They are so easy from seed. Tall ones do better for me than the dwarf do.
You will need to have nice garden loam so add compost to your soil, they do not much like clay. They are not super drought tolerant so you need a water source since we are in a drought with limited water usage in many places.
Barring that, they are super easy - just buy some seeds, pop in the ground and let them grow. Many places like family dollar and the dollar store have seeds, you can get the seed at hardware and garden centers too.
The time to plant is after the last frost date when the soil has warmed a bit. Maybe the middle to end of April.

GGG

I just looked back at my garden journal from last year and confirmed that I sowed my Chianti sunflower (deep red-Burpee) seeds March 23rd!! I was brave! and the severe frost last year in April didn't seem to bother them. They did great and bloomed all summer. Thanks for reminding me to look at that, I think I'll risk it early this year too and sow them next week!

Thanks guys and gals!

There is one thing I really am excited about this year and it's my sunflower seeds.

DOn't get me wrong I'm excited about all my things, but last year at market this guy had sunflower plants and they were the most awesome blossoms ever....

I heard they take up more space than corn? perhaps I can find a good place to plant thm outside of the main garden..

Also, I will risk some of my seeds to frost too!

A few people i know have signed on to participate in 'The Great Sunflower Project' to help track bees in the US. It's free; you sign up, they send you sunflower seeds, you plant them, and then you count the bees that visit your sunflowers and submit the information back to the group. You can also participate by counting bees at public gardens, and teachers can sign up their classrooms and/or schools. Here's the website:

www.greatsunflower.org

Here is a link that might be useful: The Great Sunflower Project

Thanks for the website...I signed up! It's a very cool idea!

I track bees on my bee butterfly bush, bee balm mints, and echinacea plants. I guess sunflowers would work too :) I'm gonna sign up..

PS- I planted some " solar eclpise " sunflowers last week and the temps have been pretty good.... Can't wait to see them come up!

OK - I'm inspired! I bought a few different types of sunflower seeds at Home Depot Friday night and I plan to plant them right in the ground. Actually, my 8 year old daughter is going to help me. I want to plant them in a circle to create a "sunflower hut" for her. Anyone have any suggestions? Spacing? I'm excited. Nikki

Anyne have pictures to share of their sunflowers? I'm waiting and watching as my daughters get some height on them, trying to be patient.... I'd love to see some pics to make the wait a little easier. Nikki

NIKKINEEL, mine are not the big ole pretty ones, but black oil type for birds. Have about an acre and have been waiting to take a picture for ESH, but was going to wait until they were all in bloom. There are bees on about all of them. The seeds..... Walmart - about $16 per 50 lb bag.
They are hanging their heads at this time of day because it is 97 degrees in the shade and they haven't seen any measureable rainfall in over a month.

In the "old days" people use to plant sunflowers near the outhouse... talk about some BIG sunflowers... lol

HERBOIL, good to see you in the forum.

Shot - waiting for the rain

{{gwi:810137}}

{{gwi:810217}}

That is a beautiful field of flowers! I think you might've gotten even more rain yesterday? If so, that field has got to be pretty happy by now.

Thank you, Esh :)
We only got about a tenth yesterday, but it sure stormed around us. Think it hailed in Rentz (4 miles) and a big rain in Dexter (7 miles), but we were thankful for what we got.
Didn't get a chance to visit the sunflower field this morning as I mentioned in another post, was busy with corn and peas... they don't wait for anything or anyone.

Shot