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Sunflowers Made Simple: From Seeds to Blooms in Garden Beds & Beyond

ProCut White Lite, from our fields at Freshcoln Farms in 2024. One of our favorites!
ProCut White Lite, from our fields at Freshcoln Farms in 2024. One of our favorites!

There’s just something about sunflowers that makes you smile. Maybe it’s the way they stretch toward the sun, or how a single bloom can brighten up a whole garden bed—or a whole day.


As a mom of three and a flower farmer here at Freshcoln Farms, I’ve found sunflowers to be one of the most joyful (and forgiving!) flowers you can grow.


Whether you’re dreaming of a backyard sunflower patch for the kids, hoping to add pops of color to your landscape beds, or growing stems for your own summer bouquets, here’s everything you need to know to grow beautiful sunflowers from seed.


Choose Your Variety


At Freshcoln Farms, we grow ProCut sunflowers—bouquet-type, single-stem, and pollenless. They’re perfect for cutting gardens, and they bloom in just 50–60 days. Some favorites to consider:



When to Plant


Sunflowers are often direct-sown once the soil warms, but here at Freshcoln Farms, we love getting a head start. For the 2025 growing season, our average last frost was April 18, and we started our ProCut sunflowers indoors around mid-March—about four weeks ahead. We transplanted them outside two weeks before the last frost, and they’ve been thriving ever since.


ProCut sunflowers are surprisingly tolerant of cool temperatures and low light, making them great candidates for early indoor starts. Just sow them in 4- or 6-cell trays, keep them in a sunny window or under grow lights, and harden them off before transplanting.


If starting outside, wait until your soil is at least 60°F. In South Jersey, that’s typically late April to early May. Choose a sunny spot with good drainage and plant away!


How to Plant: Spacing & Depth


ProCut sunflowers are single-stem varieties, meaning they do not branch or grow bushy—they produce one beautiful bloom per plant, making spacing all the more important.


For sunflower patches or rows:


  • Plant seeds or transplants 1 inch deep in loosened, compost-enriched soil.

  • For ideal medium-sized blooms (perfect for bouquets), space plants 6 inches apart.

  • For larger, showier blooms, give them a bit more room—around 8–12 inches apart.

  • Water well after planting and keep soil consistently moist until seedlings are established.


In landscaping beds or borders:


  • Tuck sunflowers in between perennials or along walkways for a vertical pop of color.

  • Space 8–12 inches apart for more impact or if you want a bit more visual separation.


Fun Fact: The closer you plant your sunflowers, the smaller the blooms will be (but the more flowers you’ll fit in a small space!). Space them farther apart, and you’ll get larger, more dramatic blooms—perfect for photo ops or making a bold garden statement.


Tips for Success


  • Succession Sowing: To keep the sunflower magic going all season long, sow a new round every 2–3 weeks through early to mid-August. Here in South Jersey, that means you can enjoy blooms all the way into late September and even October—a beautiful way to stretch the season and keep your landscape (and pollinators!) vibrant well into fall.

  • Support as Needed: ProCut sunflowers grow upright and sturdy, and in most cases—especially when spaced closely—you may not need any support at all. We haven’t used any for the past two years here at Freshcoln Farms and they’ve done just fine! But if you’re growing in windy or open areas, horizontal flower netting can help keep stems straight and prevent leaning.

  • Water Deeply: These deep-rooted plants prefer a thorough soak over frequent light watering.

  • Harvest Smart: Cut blooms when petals just begin to lift and the center is still tight for the longest vase life.


Create Your Own Sunflower Patch at Home


At Freshcoln Farms, we offer four-packs, flats, and even 200-cell trays of our homegrown ProCut sunflowers—perfect for creating your own sunflower patch, filling a landscape bed, or building out your cutting garden.


They’re a fun, rewarding project for kids, a boost to pollinators, and a beautiful way to bring sunshine to your home—literally.


Let’s grow sunshine together—one seed at a time.


Ready to plant? Order your specialty, sunflower starts today:


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