sunflower are aneasy - to - growand iconic late - summer , early - crepuscule bloomer that ’s forthwith recognisable . They can be cut to ornament your home or planted to bestow color and variety to landscaping . Not just that , but helianthus seeds can even be harvest as a tasty snack . No matter the reason you ’re in love with these bloom , it ’s common to wonder if you’re able to plant them in recent summer and still enjoy blooms . Keep reading for the full liquid ecstasy !
Can you plant sunflowers in late summer?
Like most horticulture - related questions , the answer is : maybe . It bet onwhich USDA zoneyou’re locate in , thevarietyof sunflower you bid to plant , andjust how latein the summertime you ’re think of growing them . In zones 8 and higher , you ’ll probably have success with a late - summer sowing of helianthus germ . However , they may be shorter and bring on few prime because of the shorter day and decreased sunlight .
You ’ll also need to watch out for former frosts . Frost will burn or drink down your helianthus plants and result in no blooms at all . you could either cut the flowers and convey them indoors or essay to cut through them on chillier nights . To deflect any disasters , it ’s good to begin sowing helianthus seed no by and by than mid- to late August in these zona .
It takes an average of 55 to 70 days for sunflowers to begin producing flowers after being planted . As long as you have at least that many days between before the closing of your spring up season ( the first frost appointment ) , you should be upright to go to establish late - time of year sunflowers .
How to plant sunflowers for the most blooms in fall
While it ’s safe to sow helianthus seed even in late summertime ( in zone 8 and eminent ) , to get the most out of sunflower and their striking rosiness , here ’s what you should do .
Plan ahead
The best fashion to get the most out of any garden is to programme , program , plan . This signify gathering seeds , drawing out a garden function , and plan what will go where and when . This way , when the time number to institute , you ’re not race around adjudicate to get everything ready––or worse , giving up . Buy a consecrated calendar for gardening and home run when your sunflowers need to be directly sown into the ground .
Stagger your planting times
If you imbed all of your helianthus in the first week of planting time of year , they will all flower and die at the same time . To keep up the blooming phase and the amount of enjoyment you ’ll get out of the flowers , examine chronological sequence planting . This mean you plant a sure amount of prime one hebdomad , then another amount the next week , and so on . Then you ’ll get a new mathematical group of flowers flower every calendar week , and your garden will have that sunshiny color for weeks .
Sow the seeds directly in the ground
While many works like tomatoes or zucchini do n’t take care gettingtransplantingfrom seeded player - starting tray , sunflower do n’t wish their roots to be disturbed . You might have some achiever in starting helianthus indoors , but to get the most out of them and to achieve big , healthy bloom , sow them direct into the priming coat where you want them to grow .
Feed your sunflowers heavily
sunflower are always athirst ! You ’ll want to fertilize them more often than you might be used to with other flowering works . Since they turn so tall so promptly and have to support large peak , they need a lot of food to be sturdy and healthy . employ either a slow - release fertiliser early on in the time of year or fertilise the works withorganic compostor liquidity plant food every two weeks during their openhanded growing time of year .
Avoid high-wind areas
Sunflowers are ill-famed for being marvelous and having big blossom . Unfortunately , this combining can end in disaster if the sunflowers are plant where high winds can knock them over . If you may , plant helianthus near a fence or beside a shed where they ’ll sheltered from the wind and will be less probable to topple over .
How to care for sunflowers
industrial plant sunflowers about 6 column inch apart and 1 to 1.5 inches deep . When planted , supply the seeds with heap of fertilizer upfront , then wait to fertilize again until the plant life has become establish . At that point , you ’ll also desire to begin water heavily to encourage deep , strong roots . As the plants grows tall and grandiloquent , you might want to bring home the bacon them with additional support using bamboo stakes . The stakes are strong enough to stick out the flower , but they wo n’t cark from the flora ’s beauty .
Whether you need to grow sunflower to decorate your table or you love snacking on helianthus seeds , or you just enjoy these sunny colossus , these plants are a favorite among beginner and veteran gardeners alike . Once you try them yourself , you ’ll see why — no matter when in the season you get go !
