Garden Manners

Not all sunflower seeds are created equal. Open your package of seeds and lay the seeds out on a table and you will notice that they are all different sizes. One way to ensure even growth and the strongest fastest growing plants is to germinate your seeds before planting. By germinating your seeds before planting you can pick out the seeds that will provide the best chance of success. Typically, the first seeds to germinate will be your strongest best thriving plants.

Here is what you need to germinate your seeds prior to planting.
> A plate or saucer
> Paper towels
> Spray bottle filled with water

Follow these easy steps:
Step 1
Gather Your Supplies

Step 2
Take a paper towel and fold it in half and then half again. Dampen the paper towel spraying it with water. Spread your seeds out across the damp paper towel.

Step 3
Take a second paper towel and fold it in half and then half again just like the first one you did. Place the second paper towel on top of your seeds. Dampened the paper towel on top of your seeds spraying it with water.

Step 4
Check the paper towels every day to make sure they are damp. NOT WET. Seeds soaked in water will grow mold or drown and die before ever germinating. Check your seeds every few days for germination by pulling back the top paper towel and looking at seeds.

Step 5
After a week or two your seeds should begin to sprout. The first seeds to sprout will more than likely will be your strongest and fastest growing plants. Note that not all of the seeds have sprouted. Plant the sprouted seeds first. Wait a few days on the remaining seeds to see if they in fact sprout. If not, throw them away and start a new batch.

Step 6
It’s time to plant. Go ahead and place your seeds about 1/4″ deep in the soil and cover. Place your seeds 12″ to 18″ apart. Water real well soaking the soil.

The operative word here is sun. Like its name the sunflower needs plenty of direct sun; a minimum of 6hrs a day to grow healthy plants. If you plant sunflowers out of direct sun light they will stretch for the sun. They will become so spindly stretching for the sun eventually they will fall to the ground. We recommend full sun for the better part of the day to grow strong healthy sunflowers.

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