Sunflower Dwarf Summer Spray
Helianthus annuus
Packet: 10 seeds
Pollen-free hybrid, untreated seed
Please note - natural variation: Sunflowers are living plants, and blooms grown from the same packet can differ a little in petal colour, shape, height and flowering time. These traits are also shaped by your soil, temperature, sunlight and any other sunflowers growing nearby, so some natural variation from plant to plant is normal and to be expected.
Dwarf Summer Spray is a low, multi-branching sunflower of around 25 to 40cm that throws up a spray of cheerful yellow-to-orange blooms with a soft green centre across a compact plant. Bred for cutting and pollen-free, it keeps producing plenty of small, well-proportioned stems over summer, and the modest height makes it easy to place in a border, nursery pot or seedling tray.
Sowing
Sow seeds direct about 15 to 20mm deep once the soil has warmed above 15°C, or raise in pots. Germination takes 7 to 14 days. Space plants about 20 to 30cm 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 free draining soil or a quality potting mix. The compact, branching plants need no staking. Water deeply while they grow away, then ease off once established, and feed fortnightly with a seaweed solution. Pinch out the growing tip early to bring on even more cutting stems.
Harvest
Expect the first blooms from about 70 to 75 days. Cut stems for the vase just as the petals lift away from the centre, early in the morning. The more you cut, the more sprays the plant sends up, so pick often right through summer.