Sunflower
Flower · warm season
When to plant
- Sow seeds outdoors about 1 week after your average last spring frost.
- Ready to harvest about 80 days after planting.
- Sow again every 2 weeks for a steady harvest.
Harvest seed heads when the back turns yellow-brown.
Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.
Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b
Growing basics
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Spacing
- 12–24 in
- Soil temperature
- At least 55°F
- Time to harvest
- About 80 days
- Containers
- At least 3 gallons
- Plant family
- Lettuce and daisy family
- Harvest per plant
- About 0.5 lb
- Seeds keep
- About 3 years
Companions
Keep apart: the bean and pea family (legumes). Sunflowers release compounds that can slow beans.
Keep apart: Potato. Sunflowers release compounds that can slow potatoes.
Keep apart: Horseradish. Horseradish spreads aggressively. Give it its own spot.
Keep apart: Mint. Mint spreads aggressively into neighbors. Keep it in a pot.
Keep apart: Fennel (bulb). Fennel slows the growth of most garden plants. Grow it on its own.
Keep apart: Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Sunchokes spread aggressively and shade neighbors.
Pests and problems
Grow it well
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.