How many sunflower seedlings have sprouted for you?
Tip: Use your surplus seedlings as gifts for friends and family!
As they start to grow, you might start to have more questions on how to care for them.
Send us a picture with your question and feature in the Sunflower Grower Gallery or head to our community group on Facebook and ask them! We will do our best to help diagnose and answer your questions. Fran Lawton provided us with loads of great care tips which we’ve shared below.
Fran's Caring Tips:
Black leaves? This is a sign of sun damage or being too cold. Make sure your sunflower is a nice warm place and only bring it outside when it has its true leaves to avoid damaging the sprout.
Leggy sprouts? A long stem with leaves only at the top can be a sign of lack of light. Sunflowers LOVE the sun, and can shoot up prematurely to get more light. See if you can move them to a sunnier spot, even throughout the day to ensure optimal hours of light.
Wonky stem? If your sunflower is leaning to one side, it will be reaching for the light. If you twist the pot around, you’ll find the sunflower starts stretching to the other side and ideally straightens up.
Are you using a cloche? Once the seed has sprouted, removing the cloche can improve air circulation and avoid damaging the seedling. A very moist soil is good for seeds but not as preferable for seedlings. It is important to keep the sunflower seedling dry with plenty of room to grow for strong stems.
Your progress is worth shouting about so share your pics, share your seedlings and keep checking in with them to see what they need be it more water, more sun or good air circulation!
Check out the Sunflower grower Gallery | Go to the My Sunflower Challenge Homepage
