Growing sunflowers

• Space individual plants 12 to 18 inches apart.

• Before planting, add some general purpose fertilizer to the soil.

• Deep but less frequent watering will encourage strong stems and deep roots.

• Harvest for cut flowers in the morning just after they open. For seed harvest, cut the flowers when the bracts begin to shrivel and hang upside down in a shelter. (I leave them in the garden for the birds to harvest!)

  PLEASE NOTE: The plants on my farm table have NOT been hardened off. They are straight from the greenhouse.
  You can do one of the following:
  1. Expose them gradually to outdoor conditions over a week
  -OR (as I do)-
  2. Plant them immediately and give them protection from excess sun, wind, and rain for a week or two.

2026

(Descriptions and photos are from the seed company websites unless otherwise noted.)

Sunflower, Better Off Red

We are excited to offer our improved version of Red Sun Sunflower! Better Off Red began with a few seeds from a self-pollination of the best and reddest plants in a mix of a (barely red at all) population of so-called Red Sun Sunflower. Re-selected and stabilized over several years, we are now happy to offer a better line of Red Sun that is actually red! Rich, brick-red petals turn a burnt orange as the flowers mature and begin developing seeds. This combination of colors lends a warm, earthy character to the flower patch. Plants average around 6 feet tall and form many side branches, ensuring a long season for pollinators, flower gazers, and avian seed snackers to enjoy. (Adaptive Seeds)

Sunflower, Hungarian Black Seeded

5-7 foot tall plants produce mostly single, 8-12” flowers with yellow petals. Large, black seeds are tasty as a snack and also good for fresh sprouts since they’re huge. Black seeded sunflower seeds are a popular protein-rich food in eastern Europe, and are very popular with the birds here at our farm. May also be pressed for oil if you can grow enough. This variety was collected on our first Seed Ambassadors trip from Martin Ringhoffer, who grows this Hungarian heirloom on his farm in Hungary. Seed produced by Avoca in Corvallis, Oregon. (Adaptive Seeds)

Below are varieties offered in 2025. Some may also be available this year. I’m still working on updating the site.

Mongolian Giant

Enormous, vibrant yellow flower heads span 18 inches across, towering up to 14 feet tall.
Once the blooms fade, you’ll be rewarded with bushels of edible, huge, 1 ½ inch long seeds. (Territorial Seeds)

Red Sun

Red Sun is our favorite mix for long bloom-time displays in the garden and the vase. Tall, strong plants reach 5 to 8 feet tall with well-branched stems for lots of buds and flowers. You’ll get a variety of blooms from straight yellow to all red, streaked red and yellow and red with a deep corona—all exquisite! (Territorial Seeds)

Sunseed

We recommend Sunseed specifically for its delicious sunflower seeds. It produces an abundance of large kernels that are great for snacking, and can be used for making sunflower oil, too. The earliest maturing variety in its class, Sunseed makes 10–14 inch heads on 4 to 5 foot tall plants. (Territorial Seeds)

Dwarf Mardi Gras blend

Free flowering and multiple branched plants with strong stems produce a beautiful blend full of attractive colors. Grows to 2 to 3 feet tall. (Territorial Seeds)

Snack Mix

Doubly delightful, this colorful blend of summer’s favorite flower provides a festive display plus a bonus of nutritious munching after the blooms fade. Grows to 5 to 7 feet tall. (Territorial Seeds)