How to Grow Safflower

Designate a location that is exposed to six hours or more of direct sunlight daily. The location should have well-drained soil. Safflower plants grown for seed or oil production are spaced 6 inches apart. For cut flower production, 12-inch spacing produces fuller plants with longer stems. Rows can be as close as 20 inches. Safflower requires a growing period of 120 to 150 days from sprouting to maturity.

Remove all weeds and other vegetation from the growing area, using a shovel or hoe. Loosen the soil to a depth of 6 inches with a garden fork or shovel.

Take a soil test to find out what amendments are needed to grow safflower. Adding amendments without a soil test may harm the plants and damage the soil. Contact your local county or parish cooperative extension office for assistance with a soil test.

Spread a 1-inch layer of compost, along with the required soil amendments from the soil test, over the planting area. Work the amendments and compost into the top 6 inches of soil, using a hoe or shovel. Rake the planting area until it is smooth.

Plant safflower seed 1-inch deep on or soon after the last average frost date. Gently firm the soil over the seed and saturate with water. Emergence of the plant occurs when the soil temperature is between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Young safflower plants are tolerant of a light freeze.

Water the safflower plants by deeply soaking the plants once a week. When the plant is about 30 days old it will cease to grow for a period of about three weeks. This is called the rosette stage. Continue to water deeply once a week during this stage, as the plant is forming the deep, extensive root system. Withhold water if the soil remains wet or waterlogged between watering periods.