Q.help growing sunflowers for the first time
So for our wedding the last weekend of August this year, we decided to have sunflowers. We have planted the larger and smaller annual ones. We started some inside and some right in the ground because we were not sure which would work best here in NC. Well we have several plants now. The first bloom just opened up this week. A lot of the other plants have the little black-looking thing before it opens for the bloom. Some of the smaller plants have several of those on it, except the one that has bloomed first.
My question is, if we cut the sunflower off will another bloom grow back on the same plant? Since we are using them for centerpieces, we will need several blooms. Also, if the bloom finally opened all the way up today, how long will it stay alive and be open? Can we just leave it on the plant until August so we can cut it then for the wedding? Any help about this whole process would be great.
Everything only just talks about using them for the seeds, I have found nothig about what happens when you cut a bloom off the plant or anything. I have read that as soon as you cut them put them right into water and if you put them in the fridge it will help them last longer. We have a walk in cooler so we could cut them and store them in there for the wedding, but I don’t know how soon/late to do that for the Saturday August 25th wedding. Thanks so much for the help!
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
I would check the seed packet to tell you how long until maturity (blooming, in this case).
If they are blooming now, it is unlikely they will be blooming for the end of August. If you cut them now, they will last a week or so and no longer. but even on the plant, they will only last a few weeks.
Some sunflowers will rebloom, some will not. The kind that grows on one long stalk with one flower at the top do not rebloom, while the ones that branch out and have several flowers per plant may rebloom.
It can be tricky to time their blooms to a specific date. I would recommend that you start succession planting. Plant a new set of seeds each week for the next several weeks. Hopefully they will have enough time to reach maturity and one of the sets will be blooming when you celebrate your nuptials.
