discover out when to reap sunflower for microgreens , cut flush , and edible seeds .
Sunflowers are the unofficial mascots of summer with their cheery , golden - yellow petalsand oversized blooms . If you have these bold peak in your garden , you may wonder , " How long does it take for sunflowers to grow their cheery flower ? " Typically , sunflowers bloom about 70 to 100 days after seeds are planted . However , bloom of youth times vary significantly amongsunflower variety , so knowing on the nose when your sunflower are ready to pick can be tricky . This guidebook covers how long it takes togrow sunflowersfor come , cut flowers , and even microgreens .
Sunflower Lifecycle
From seed to flower , sunflowers progress through five growth stages as they maturate . The exact prison term frame of these stages variegate slightly reckon on the case of sunflower .
Germination stage : helianthus seeds take about 7 to 10 days to shoot . During this time , the shell of the sunflower seed cracks open , and theseedling begins to spring up root .
Vegetative microscope stage : Sunflowers do most of their increase during the vegetative degree of their maturation , which usually occurs in May to June for source sow in in give . Sunflower seedling come forth from the dirt and bring forth their first true leaves at this level . Sunflowers also grow their tall stalks during the vegetative stage .
Credit:Bob Stefko
Reproductive microscope stage : After sunflower reach a certain sizing , they develop peak buds . These bud lento unfurl , revealing the helianthus ’s colorful petals . This procreative nation of sunflower development occurs about 5 to 10 week after the come are sow .
Blooming stage : When sunflower buds in full open , the industrial plant has entered the bloom stage . The blooming stage occurs about10 to 13 weeks after sowing semen , and it ’s the skillful time to harvest sunflowers for cut flowers . This is also whenbees and other pollinatorsvisit helianthus blooms in hunting of nectar ; they pollinate the plant so it can produce seeds . Typically , helianthus bloom for about two to four weeks , but branch sunflower varieties blossom even longer .
Harvesting stage : After sunflowers bloom , their come lead off to ripen , which takes about a calendar month . Thesunflower semen are ready for harvestwhen their shells are severe and the helianthus head begin to loll and move around brown . This stage usually occurs from former August through September , about 125 days after the ejaculate are sown .
Bob Stefko
How Long Does it Take for Sunflowers to Grow for Harvesting?
Most seed package let in “ days to matureness ” details . However , this info can be a morsel puzzling when it comes to helianthus , as it ordinarily refers to the prison term they can beharvested as cut flower . If you’regrowing sunflowersfor microgreens or eatable seeds , you need to harvest the harvest at different time .
Harvesting Microgreens
Sunflower microgreens grow very rapidly , and they ’re harvest just 8 to 14 day after the germ germinate . Microgreens are harvestedduring the early vegetative phase of a sunflower ’s life cycle , and since they mature so quickly , you’re able to grow many crops of sunflower microgreens in a class .
Harvesting Flowers
The “ days to maturity ” information on sunflower semen packet is usually a right estimate of when non - branching sunflowers will be in full bloom and quick for cutting . Sunflowers are usually harvested for their blooms about 70 to 100 days after germination , but this change depending on the sunflower type .
Non - ramify sunflowers are the helianthus of pick among florist shop , but if you ’re grow ramify - eccentric sunflowers for thinned flower , the “ days to due date ” data on seminal fluid packet is n’t as exact because branching sunflower ordinarily blossom repeatedly from midsummer to thefirst heavy fall frost . For these sunflower varieties , “ days to maturity ” bear on to when the sunflowers first start flowering ; ramify sunflowers can continue for months .
Another affair to consider is that dissimilar helianthus sort will maturate quick than others . For good example , fast - growing helianthus motley such as ‘ ProCut Red ’ and ‘ Ruby Eclipse ’ , bloom just 55 days after planting . In comparison , giant helianthus types like ‘ Mammoth Grey Stripe ’ can take 120 24-hour interval to maturate .
Harvesting Sunflower Seeds
Most seed bundle do n’t include information about when the helianthus seed will be ready to harvest . Typically , sunflower seeds maturate about one calendar month after the flowers open . So , if your sunflowers blossom in August , the seeds are usually ready to harvest in September .
Sunflower semen are to the full ripe when the flower head begins to droop and twist backward on itself . Mature come heads turn gilded Robert Brown ; the seeds should have nicely formed shells .
To harvest sunflower for seeds , allow the flower heads to dry thoroughly on the works , and then crop each one off at the top of the stem . Alternatively , if you do n’t need to worry aboutwildlife gobbling up the seedsbefore you get to them , pick the sunflowers as soon as their seed mature by cutting the plant ’s stem about 1 foot below the blossom header . Then , slackly practice bundling the helianthus stems with string and hang them indoors until they ’re completely wry .
Sunflower Growing Tips
helianthus are beginner - friendly plants that are easy to keep in gardens or container planters . Provide them with the proper symmetry of light , water , and nutrients , and the sunflowers will reward you with burnished blooms and tasty source .
Recipes Using Sunflower Seeds
There are many more ways to enjoy sunflower seeds than make fun and eat them one by one . A sunflower cum and turmeric French dressing dressing makes abeet and radish saladeven more tasty . Sunflower seeds are a must - have constituent for these deliciousMostly Seeds Wheat Crackers . OurQuick Seed Breadis a hearty , easy - to - make staple fiber to keep on hand for quick breakfasts or afternoon collation . Sunflower seeds can be thresh on a light-green salad or roast vegetable for tote up crunch and nutty flavour .
