Ideally you would plant the seeds spacing them approximately six inches apart, and then after they have sprouted, thin the plants to the ideal spacing of 18 inches to 24 inches apart. Watch your sunflowers bloom in late summer and take note of the many beneficial pollinators and other creatures that visit them. Bees, butterflies, and more wildlife are attracted to the bright yellow petals and brown centers full of pollen. I admit that I’m not a big fan of oversowing and thinning. Being a frugal gardener, especially when it comes to my seed collection, I often don’t see the point in wasting perfectly good seeds.

Growing the tallest sunflower plants starts with choosing a variety that has tall genetics. For extra-tall plants, you’ll need seeds that want to grow tall and then growing conditions that allow them to. Here are some popular tall sunflower varieties: 1. Mammoth sunflower Germination may be slow and erratic. A fluctuating temperature of 75°F during the day and 50°F at night may help. Every summer new photos appear of gardeners standing next to massive sunflowers in their gardens, reaching heights of 10 or 12 feet or more. Or massive flower heads measuring a few feet in diameter. Direct sow the seeds in spring after the last frost has passed or start indoors a few weeks beforehand. Plant Lemon Queen in full sun, with rich soil and moderate moisture. Topolino Sunflower Step one is to provide nice, loamy soil. My garden soil is terrible, so I add loads of homemade compost to the soil to gradually build it up each year.Each sunflower will need plenty of room to get as big as possible, so make sure you choose a spot that can accommodate them. They do best with around 1 to 2 feet between each flower. You can grow sunflowers in containers, but that’s best for dwarf varieties, not when size is the goal.

There are 70 different species of sunflowers around the world, with dozens, if not hundreds of cultivars, varieties, hybrids (i.e., types of sunflowers). They’re far from equal to each other in growing preferences, sizes, and colors, though, so you’ll want to study up on the selections before deciding to grow your own. We’ve categorized some of the most popular options to help you determine what you’re looking for. Read the minimal care instructions provided so you know what you’re getting yourself into with each. Tall, Giant, or Mammoth Sunflowers Another ProCut variety of cutting sunflower, ProCut Peach is a single-stem, pollen less bloom with peach petals and dark centers. They grow between 4 and 6 feet in height and thrive in full sun. They’re also fast-growing and should be planted in spring. ‘Choco Sun’ the seeds of mammoth sunflowers are large- can you see the tiny hairs covering this seed? The Leaves Sunflowers are pretty big compared to most flowers, but there’s one behemoth relative of the sunflowers we all know and love.Once your sunflowers start to reach toward the sky, water them regularly with a garden hose or irrigation. Adding mulch can help the roots maintain moisture. Here are the most common large cultivars to look for if you want to get tall sunflowers topped up with large blooms: Stems are also covered in fine hairs, and generally unbranched, producing only one flower at the top of the stem as the plant develops.