🌻 🌻 Sunflowers 🌻 🌻
Garden by the Sea is giving away sunflower seeds this year as a way to show hope, strength and peace for our community. We are looking forward to seeing North Beach ablaze with yellow and orange sunflowers gracing our neighborhoods and storefronts come fall!
It will take some time—from spring to fall—but anything worth having is worth waiting for. If you were lucky enough to get your free packet of seeds from us, here are a few tips for making sure they grow strong and tall. If you haven’t gotten the free sunflower seeds yet, we do plan to have them at GBTS’ opening celebration on April 2nd and throughout the spring for anyone that wants them.
First and most important, wait until late April or May to plant the seeds. They need warm soil to germinate and are not particularly fond of being transplanted. Directly sow the seeds 6” apart in your garden or a large pot about ½” deep. Choose a sunny location where the deer can’t get to them. Next to a fence is a good choice, or in a garden bed where the tall sunflowers won’t shade other plants as they grow (i.e. plant on the northern side of a sunny area where you can plant smaller plants in front). Be sure to allow ample room for them to grow at least 5 feet high and 12” around.
Your sunflowers will appreciate some added compost at the time of planting, plenty of water, and an organic low-nitrogen fertilizer throughout the growing season as needed.
Birds love sunflower seeds, so it is a good idea to provide protection to the planting site with bird netting, row covers, or jute until the seeds start to sprout. Be sure to thin the plants so they are at least 12” apart. Small sunflowers may need staking to provide support from our local windy conditions.
Once planted and your sunflowers are on their way, just water, watch, and wait. They will be a magnificent addition to your garden and will provide many opportunities for amazing pictures in the fall. And you can use the seeds from their seed heads to plant next year, or they can be roasted and enjoyed as a snack.
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Or…you could leave them for the birds to enjoy!
