Too late for sunflowers?

[Mia]

Hi all,
is it too late to sow sunflowers?
I had a few seeds in the soil ages ago, but the cats decided to dig around that bed, and whatever might have germinated didn't survive.
Now I'm wondering if I should try again outdoors or maybe start a few plants off indoors in a pot??
Is it too late for this summer?

Cheers,
Mia

[Bex]

I sowed some seeds direct as well but they didn't germinate or got eaten. I sowed some into pots last weekend so I do hope its not too late.

[Alice]

You can sow them now Mia, indoors or out. I would be inclined to start them in a pot then plant them out. They come up pretty fast.

[Nicos]

We planted ours indoors last weekend in modules,and most of them have germinated - go for it!!!
We'll put them in larger pots of say-6" with 3 or 4 in each and when about 8" high, gently seperate them and plant out onto the lottie.

[Alice]

I would just plant seeds 1 to a 3 inch pot, and given that we're heading for the end of May, as soon as we got to frost free guaranteed (next week) plant them outside.

[Dobby]

I got to plant some in pots cos I hoed the beds on teuesday and if they was comeing up there not now
I forgot we planted um
hopefully going to plant some today
got to go back to the Drs yes i have been resting but its still not healing properly

[Salina]

I planted a whole tray of sunflowers and some in a pot. the ones in the pot are about 1' tall now and the others in the try are all about 6''-8'' high.
does anyone know how long it will take for them to flower? at the moment this is what they look like: (ignore the little short ones lol, they are lupin seedlins in the terracotta pot shaped like a hippo :P )

[denise]

My students sown loads at college, before easter. They are still tiny - 4 leaf stage and I am hoping they will flower in 10 weeks. The idea is that they will be part of the '60 Experience' decorations, at the end of term.

[Mia]

Thanks!

Hi everyone and thank you for your replies.
I have sown some in pots now and they are in the mini-greenhouse just now.
I also found three sunflower plants today in a container that was placed underneath where the bird feeder used to be!! LOL!
What a nice surprise.
Have planted them out now at the side of the veg bed.
Happy growing,
Mia

[Flummery]

Funny about birdseed isn't it? We get fantastic carrots - in the paving cracks! No damage, no root fly, just impossible to prize out. All the TLC I give to my garden ones. What's going on?

[Two_Sheds]

I find sunflowers so hard to grow. direct sown ones just get eaten by slugs, and the pot grown ones get eaten by snails. Any that make it past four foot get knocked flat by the wind. Still, they are gorgeous and I try them every year.

[rustylady]

I've given up sowing sunflowers in trays and pots. Reason being I have so many self=sown ones coming up - from birdseed and from the sunflowers I grew last year and the year before. Self-sown seeds always seem to do better that the ones we plant in pots and cosset. Only trouble is I have to keep thinning them out, and I have no idea what they will look like. Hey ho, they will still be beautiful and the birds love the seed heads.