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Stage 1 - Planting the seed (Day 1)
To begin growing a sunflower, first you will need to make sure you have the basic necessities for a healthy sunflower. For example, you will need warm soil, water, sunlight. To plant the seed, simply put the seed no more than 1 inch into the soil. Make sure to place the plant in direct sunlight and as for watering, sunflowers need about 1 inch of water per week.
Try growing your own digital flower here -
Stage 2 - Germination (Day 10)
After the seed has been planted, germination starts to happen. This process can take up to 2-10 days. The amount of time it takes to germinate is mostly determined by the temperature of the soil. The ideal temperature for a sunflower would be about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. During this phase the seed will create a root which pushes down into the soil searching for nutrients, while the other end of the seed will start to push itself out of the soil in search for sunlight. -
Stage 3 - Seedling (Day 14)
The seedling stage begins when the sprout has small leaves that are no longer than 1 1/2 inches long. This stage only last about 2 weeks after the sprout has popped out of the ground. -
Stage 4 - Vegetative (Day 35)
This phase in the sunflower’s growth is when the plant will pour everything it has into growing taller and stronger, and producing leaves at regular intervals on the stem. Later that energy will shift towards forming a flower and new seeds. -
Stage 5 - Reproductive (Day 65)
This stage begins as soon as the bud starts to show at the top of the stem. Once this happens, the bud will perform heliotropism, which means the bud and leaves will move to follow the sunlight throughout the day. -
Stage 6 - Flowering (Day 85)
The sunflower has now reached its blooming stage and gently opens its petals. The flower remains facing the east and no longer preforms heliotropism. This is the stage where most people cut the stem to display the flower in their homes. -
Stage 7 - Pollination (Day 85)
Sunflowers can actually pollinate themselves, but they are also pollinated by bees while the flower is blooming. The bees collect pollen from the thousands of tiny disk florets in the center of the flower and then spread it to other nearby flowers. -
Stage 8 - Seed development (Day 105)
After the flower has been pollinated, it starts to develop its seeds. The seeds from the plant will ensure that a new generation of sunflowers will arrive next summer. The development of the seeds can take up to 30 days. -
Stage 9 - Ripening (Day 125)
Once the sunflower has bloomed, and seed development has finished, the back of the flower's head, petals, and leaves begin to turn yellow and then brown. -
Stage 10 - Harvesting (Day 125)
Once the sunflower' head has dried out, the flower can be harvested to collect seeds for planting again the next year!
Watch this video to see a time-lapse of a sunflower growing!