Growing Sunflowers

Successful sunflowers start here.
Growing tips and helpful information.

Where to plant:

Sunflowers grow best in a location with direct sunlight 6 to 8 hours a day to flower well. They thrive in sandy or well-drained soil, slightly acidic to somewhat alkaline (pH 6.0 to 7.5) and love organic compost. They are hardy and do not require fertilizer, but a little phosphorus and potassium can encourage bigger blooms, a little nitrogen supports leaf growth. Dwarf sunflowers grow well in pots and planters.

Planting:

Plant in the spring after danger of frost. Sunflower seeds should be spaced about 6 inches apart in a shallow trench between 1 and 2 inches deep. Cover with soil and keep watered until seeds sprout in 7 to 10 days. Most of the over 70 different varieties of sunflowers bloom about 60 days after planting.

Growing sunflowers from seed

Our company name “Tournesol” is French for “sunflower” – and sunflowers symbolize adoration, loyalty, and longevity. The sunflower is native to the Americas and is universally known to be a happy, friendly flower. The seeds are tasty and have health benefits, used to make oil, and are used as feed for livestock and birds. (even chipmunks)

Fun Facts about Sunflowers

Sunflowers, like many other members of the daisy family, (Asteraceae) follow the sun’s movement in the morning from east to west in the evening when they’re growing and developing in a plant behavior called heliotropism.

An amazing trait is that sunflowers can easily grow 8 to 12 feet in four to six months. The tallest one ever recorded measured over 30 feet tall.

Sunflower heads are made of thousands of tiny, individual flowers. Each outer yellow petals are individual undeveloped flowers.

Sunflowers can help soil become healthier. Russia and Japan have used sunflowers for years to draw out toxins and heavy metals from contaminated soil.

Mike from the Marketing Team and his giant sunflowers

Velvet Queen Sunflower

Need more color? - Sunflowers are also available in red, brown, purple, and orange. Some red varieties of sunflowers are: Chianti, Firecracker, Moulin Rouge, and Earthwalker.

Like a sunflower that follows the sun during the day and then reorients itself at night in anticipation of dawn, the Tournesol team is continually innovating to create fresh, efficiently designed products and solutions. We like to think we are like a sunflower: loyal, friendly, practical, smart, and fun.

Thank you for visiting our website.  We hope you dig our seeds!

Note: we send a sunflower seed pack when you request samples. While seeds supplies last.