Sunflower Planting Guide
How to handle sunflower in May
This page is about sunflower in general. For your zone's exact planting and harvest dates, pick your county below.
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How to water sunflower
Water deeply but infrequently. sunflower prefers to dry out between waterings — soggy soil causes more problems than thirst.
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Where to put sunflower
sunflower wants at least 6 hours of direct sun. Less than that and you'll get leggy plants with weak yields.
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Check your local forecast before planting
Your zone determines the exact week to plant sunflower. Pick your county below and we'll line everything up against your frost dates.
Sunflowers are tall, cheerful annuals grown for their edible seeds and as pollinator magnets. They come in sizes from 2-foot dwarfs to 12-foot giants.
Helianthus annuus · Vegetable · Asteraceae family · 70–100 days to maturity
Get Your Personalized Sunflower Planting Dates
Enter your ZIP code to see exact planting dates, soil compatibility, and growing tips specific to your county.
Where Can You Grow Sunflower?
Sunflower Growing Regions
Click any state to see the Sunflower planting schedule for that location.
Planting Dates by Zone
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2a | Mar 28 | Jun 13 | Jun 20 | Aug 29 – Oct 17 |
| Zone 2b | Mar 20 | Jun 5 | Jun 12 | Aug 21 – Oct 9 |
| Zone 3a | Mar 13 | May 29 | Jun 5 | Aug 14 – Oct 2 |
| Zone 3b | Mar 8 | May 24 | May 31 | Aug 9 – Sep 27 |
| Zone 4a | Mar 4 | May 20 | May 27 | Aug 5 – Sep 23 |
| Zone 4b | Feb 27 | May 15 | May 22 | Jul 31 – Sep 18 |
| Zone 5a | Feb 28 | May 2 | May 9 | Jul 18 – Sep 5 |
| Zone 5b | Feb 21 | Apr 25 | May 2 | Jul 11 – Aug 29 |
| Zone 6a | Feb 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 24 | Jul 3 – Aug 21 |
| Zone 6b | Feb 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 | Jun 26 – Aug 14 |
| Zone 7a | Feb 4 | Apr 1 | Apr 8 | Jun 17 – Aug 5 |
| Zone 7b | Jan 28 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Jun 10 – Jul 29 |
| Zone 8a | Jan 18 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | May 31 – Jul 19 |
| Zone 8b | Jan 7 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | May 20 – Jul 8 |
| Zone 9a | Dec 30 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Apr 28 – Jun 16 |
| Zone 9b | Dec 14 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Apr 12 – May 31 |
| Zone 10a | Nov 20 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Mar 19 – May 7 |
| Zone 10b | Nov 20 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Mar 19 – May 7 |
| Zone 11a | Nov 20 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Mar 19 – May 7 |
| Zone 11b | Nov 20 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Mar 19 – May 7 |
How to Plant Sunflower
Growing Conditions
☀️ Sun
Full Sun (6-8+ hours)
💧 Water
Low — drought tolerant
Drought tolerant — water only when soil is dry 2" deep.
🧪 Soil pH
6 – 7.5
Prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil — ideal for most garden beds.
🗺️ Hardiness Zones
Zone 2a – 11b
📅 Days to Maturity
70–100 days
Medium-season crop. Start early for best results in shorter seasons.
👪 Plant Family
Asteraceae
Rotate with other families yearly to prevent soil-borne diseases. Don't plant in the same spot where Asteraceae family crops grew last year.
Succession Planting Sunflower
Sunflower matures in just 70–100 days, making it ideal for succession planting. In a typical 180-day growing season, you can get up to 2 successive plantings by sowing every 8 weeks.
Your actual succession count depends on your local frost dates. Enter your ZIP code to get personalized succession planting dates for your area.
Companion Planting for Sunflower
✅ Good Companions
❌ Keep Away From
Check more combinations with our Companion Planting Checker →
Growing Tips for Sunflower
Direct sow after last frost. Stake tall varieties in windy areas. Harvest seed heads when the back turns brown and seeds are plump. Dry heads upside down.
Saving Sunflower Seeds
Recommended for Your Garden
Start seeds indoors with reusable cell trays and humidity domes.
Test your soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels before planting.
Keep your garden organized with durable, weather-resistant plant labels.
Seed Saving & Storage Guide
Most saved seeds go bad before next season. This shows exactly when to pick, how to dry, and where to store seeds from 200 plants so yours don't.
- 200 plants, step-by-step: life cycle, pollination type, isolation
- Exact temperature + humidity ranges that keep seeds viable
- Bonus: searchable Google Sheets tracker + custom GPT assistant
Sunflower by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to grow Sunflower?
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) takes 70 to 100 days from planting to harvest. Exact timing depends on your variety, growing conditions, and USDA zone.
What zones can Sunflower grow in?
Sunflower can be grown in USDA zones 2a through 11b. Use the planting calendar above to find the exact dates for your zone.
How much sun does Sunflower need?
Growing Sunflower requires Full Sun (6-8+ hours), Low — drought tolerant, and soil pH of 6 to 7.5.