DibbleGrowing sunflowers: from seed to harvest
Sow sunflowers once the soil has warmed and the weather is settled. Stagger plantings every couple of weeks for a long run of blooms. Tall types may need a stake in windy spots.
Planting dates for sunflowers by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | not needed | April 30 | July 18 |
| Zone 4 | not needed | April 24 | July 11 |
| Zone 5 | not needed | April 16 | July 3 |
| Zone 6 | not needed | April 7 | June 27 |
| Zone 7 | not needed | March 19 | June 9 |
| Zone 8 | not needed | February 5 | April 13 |
| Zone 9 | not needed | January 1 | March 22 |
| Zone 10 | not needed | January 1 | March 22 |
| Zone 11 | not needed | January 1 | March 22 |
Each date is the start of the best window from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each zone. Dibble tunes them to your garden's own location and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Sunflower:
Better kept apart:
Family and rotation
Sunflower is in the asters family. Lettuce and many flowers. Marigolds and zinnias are excellent companions throughout the garden. Learn about crop rotation.
Related crops
Lettuce
When to plantDahlia
When to plantZinnia
When to plantMarigold
When to plantCosmos
When to plantCalendula
When to plant
Questions
When should I plant sunflowers?
It depends on your zone. Sunflower is a tender crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and set where your garden is to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow sunflowers?
About 80 days from sowing to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 21 days after that.
What grows well with sunflowers?
Good companions include Sweet Corn, Cucumber. Keep it away from Potato.
Plant at the right time this season
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