All Sorts Mix Sunflower Seeds

Direct sow Mix Sunflower seeds after the last frost, once soil temperature sits reliably above 10°C (50°F). Plant seeds 2.5 cm (1 inch) deep. Spacing depends on what you want: 30 cm apart for dense cutting-garden rows, up to 60 cm if you're after plate-sized heads. Sunflower mix seeds germinate typically within 7–14 days. Don't rush it with indoor starts — Sunflowers dislike transplanting and sulk if their taproot gets disturbed.

Make sure your Sunflowers get 6-8 hours of full sun per day, otherwise they get leggy stems that flop in the wind. Plants can grow in average, well-drained ground.  Don’t add too much fertilizer or compost, as its excess pushes leaf growth at the expense of flowers. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than frequent shallow watering every day. Once established — around 30 cm tall — they handle dry spells better than most annuals. 

Stake the taller varieties early, as wind snaps stems at 1.5 m height if there's nothing supporting them. Deadhead spent flowers on branching types to extend their blooming period. For seed harvest, wait until the back of the head turns yellow-brown and the seeds feel firm; cover heads with paper bags to protect seeds from birds. Cut the whole head, hang it upside down in a dry spot for two weeks.