These giants of the flower garden are prized for their showy flower heads. This variety, Lemon Queen, has 12-inch flowerheads that are lemon-yellow in color with dark centers. This variety will produce one central stalk with several side shoots all with their own blooms.
This sunflower is a 5 - 6 foot tall annual growing in USDA zones 3 - 9 across the country.
Sunflowers are great for the back of the flower border or next to outbuildings. Plant a row of Sunflowers to create a temporary screen. Sow Sunflower seed directly outdoors after frost danger has passed.
Sowing Rate: 29 ounces per 1,000 square feet or 80 pounds per acre. In a prepared seedbed that is weed-free, place 2 - 3 seeds per plant 6 inches apart and cover 1/2 inch deep with soil. Keep the seed moist until germination occurs. With a temperature range of 69 – 75F, germination is usually within 15 days.
With a temperature range of 69 – 75F, germination is usually within 15 days. Thin seedlings to 12 - 18 inches apart. Grow Sunflowers in full sun and in moist, fertile and well-drained soil. Once they are established, Sunflowers are fairly drought tolerant.