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Container Gardening

is it too late to plant sunflower seeds?

18 years ago

I seem to be behind the game in my zone for just about everything besides tomatoes. But I was just looking at OutofSpite's pics and I have just decided I need some height on my deck, and sunflowers would be lovely! I have some seeds and everything - just need a pot. :-)

What do you think? How fast growing are they? Etc.

Featured Answer

phyllis__mn

18 years ago

Go ahead....they are fast growing.

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Comments (18)

OUTofSPITE
18 years ago
LOL!

If it makes you feel any better, I just planted some Monday and a couple more today.
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is it too late to plant seeds this year?
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I'm going out on a limb here, since I live on the other side of the puddle, but over the past few years I have found that one has to rely on instinct more than the instructions given on the packet as to when to plant out. 'Seasons', as such don't seem to exist anymore... we've had November days that were up into the 70's, and yet have had to turn on the heating in the house in late May. Summer flooding has become a real problem in parts of the UK, and last February we had snow in this area for the first time since 2003. Growing has become a lottery unless you are using a glasshouse, and every year brings the question of "what might actually produce a crop?". My pear tree hasn't fruited well in this millenium, last year we had a meagre plum crop ( nothing the year before )... runner beans did well, but tomatoes were a waste of time! I'm glad I'm starting to lose my hair otherwise I'd be tearing it out! :-)
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Too late to plant sunflowers?
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I did a little research. It takes approx. 10-14 days for germination. Then it takes approx. 6-8 weeks for blooms. That means blooms no earlier than mid-September or October 1. We often get a first frost around Oct. 20-25. Yes, you may have time but you won't have much "hang time" with the blooms before frost. Maybe 4 weeks at the most.
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Too late to plant sunflowers?
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I'd plant them just make sure you water them. I have them come up from birdseed year round. If they had enough water and sun they would be happy to keep the flowers coming..
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Am I too late to plant sunflower seeds?
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You can sow them forever. The DTMs on the packages are estimates only and I have found many varieties flower much earlier here in our heat than the DTMs indicate. (This is true of many other kinds of annual flowers, herbs and veggies too.) I've sown sunflower seeds as late as early August and had flowers in the fall before frost. In a good year with adequate rainfall my sunflowers will form seeds, the seeds will fall to the ground and a few weeks later the seeds will germinate and give you a new round of plants. In addition to the sunflower seeds I plant, we have a couple of kinds of native sunflowers, including Maximilian's sunflower and they grow fine with no help from me. I don't even water them. Sunflowers are about the easiest thing on earth to grow. Sadly, deer will eat them....the flower while it is in bloom or after it has formed but not yet opened, the seed head, leaves, stems, etc., so how many sunflowers we have in bloom in any given year will depend on how hungry the deer are.
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opabinia51
18 years ago
Nope, go ahead!
skippy05
18 years ago
I just planted some the other day- they pop up fast!
Go for it & enjoy!
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
18 years ago
You know - eventually we're going to have to answer this question with a YES. ;o)

Al
OUTofSPITE
18 years ago
Awwww, Al!
That takes all the fun out of it!

Actually, now that I think about it - the answer would be NO.

The subject is the question - "is it too late to plant sunflower seeds?"

The answer - No

LOL!
franktank232
18 years ago
I let my sunflowers soak for a day or so before planting, not sure what this does, but they seem to sprout very fast...i might go plant some today! They grow until OCt ... :) Never too late!
skippy05
18 years ago
I planted some seeds last nite!
What the heck!
fairy_toadmother
18 years ago
what if they are giant grey stripe in zone 5?
franktank232
18 years ago
I'm still planting stuff here in SW Wi...i figure if it doesn't make it, no harm done :)
dgkritch
18 years ago
Seeds are cheap! I will planting some tonight.
What's the worst that can happen??? Lush foliage, maybe some color, possibly not maturing???

Taken' my chances.

P.S. Tinarb...I am Z8 in Oregon too....near Eugene. Where are you?
tinarb
Original Author
18 years ago
Dgkritch, I'm very near you - in Eugene.

I decided to just uy a cheap pot of sunflowers. And then since I've started seeds of salvia. If it's not one thing, it's another. :-)
clickermel
18 years ago
I'm in zone 6, and just planted one on July 1st. It's already over 1" tall :-). First, I put it in a damp paper towel in a baggie; it sprouted within 36 hours and I stuck it in the ground. It doesn't have it's first true pair of leaves yet but seems to be doing pretty well so far!

Whether I'll get actual flowers or not is yet to be seen, but I figured why not find out? :^)

:-) Mel
michelegag
17 years ago
They grow quickly, I say do it, Can I still dry out my seeds if I took them off the pod before it was dry and if so how do I dry them and how soon plant? I am in central Florida
stevenv
16 years ago
Hello I live in California near Big Bear mountains, It is now August is it too late for me to plant sunflower seeds? Thank you in advance.. I am in Zone 8 & 9 I beleive..
Krissy LaFountain Nieves
6 years ago
Ok.. same question.. only here it is August.. will i get atleast something of a bloom? Against a very sunny fence. I hope your answers are positive. Planting is therapy for me since losing my bro n best friend. We lived in FLORIDA so it was easier there. BUT HERE.. UGH THANKS!
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years ago
Sunflower belongs to a group of plants described as being facultative long day bloomers. What this means is, sunflower will eventually bloom during the 'short day' period of the life cycle, so long as cultural conditions don't prevent it. Day length/photoperiod impacts the blooming of most plants. Actually, it's the length of the night that triggers photoperiod blooming responses, but that's another discussion. Sunflower blooms faster/better when day length is longer than about 14 hours, but as noted, WILL bloom under short day conditions (when the dark period is longer than the light period) - just not as readily as during long day stretches.

You don't say where you live, but if there is danger of their freezing within the next 2.5-3 months, I wouldn't bother planting, as frost will take them before they can reach bloom stage.

So sorry about your brother.

Al
James (zone5b)
6 years ago
I plant some sunflower seeds every year, usually in mid-June. I just got my first bloom recently. So that would mean flowering in mid-November at best for anything planted now. It could take even longer given that anything planted now would not have the benefit of growing during peak growing season of June and July.

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