I want sunflowers, but the wildlife wants sunflower seeds.

March 7, 2020 11:57 AM

Last year I tried planting seeds directly in the ground and planting seeds in starter pots that I left on my porch - both were eaten and I didn't get a single sprout. I think I need to start them indoors if I want them. What is the best way, given my limitations?

I'm aware that common advice on growing sunflowers says they don't like being transferred, so if you do try starting them in pots (not ideal) to use the peat ones that can just be planted. But beyond that I'm not sure.

My thoughts are:

- Start a bunch and put them in the windowsills, where they will get direct light in the morning and indirect light through the afternoon (currently what I'm leaning towards)

- Put the pots on the porch anyway, and just bring them inside at night? I'm not sure that the wildlife is only hungry at night though and I can't really be home to monitor them all day.

- Plant them outside, but cover with netting? I'm worried that unless I get really serious here, they will just find a way into the netting.

- Get another grow light? I have a wimpy LED one I use for some houseplants (no idea if it's even doing any good), and don't have much room for a more intensive set-up. I'm in an apartment, and I don't want to take up much more space OR buy expensive equipment I'm not sure I'll be able to keep when I move in a year or so.

Regardless of which strategy I use, I also need some advice on when to start them. I'm in a northern state and the last frost can be as late as early May. Sunflowers do great here, though, once they get started. I can find advice for when to start sunflowers outdoors, but not if I'm starting indoors. Advice?

posted by Kutsuwamushi to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Vented propagation domes with lights.
posted by Freedomboy at 12:03 PM on March 7, 2020

I've had pretty good luck with the little peat pots, but putting saran wrap over them. I do it pretty tight then punch holes with a pencil, water you just pour over the top. Once you see leaves take the wrap off. I've been doing this to keep moisture in (my schedule can be too variable for regular watering), but it should be/apparently has been good at keeping birds and whatever away.
posted by sexyrobot at 12:08 PM on March 7, 2020

I've had quite a bit of success starting them in peat pots/ toilet paper tubes and planting them when they're a few inches tall. The ones I grew got up to several feet. They're pretty for a couple weeks, and then the wildlife starts on them. Squirrels, some feral parrots. They didn't gt all the seeds, apparently. Got a few volunteers next season.
posted by 2N2222 at 12:11 PM on March 7, 2020 [2 favorites]

We just cover them with landscape cloth until they sprout, which isn't long at all. Once they break through squirrels don't seem interested, although if you had your starter pots plundered YMMV.
posted by Sybil Stockwell Oop at 1:18 PM on March 7, 2020

Once they sprout, they are delicious to rabbits, so if you have those you will want to wait until the stems get longer and tougher.
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 2:28 PM on March 7, 2020

You could direct plant them, and cover the area with a mesh cage strong enough to resist squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons. Sorry to say plastic may not be enough, but a tight chicken wire could be.
posted by nickggully at 3:26 PM on March 7, 2020

We grew volunteer sunflowers around our porch for a number of years because we fed sunflower seed in feeders hanging from the porch and inevitably some of it ended up on the ground. That approach might work - buy bags of black oil sunflower seed, plant a lot and then scatter a layer on the ground as a sort of mulch, figuring the squirrels will get some of it.

I will warn you, though, if you're hoping to harvest the seed heads, that the heads of our volunteer sunflowers were always harvested by the squirrels before they were ripe to human taste. I saw it happen more than once - squirrel climbs stalk, squirrel nips off head of sunflower, squirrel carries it off as a bouquet for a squirrel wedding.
posted by jocelmeow at 7:18 AM on March 8, 2020 [1 favorite]