Q&A for How to Care for Sunflowers

Sunflowers do best if they're transplanted from their pot into the earth when they're really little, like when they get their first set of real leaves. Alternatively, if you can't transplant them into the ground, I would recommend going with as large of a container as possible to grow the sunflower in and to choose a dwarf variety sunflower.

Unless you live in a very warm area, sunflowers will die before winter. You don't need to cut them. Just wait until they die off and then pull the whole stem out of the ground.

Insects can always be a problem, especially if you don't use pesticides. It's up to you whether you want to spray the flowers next time or let the bugs have them.

No, but sunflowers usually produce smaller sunflowers along the stem.

It depends. If it is a smaller sunflower, then not much because it is naturally occurring. Giant sunflowers would need more cause they are not natural and need more nutrients. Be careful not to add too much fertilizer, or you will end up killing the sunflower instead.

About 4 small glasses daily.

I have a hybrid blend of Suffolk UK and wild Montana sunflowers. Even after harvesting the heads year after year quite a few plants come up. The key is allowing the plants to mature and leaving them alone until you see the heads have dropped seeds.

Sunflowers will usually bend toward the light and will not care, just be sure they get enough without getting sunburned.

If the stems are soggy and/or rotting, it is most likely caused by overwatering. If the leaves are brown and dry, it is caused by underwatering. Remember it is not always the case, so make sure to examine the plant closely to determine the cause.

they are ripening. You should tie a cloth around the sunflower head if you are planning to harvest the seeds (this keeps the birds and such out of the seeds), or you can let it die and become a natural bird feeder.

It's up to you. You could always prune your plants on a regular basis.

Watering sunflowers too much can lead to rot - so let the soil dry a little before watering again. It still may be from other causes, such as low light or root-eating insects, so assess the situation thoroughly before taking any action to fix the problem.

Change it after the plant dies. This prevents disease and surviving pests.

If they are done flowering, they might be ready to bear seeds. That could be the reason for their bending downward. As seeds develop, their weight becomes massive, and forces the sunflower to bend downward.

Keep it consistently moist until germination. Water regularly, but not too much or the seed will rot.

Sunflowers need about 0.5~1.0 gallon (1.9~3.8L) of water every day, although this may vary depending on the growing conditions. If the leaves are dry, give the plant plenty of water and wait for a couple of hours. If the leaf still does not recover, the leaf is dead. Remove the leaf to prevent disease.

The answer to this question will depend on whether your sunflowers were perennial or annual varieties. As for the seeds, you can keep them to plant later or dispose of them.

As long as the rain is temporary, it might survive. You should plant sunflowers in spring and/or summer though as excessive humidity will kill them.

You can purchase them from the store.

It could be from pests or disease.

Care for them. Water, prune, monitor for pests and disease, and keep them free from foes (pesky weeds).

Yes. Remove them, as they are annuals. It's very rare there would be a perennial sunflower that flowers every year. You've got nothing to do with them, so dispose them right away.