Sunflowers are a must grow for everybody in 2022, especially those who are getting married this year. Sunflowers have many varieties and provide our flower farm and wedding venue with a wide range of colors and textures. For us, sunflowers bring our wedding venue a sense of aw during the months of August and September. Wedding guests just seem to always be amazed by their size and beauty. We also use them for wedding flowers in bouquets and in our wedding barn for centerpieces and other wedding decors.
Depending on your growing situation, a city balcony, a small backyard, a rural farm, etc. to grow the sunflowers you really just need, well, sun. Simply speaking the more sun the better but remember, don't get too picky. Sunflowers typically want 6-8 hours of sun but if you only have a spot that sees 4-5, plant them anyways. Why not try!
Sunflowers are often used as the focal flower of a wedding bouquet, but below you will see its versatility as it is used to support the dahlias.
Without further ado, here it is:
Growing Sunflowers: Simple step-by-step instructions for growing Sunflowers in 2022.
Step 1: Plant Seeds
Direct sowing in soil: Plant directly in soil 1-2 inches deep 6 inches apart as soon as 2 weeks before the last expected frost. Once the sunflowers have grown their second set of leaves, thin them out to 2 feet apart. (Note you can always transplant the ones your removed to another location!)
Indoor in trays: Plant in 2-3 inch deep trays 1-2 inches deep roughly 4-6 weeks before your last frost is expected.Transplant outside once the frost season has ended spaced 2 feet apart.
Step 2: Water and care
Sunflowers are pretty drought tolerable but they do prefer regular watering.
Step 3: Harvest blooms to promote more blooms to grow!
Besides the one-cut or single-stem sunflowers, most sunflowers are branching meaning they will send off multiple blooms. With this, be sure to harvest each stem once the petals are about half open. This will trigger the plant to grow even more blooms.
That's it. Sunflowers are a pretty hands-off and easy plant. Just let mother nature do its thing!
