Every sunflower plant that I came across in my life was either planted in a field or on the sidewalk. But never in containers in a rooftop garden. It’s either because people don’t want to grow sunflowers at home or they don’t know if they can. Yet, if you are one of those people, this blog is for you!

My inspiration for growing sunflowers came from a close friend who told me that sunflowers match my personality. Moreover, I wanted to experiment for my blog, Plant It. So here are the tips to help you grow these beauties at home in containers.

Season

The best time to grow sunflowers is from April to August. Due to the unavailability of seeds at my local garden, I started seeds in May.

Starting off

If the sunflower seeds are good, they should sprout within three days. First, I used a 50-hole seedling tray with big enough holes and filled them up with manure and a wood husk mixture. Then, I tucked the seeds in nice and tight. The seedling tray must be kept in a place with 3–4 hours of sunlight and enough water. Do not make the soil soggy; otherwise, “It’s over for your seedlings!”

Toughen up

Once the seedlings have developed true leaves, it’s time to harden them up. It means that you slowly increase their sunlight intake. This will help them grow strong and get used to garden conditions.

Moving out

I like to shift my seedlings into a larger plastic container where I can grow them to almost half a foot tall. Then transfer them to the actual container. This was an absolute disaster with sunflowers. Out of forty seedlings, only three remained. I chose a 16” wide and 20” inch terracotta pot.

Soil

Sunflowers will survive in any sort of soil. Take normal garden soil, dig up a hole of almost 6 inches, and tuck the seedlings in. The critical thing is the sunlight intake. Since these are called “sunflowers,” you’d assume that they do very well in bright sunlight. No, they don’t. Not in containers, at least. This is a hit-and-run; if you see the leaves drooping, move to shade and water daily.

Enjoy

Don’t forget to sit back and enjoy the beauty that you helped grow..

Seed Saving

Once the sunflowers have reached an old age and their heads are drooping, cut them off and set them aside to dry. After drying, brush the pollen off the head, and you’ll find black seeds at the base. Take them out, put them in an airtight bag, and save them for next season.