AMAZING SUNFLOWERS

1 Choose a sunny patch of soil and give it a good watering the day before you plant.

2 If you are growing tall sunflowers, place stakes in the ground (about 40cm apart). The stakes will stop the sunflowers blowing over in the wind.

3 Beside each stake, sow seeds about 1cm deep or the depth recommended on the packet. Hint: If you have plenty of seeds, sow in pairs and pull out the weakest when they start to grow.

4 Water enough to keep the soil moist (not soaking wet). 5 Feed and water your plants as they grow and tie them gently to their stakes with stretchy ties (you can make these by cutting up old socks or undies).

TIPS

Because they grow so fast sunflowers need plenty of food and water. Mix some compost into the soil before you plant. When your sunflowers start to grow, feed them with liquid fertiliser or worm wees from your worm farm. Sunflowers don’t like being moved. If you sow the seed in pots, transplant them into the garden before they get too big, or start them off in peat pots (or make biodegradable pots from empty toilet rolls) so you can plant them in the ground pot-and-all. You may want to cover your seeds to prevent birds and mice eating them.