Sunflower Double Dazzler
Helianthus annuus
Packet: 10 seeds
Please note - natural variation: Sunflowers are living plants, and blooms from the same packet can vary in fullness, petal shape, height and flowering time; a double variety like this will occasionally throw a less-double or single bloom. These traits are also influenced by soil, temperature, sunlight and nearby sunflowers, so some natural variation from plant to plant is normal.
Double Dazzler is a showy double sunflower, its big, fluffy chrysanthemum-style blooms packed with golden petals and almost no visible centre. Tall plants of around 1.7m carry a strong main flower followed by a run of smaller secondary blooms, so you get both a statement head and plenty of cutting stems. The petals are edible, and the cut flowers have a very good vase life.
Sowing
Sow seeds direct about 10 to 20mm deep once the soil has warmed above 15°C, as the taproot resents being moved. Germination takes 7 to 14 days at 18 to 25°C. Space plants about 30 to 40cm apart.
When to Sow - Australian Climate Zones
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Cool & Mountain: October to December
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Temperate: September to January
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Subtropical: August to February
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Tropical: April to August (dry season)
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Arid & Semi-arid: September to December
Care
Grow in full sun in fertile, free draining soil. At around 1.7m the plants appreciate staking in an exposed spot. Water deeply while they grow away, then ease off once established, and feed fortnightly with a seaweed solution. Pinching the main tip early encourages more of the secondary blooms for cutting.
Harvest
Pick from around 11 to 13 weeks, cutting stems for the vase just as the blooms open fully, early in the morning, for the best vase life. Keep cutting and the plant pushes out more secondary flowers. Leave the last heads to set seed for the birds.
