Annual
Fluffy, round, fully double flower heads are marked with a dark brown eye. Inter-plant them with other sunflower varieties, add to your border, or grow in containers. Plant Teddy Bear sunflower seeds for a unique cut flower. Plant grows to a height of 90 cm (3'). Because Teddy Bear Sunflowers produce so many flower petals, they are good for sprinkling over salads in the summer. The petals are completely edible. This variety is a great choice for cut flowers as the stems are strong and straight. It will attract bumblebees and other pollinators the the garden space. It's a long time favourite here at West Coast Seeds.
West Coast Seeds Teddy Bear Sunflowers Seeds
Starting
Sow seeds 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep. Space dwarf varieties 15cm (6″) apart, but give the giants lots of room at 1m (3′) between plants.
Timing
Direct sow repeatedly after the last frost date. Starting indoors is possible, but does not gain much time. If sunflowers are allowed to get root-bound, they will lack stability at transplant time, and will require staking. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 21-30°C (70-85°F). Seeds should sprout in 10-14 days.
Growing
To grow really big plants with really big flowers, enrich the soil with organic matter and incorporate 2 cups of balanced organic fertilizer per 3m (10′) of row, and irrigate regularly. When the plants are 30cm (12) tall, dissolve 5ml (1 tsp) of borax (for boron) in 350 ml (12 fl oz) of water and spread the solution over 5m (15′) of row. Be careful not to over-apply this solution. This application of boron will produce bigger seeds and flower heads. Do not apply boron to other garden plants. When the back of the flower head turns yellow, it is ready to be cut from the plant.
