Grow a Sunflower from a mason jar!
As I chop down and compost my remaining sunflowers, I can’t help but think about how I plan to grow them next year. I’ve grown sunflowers consistently over the past few years. My friends, family, and neighbors love to marvel at the beautiful flowers almost more than I do. They’re tall, beautiful, and bring out all of the pollinators. Each plant can yield hundreds of seeds, making more than enough to enjoy as a snack and enough seeds for next year’s crop.
Sunflowers are insanely low maintenance to grow and maintain. I typically start mine out in early Spring, when the soil is at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I live in Cary, NC, putting me in Zone 8a (see the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to find your zone), which means I typically plant my sunflowers in early to mid April.
How to grow a sunflower from a mason jar
These instructions accompany our sunflower mason jar grow kit. Each kits includes:
Mason jar
(4) Coconut coir disks
Earthworm castings
Sunflower seeds
Process Steps
Open the mason jar and empty out everything.
Add (2) coconut coir disks and the earthworm castings to the jar. Earthworm castings enhance seed germination, plant growth, and flowering.
Pour a few ounces of warm water into the jar. The coconut coir disks will begin to slowly grow in size.
Mix the soil up with a stick. Slowly add more warm water as need to address any hard chunks. Be sure not to add too much water
Add the remaining (2) coconut coir disks to the jar.
Pour a few more ounces of warm water unto the disks.
Stir the soil again and pat it down gently. If you have any excess water, pour it off.
Use your stick to poke 2-3 holes spaced apart and about an inch deep. Drop a sunflower seed in each hole and lightly cover with soil.
Set your mason jar by a well-lit window and enjoy watching your flowers grow. We recommend transferring the plant outside after any risk of frost. If you decide to grow inside, we highly recommend a good grow light to sustain your sun hungry friends.