How To Prepare Now For A Sunflower Hedge In Your Garden Next Year

What's more striking than a dramatic sunflower heralding the long, glorious days of summer? An entire hedge of the cheerful blooms. However, a sunflower hedge doesn't just add a pretty focal point to your garden; it can also protect it and help it thrive. Hedges protect your garden from damaging winds, provide food and shelter for pollinators, support species diversity, improve soil, and conserve water. 

If you want all the benefits of planting a sunflower hedge in your garden but didn't get around to it this year, there are steps you can take now to get ready for next spring. The first thing you'll need to do is figure out where to grow sunflowers for the healthiest plants possible. If one of your primary goals is to protect your garden from damaging winds, plant it in an area where it can block the prevailing wind. Once you know where you're going to plant your hedge next year, you can work on preparing the soil. Sunflowers do best in full sun and well-drained soil. You can improve the quality and drainage of your soil by adding a lot of organic matter, such as compost or shredded leaves. Finally, saving the seeds from any sunflowers you planted this year will eliminate the cost of buying new seeds next year.

A single sunflower can produce 500 to 1000 seeds, so even if you just planted a few flowers last year, you can easily harvest enough seeds to grow a hedge this year. However, the best variety of sunflowers for your hedge will depend on the effect you're hoping to achieve. For an eye-catching show of drama, you can grow a hedge of giant single-stem sunflowers. If you want more blooms, choose branching sunflowers, which can grow six to eight blooms per stem. Regardless of which type of sunflower you grow, the process of saving the seeds is similar.

Look for signs that your sunflowers are ready to harvest, such as a drooping head with shriveled or missing petals, and cover it with an organza bag to catch the seeds. You can also cut the head off before it's completely dry and hang it inside to protect the seeds from hungry birds and rodents. Make sure your hanging spot is cool, dry, and out of direct sunlight. After several weeks, your sunflower seeds should be ready to harvest. Hold the sunflower head over a container and rake your fingers over the seeds. You can break the head in half if you need to. Rinse the seeds well and remove any non-seed materials, such as petals or pollen. Spread them out in a single layer to dry for a few days. When they're dry, store them in a tightly sealed glass jar. If you live in a humid area, you can put a silica gel packet in the jar to reduce moisture. Make sure you label the jar clearly and store it in a cool, dark place, such as your refrigerator.