How to Grow Sunflowers in Iowa
Sunflowers are native to North American and actually grow wild in some locations of Iowa. They are easy to grow following just a few steps. If it is a warm spring, you can grow sunflowers in Iowa outdoors starting in May. The usual growing season, however, is June to September. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sunflower seeds
- Planting containers
- Potting mix (soil)
- Sunny indoor window ledge
Instructions
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Choose the type of sunflower you wish to grow. Plant the traditional tall sunflowers like the Russian Giants with huge 20” seed heads or the Kong which grows up to 15 feet high. Other options are Teddy Bear (grows only 18 inches tall and can be enjoyed in pots), Music Box (28 inches tall and a variety of colors), Autumn Mix (a 6 foot variety in yellows and rust) and Italian White (a creamy color that grows to only 4 feet).
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Growing sunflowers in Iowa indoors will give a head start to the growing season. Begin indoor planting the second week of February. With a gestation period of 10 to 14 days, they should be ready to transplant in the garden the first week of June. Collect enough containers for the number of sunflowers you wish to grow. Make sure they are deep enough for the roots to grow freely. Biodegradable pots work quite well also.
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Fill the containers with soil to about a ½ inch from the top. Place a sunflower seed into the soil a ¼ inch deep. Gently pour lukewarm water into each container and loosely place a square of cellophane them. Set your seeded containers on a sunny window ledge. Keep the soil moist, but not overly wet.
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When the green seed heads begin to crack through the soil, remove the cellophane. Allow the sunflowers to grow freely until the first week of June.
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Transplant the sunflower seedlings to the garden by digging a hole slightly bigger than the container size. Space traditional sunflowers 18 inches apart. Mix some of the ground soil in the hole with left over potting mix and water. Remove the seedling from the container by squeezing or tapping gently. Place the seedling in the hole and drop dirt around it until the soil is even with the surrounding ground. Press lightly around the plant. Water as needed.
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Plant additional sunflower seeds directly outdoors after transplanting your first sunflower seedlings and every two weeks there after in order to enjoy them throughout the growing season.
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Developing seeds are tempting to birds in your garden. Place a cheesecloth or fine netting over the heads until seed heads turn brown. Cut the heads off, leaving a 2 inch stem and hang them to dry in a cool location such as a potting shed, garage or storage structure. When completely dry, rub the heads to remove the seeds and roast in the oven for a healthy snack. Before roasting, save a handful of them in order to grow sunflowers next year.
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Tips & Warnings
Sunflowers face the rising sun in the east and follow the sun during the day. Mature seed heads, however, face the east only. Consider this when deciding on their planting location.
Sunflower seed heads are a natural food for squirrels and birds. After drying you can leave them outdoors, helping these animals through the winter months.
When deciding on the sunflower location in your garden, consider that they need full sun. Also, you won’t want them to shade other plants that also need sun.
