Sunflower Seeds

1. Plant your sunflower seeds in a sunny location with well-drained soil.

2. Prepare the soil by tilling it to a depth of 8-10 inches and adding a generous amount of compost.

3. Sow the seeds 1/2 inch deep, spacing them 3-4 inches apart.

4. Water your sunflower seeds regularly, keeping the soil moist until they germinate and become established.

5. When the plants are a few inches tall, thin them to 12-18 inches apart.

6. Mulch around the plants to keep the soil moist and suppress weeds.

7. Apply an organic fertilizer when the plants are 6-8 inches tall and again when they are flowering.

8. Deadhead the spent blooms to keep the plants producing more flowers.

9. Cut the flowers for bouquets when the petals start to turn back.

10. Harvest the sunflower seeds when the backs of the heads turn brown and the seeds are hard.