system
• Boosting your energy levels

Heart health

Since sunflower seeds are high in healthy fats, studies suggest that eating seeds, including sunflower seeds, were linked to lower levels of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. This makes sunflower seeds good for supporting your heart's health.

Supporting the immune system

Due to the high levels of vitamins and minerals, sunflower seeds are great at helping to support your immune system and in turn will increase your body's ability to fight off diseases and infections. This makes sunflower seeds good for supporting your immune system.

Boosting your energy levels

Sunflower seeds contain high levels of protein, which makes them great for boosting your energy.

Sunflower Seeds - How to Eat

Considering sunflower seeds are a popular snack, you might be wondering how you actually eat them since they come in their shell. Firstly, you are going to want to buy a bag of sunflower seeds, perhaps buy some different kinds so that you can find your favourite type.

You are able to buy seeds that have already been de-shelled but not all are prepared for you. The best way to start is by placing one sunflower seed in your mouth, as you get the technique down, you can increase the amount.

It is much easier to crack the seed with the side of your mouth and use your molars. Place the seed between your top and bottom teeth. This can be done either horizontally or vertically, depending on your preference. Gently bite down on the seed to crack the shell. Don't bite too hard or you risk crushing the seed completely.

Release the seed from your teeth and use your tongue to separate the inner seed from the rest of the shell. This should be easy to do providing the shell has been adequately cracked. Remove the two shells from your mouth and eat the seed.

Are Sunflower Seeds Keto?

For those who are maintaining a keto diet, you might be wondering if sunflower seeds are keto. To answer, sunflower seeds are 100% keto. Sunflower seeds have a very low carb count, meaning they are extremely unlikely to affect your state of ketosis.

With all of the beneficial minerals and vitamins, plus the additional benefits, sunflower seeds are great snacks for those doing keto.

Nutrition Value of 30g of Sunflower Seeds

This is the basic nutritional value of 30g of sunflower seeds, but this is subject to change depending on the type of sunflower seed you are eating. Some are flavoured and this can increase the nutritional content.

Calories: 175 kcals

Protein: 5.8 grams

Fat: 15 grams

Net Carbs: 3.9 grams

Dietary fibre: 3.3 grams

For more nutritional information visit Perfect Keto.

So, Why Grow Sunflowers?

With all the explored uses for sunflower seeds, growing your own sunflowers gives you access to sunflower seeds are your own disposal. You can decide how many to grow and when to harvest them. This can be a money saver if you regularly eat seeds or use them for other purposes, such as feeding garden birds. 

You yourself can benefit from harvesting your own sunflower seeds, they are a great snack and they make your garden look great!