How to Grow a Tall Sunflower

Planting the Seeds

• 1

  Check to make sure that you are using the correct type of seed to grow taller sunflowers. Choose a sunflower seed that is bred to grow tall, such as the California greystripe, mammoth, or the Russian mammoth.

• 2

  Plant the seeds during mid to late spring, after frost warnings have passed. Check to be sure that the seeds are not too close to neighboring plants, as sunflowers take up a lot of nutrients and require a large space to grow. Plant the seeds one inch deep and six inches apart in an area where the sunflowers will get direct sunlight.

• 3

  Water the seeds every day. Cover the seeds with a plant screen or a piece of cheesecloth to keep animals or birds away, if there are any in your area.

Growing the Sunflowers

• 4

  Soak the soil surrounding the sunflower daily to make sure that the water is getting to the roots of the plant. Make sure direct sunlight reaches the plant. Remove the plant if the flower is not getting enough light and replant in a sunnier area.

• 5

  Check the support of the sunflower every two weeks. Attach a stake to the sunflower plant if the plant starts leaning. Insert a bamboo or wood rod firmly into the soil directly behind the plant. Tie the stem of the sunflower to the stake with a small cord.

• 6

  Pull dead leaves off of the plant as necessary to keep the flower healthy. Fertilize as needed, but be use fertilizer sparingly as sunflowers prefer the nutrients found in soil. Continue to water daily.