How to Plant Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

Planting black oil sunflowers not only creates an interesting landscape, but provides food for wild birds in the cold weather season. The black oil sunflower seed is perhaps the smallest of the sunflower seed variety. Sunflowers grow in a wide range of soils and tolerate large fluctuations in temperatures. Optimum temperatures range from 64 to 91° F. Planting dates for the seeds range from May 1 through May 20 for northern regions and mid-March through April in the southern portions of the country.

Things You'll Need

Soil test
Rototiller
Fertilizer

Organic matter
Garden hoe
Irrigation

Instructions

- 1
  Collect soil from several areas around the sunflower bed. Mix the soil together and allow it to dry. Deliver the sample to your county agricultural extension service for analysis.
- 2
  Work the sunflower bed with the rototiller between 6 and 8 inches deep. Incorporate the recommended fertilizer and organic matter into the ground based upon the soil test results.
- 3
  Make a furrow with the handle of the garden hoe approximately 1-1/2 inches deep. Space the furrowed rows 30 inches apart.
- 4
  Plant the black oil sunflower seeds approximately 8 to 10 inches apart in the rows.
- 5
  Keep the new seed bed moist with irrigation, but not overly wet where the seeds may rot.
- 6
  Remove weeds as the unwanted pest plants will compete for nutrients and moisture during sunflower seed germination. Cultivate lightly around the young plants with the blade of the garden hoe. As the sunflowers mature, the larger plants will shade out the smaller weeds.

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