Sunflowers love warmth, so it’s only natural that they thrive under mild weather. This is why if you read gardening guides, you’ll see that the growing season for these plants is late spring. Show
But what if you forget to plant them then? Do you have to wait until next year to enjoy sunflower blooms? The answer is no. It’s possible to sow sunflower seeds in summer, up until August and possibly even later, depending on when your fall frost begins. Read on to know how late can you plant sunflowers. Table of Contents
How Late to Plant Sunflowers?When is it too late to plant sunflowers? The answer depends on the sunflower varieties you choose and the first frost where you live. In detail, it is too late to start growing these plants if there isn’t enough time for them to bloom before frost arrives. To illustrate, if you live in Danville in Illinois, your first fall frost will be on October 15.
Meanwhile, people in Big Rapids, Nichigan will have their expected frost earlier on September 28.
From these examples, it’s clear that if you plant late season sunflowers, it’s best to find the variety with the quickest development, especially if you’re expecting a light frost soon. Generally, the latest time for planting sunflowers will be in July or late August. You can use 100 days as your benchmark for calculating when to sow seeds, since this is the upper limit of sunflower plants’ maturation period. Other Things to Keep in Mind When Planting Late Season SunflowersWhether you grow sunflowers in late summer or in the fall, you can put them in your garden bed or in pots.
Frequently Asked Questions1. When is the best time to plant sunflowers? Sunflowers growing is best done after the last spring frost if you sow the seeds outdoors. For young plants to survive and sprout, the soil’s temperature should also measure 55 to 60 degrees at the minimum. Indoor gardening, on the other hand, can begin earlier, about four to six weeks before the last frost date. These rules apply to both the US and UK. And if you wonder what month to plant sunflowers in spring, the growing season will often start in March or April in the US and end in June. For the UK, April and May are when people plant sunflowers. To give you an example, Indianapolis in Indiana has its last frost on April 26. Therefore, residents here can have their sunflowers planted on April 27 outdoors, or on March 15 to 29 indoors. Read more: Best time to plant sunflowers in North Carolina. 2. Where to plant sunflowers or sunflower seeds? Whether you put sunflowers in the garden or in containers, keep in mind the following criteria when selecting your planting location:
3. What happens if you plant sunflowers late? If you stick to the guideline above, your sunflowers will still grow, though there’s a chance they will have fewer flower heads. You may wonder why this is the case. As fall and winter approach, the day will get shorter, giving sunflowers less sunlight to absorb. We also know from research that following the sun helps these plants develop and produce bigger leaves, so if you’re deciding when to plant sunflowers, stick to mid or early spring if possible. 4. What are the hardiness zones for sunflowers? Sunflowers will grow best in hardiness zone 2 to 11. In practice, this means you can plant them in pretty much all parts of the United States, given that the country only has thirteen main hardiness zones. If you want to know whether your climate is suitable for sunflowers, go to planthardiness.ars.usda.gov and look up the map for your locality.
Using hardiness zones, you can find more examples of places for sowing sunflowers, such as in California. This information can also be used to pick your plant variety, since seed packages will usually list the zones or regions they best grow in. 5. Which pests should I look out for when planting sunflowers? Below are some pests that will attack sunflowers:
ConclusionHow late can you plant sunflowers? Hopefully, you now have the answer. It’s essential to avoid frosts when choosing your planting date. Only by doing so will you have flower petals to decorate your home with and sunflower seeds to use as a tasty snack. And if you have a bird feeder, know that sunflowers produce edible seeds that attract avians as well. Have you sowed sunflowers yet? If you haven’t, why not start this year and brighten up your home with vases of cut flowers? What is the best month to plant sunflowers?When to Plant Sunflowers. It's best to sow sunflower seeds directly into the garden (or outdoor containers) after the danger of spring frost has passed anytime after soils have warmed to at least 50°F (10°C).. In the northern half of the U.S. and in Canada, this will fall between April and mid-June.. Do sunflowers grow better in pots or ground?Sunflowers need sun. They do best in fertile soil in a sheltered spot, but will also do well in containers. However, if you want your sunflower to grow really tall, it's best to plant it in the ground.
How many months does it take to grow sunflowers?Sunflowers grow quickly. Many can achieve up to 12 feet of growth in only 3 months. With the proper growing conditions, sunflowers should reach maturity in 70 to 100 days after planting.
Should I soak sunflower seeds before planting?We recommend our USA Grown Raw Organic Sunflower Seeds. Start the process by soaking the seeds for 11/2 - 2 hours at room temperature. A good ratio will be about half to one cup sunflower seeds with two cups water. Next, drain and rinse the seeds thoroughly (you're getting rid of that pesky phytic acid!).
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