Sunflower seedlings - help!

lydiao23

I’ve been growing some dwarf sunflower seedlings from a grow-your-own bucket / seed pack that I was given as a present. I’ve followed instructions and they seem to be doing well - almost too well - and so many have germinated now that I’m worried they are growing too close together. Do I need to separate them sooner rather than later and if so, should I put them into individual pots / what size should they be? They have been planted about ten days now so any advice from an expert would be gratefully received! Thank you!

cassie.a.stewart

I always pot seedlings up before they get too big as their roots can entwine and it becomes a nightmare to prick them out. Depending on the plant it can be as soon as they germinate or when they get their first set of true leaves (not cotelydons, they're seed leaves). I'd prick them out and pot up individually now, but you may be ok to wait until they fully develop their first set of leaves.

Make sure not to hold them by the stem as it may snap! 

Rob Lockwood

Hi Lydiao23 - the big oval leaves you can see on each of the seedlings are what Cassie describes - "seed leaves"; most gardeners wait until plants have their first "true leaves" (leaves that look like sunflower leaves) to pot on to individual pots, but as Cassie says, they can get entangled.  Probably won't do any harm to either wait or do it now, but they need to go into small pots so they don't drown. 

Sunflowers are a good plant if you're relatively new to growing as they're quite robust - good luck!