Sunflower Care
Helianthus annuus
A fast-growing annual known for following the sun (heliotropism). It needs full sun and fertile, well-drained soils; its tall varieties must be protected from wind or supported.
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
- General care: Plan the planting layout for next season and clear the soil of plant debris.
- General care: Hoe the soil to a depth of 20-30 cm and enrich it by adding plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure or compost.
- Watering: After sowing the seeds, water lightly to keep the soil moist.
- Fertilizing: Not necessary (soil preparation is sufficient).
- General care: Toward the end of the month, after the danger of the last frost has passed, sow seeds 2-3 cm deep at 30-50 cm spacing.
- Pests & diseases: To protect the seeds from birds, cover them lightly if necessary.
- Frost risk: Avoid early sowing.
- Watering: Keep the soil moist, 5-7 L/m² per week.
- Pruning: If needed, thin excess seedlings and keep the strongest one.
- Plant protection: Check the new shoots for aphids or slugs.
- General care: Clear weeds carefully.
- Pests & diseases: Protect shoots from pests.
- Watering: 10-15 L/m² per week; water demand increases.
- Fertilizing: If growth is slow, a balanced liquid fertilizer (e.g., 20-20-20 NPK) can be applied; excess nitrogen causes weak stems.
- Plant protection: Continue checking for aphids.
- General care: Once plants are taller than 30 cm, install support stakes to protect them from wind.
- Watering: 15-20 L/m² per week; deep and regular watering is very important.
- Fertilizing: When buds begin to form, encourage flowering by applying a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus and potassium (e.g. 10-20-20 NPK).
- General care: Tie the growing plant loosely to its support.
- Pests & diseases: Check the leaves for signs of powdery mildew.
- Watering: 20-25 L/m² per week; drought during flowering reduces flower quality and size.
- Plant protection: If powdery mildew or rust appears, apply a suitable fungicide.
- General care: Enjoy the flowering.
- Pests & diseases: Watch out for fungal diseases and aphids.
- Watering: 15-20 L/m² per week; it still needs water for kernel filling.
- General care: To protect the seeds from birds, cover the flower head with netting or cheesecloth.
- Watering: Reduce watering and stop completely in the middle of the month.
- General care: When the back of the flower head turns yellow and it bends forward, it is time to harvest. Cut the head, leaving a 15–20 cm stem.
- Pests & diseases: Check the heads to be harvested for mold.
- General care: Dry the harvested heads in a dry, airy place for 2-3 weeks. Pull out the plant residues and, if healthy, put them in the compost.
- Pests & diseases: Destroy diseased plant residues by burning them; do not put them in the compost.
- General care: Leave the soil to rest for the next season or sow a winter cover crop (e.g. fava bean).
- General care: Select seeds for next year and make a garden plan.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.
Browse all plant guides