Too Late for Giant Sunflowers This Year? Save Seeds for Spring.

In the San Fernando Valley (hot summer), giant sunflowers need 90–120 days to mature. Planting now (late summer/fall) won’t yield good results—days shorten, temperatures drop.

What to Do

• Store seeds cool, dry, dark (paper envelope in jar in fridge).
• Plant next spring after last frost (March–April).
• Direct sow 1 inch deep, 12–18 inches apart.

Why Wait?

• Full sun, long days, and heat drive giant growth.
• Fall-planted giants will be stunted, late, or fail.

Patience pays off with 10–12 ft stalks and dinner-plate flowers next summer.