Sunflower
Plants will mature in 80 to 90 days.
For the home situation, seed can be started in four-inch peat pots and transplanted
outdoors. Transplants may grow taller and flower sooner than seed started plants. They
should start to flower in ten weeks.
Weeds can be a problem for sunflowers. Weed control is practiced for the first four to
five weeks after seed emergence. For the home garden, hand weeding and mulching are
the best methods.
Diseases and Pests
A common disease of sunflowers is Sclerotina or white mold, which causes stalk and
head rots. Disease spores can live for many years in the soil. Other common diseases are
downy mildew, rust and verticillium wilt. Sanitation and crop rotation should be
considered for control in the home garden.
The sunflower head moth is the major insect pest. The moth attacks at flowering time
with the larvae feeding on floral parts and tunneling through developing seed. Aphids and
whiteflies also can be a problem.
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