Your Giant Sunflower Race!
Let's grow the tallest sunflower ever and have lots of fun doing it!
Get Ready to Grow!
Sunflowers are super speedy growers and can get HUGE! This guide will help you grow your own giant sunflower from seed to seed. It's a whole season of fun, so let's get started!
What You'll Need
- Sunflower seeds (look for giant varieties!)
- Small pots or seed trays
- Potting compost
- A sunny spot indoors
- Larger pots or a sunny spot in the garden
- A sturdy stake or cane
- String or plant ties
- A ruler or tape measure
- A notebook and pencil (or a special chart!)
- Watering can
Sowing Your Seeds (Late Winter / Early Spring)
When the days start to get a bit longer and the soil outside is starting to warm up, it's time to sow your seeds. We'll start them inside to give them a head start.
- Fill your small pots or seed tray with potting compost, leaving about 2cm (nearly 1 inch) space at the top.
- Gently water the compost so it's damp but not soggy.
- Make a hole in the centre of each pot, about 2.5cm (1 inch) deep. You can use your finger or a pencil!
- Pop one or two seeds into each hole. If you plant two, you can pick the strongest seedling later.
- Cover the seeds gently with compost.
- Water lightly again.
- Place the pots in a warm, sunny spot indoors, like a windowsill.
Caring for Your Seedlings
Keep the compost moist and watch for sprouts! This usually takes about 1-2 weeks. Once they have their first proper leaves (not the tiny seed leaves), it's time to think about moving them.
Planting Out (After Your Last Frost)
Wait until all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm. If you grew seedlings in a seed tray, carefully separate them, keeping as much soil around the roots as possible. If you have two in a pot, choose the strongest one and gently remove the other.
- Dig a hole in your chosen spot in the garden that's a bit bigger than the pot your sunflower is in.
- Gently tip the pot to slide the sunflower out. If it's stuck, tap the bottom. Try not to disturb the roots too much.
- Place the sunflower in the hole so the top of its soil is level with the garden soil.
- Fill in the hole with soil and firm it gently around the base.
- Water your new sunflower well.
Feeding Your Giant
Sunflowers need lots of sun and water to grow tall. Make sure they are in the sunniest spot you have – this will be the side that gets the most sunshine throughout the day. Water them regularly, especially when it's hot and dry.
Staking Your Sunflower
As your sunflower grows taller, it will need support. This is called staking. Put a sturdy stake or bamboo cane into the ground near the stem, but be careful not to damage the roots. Gently tie the stem to the stake using soft string or plant ties. Add more ties as it grows taller.
Measure Up!
This is where the race really begins! Every week, measure your sunflower from the soil to the very top. Write down the date and the height in your notebook or on your chart. Compare your sunflower's growth to your friends' sunflowers if you're racing!
When Things Go Wrong (The Floppy Sunflower)
Sometimes, even giant sunflowers can look a bit sad or floppy. This is usually because they need more water. Check the soil – if it feels dry, give it a good drink. If it's very windy, make sure your stake is strong enough and the ties are secure.
Be careful when pushing stakes into the ground. Ask an adult for help if the soil is hard. Also, be mindful of where you are digging so you don't accidentally cut through any important cables or pipes buried underground.
Saving the Seeds (Late Summer / Autumn)
As the sunflower finishes flowering, the centre of the flower head will start to dry out and turn brown. The seeds will be getting ready inside! Leave the head on the plant for as long as possible to ripen.
- When the back of the flower head feels dry and the seeds look plump and ready, you can carefully cut the head off.
- You can tie a paper bag loosely around the head before cutting to catch any seeds that fall.
- Rub the seeds out of the dried flower head. You might need to rub quite hard!
- Dry the seeds completely on a tray indoors for a few days.
- Store them in a dry jar or envelope.
What to Do with Your Seeds
You've grown your sunflower and saved its seeds! You can feed these tasty seeds to birds in your garden during winter – they love them! Or, you can save some of the best seeds to plant next year and start your own giant sunflower race all over again!