Sunflowers need tending to ensure they thrive and reach peak beauty.
Start with the soil. Before planting, amending it with compost or peat moss can help foster best growth. For added nutrients, use a balanced fertilizer at planting time too.
Then locate an area with lots of suns for your sunflowers to get at least six hours of sunlight per day as well as good drainage. Plant seeds so that they are two inches deep and spaced five-six inches apart in the soil. Remember to support younger sunflower stalks while they mature, using stakes or cages.
Watering is essential; be sure to provide one inch of water every week during dry periods — more if needed during extreme heat — but do not over-water. Deadheading also helps maintain healthy flowers and yields maximum blooms multiple times during the growing season.
Make sure sunflowers have enough space for air to circulate around them so that other plants don’t shade them or block airflow. Also, remove weeds regularly because they can compete for vital resources like light and water, so your precious blooms won’t perform as magnificently without them.
Finally, removing spent blooms will encourage new ones – giving you an ongoing display of wonderment throughout summer and fall!