The Sunometer Grow Guide
Everything you need to grow a taller, happier sunflower — then measure it, photograph it, and see how it ranks against growers around the world.
Get growing
Growing tips
Soil, sun, water and feeding — how to send a sunflower skyward.
Starting seeds
Indoors vs direct sowing — how to get seedlings off to a strong start.
Sunflower season
When to sow, wherever you are — a sowing calendar by region.
Sunflower types
Giants, ornamentals, dwarfs and cut-flower varieties explained.
Growing in pots
No garden? Grow sunflowers on a balcony or patio.
For the contest
How to measure
Measure height accurately (and safely) for the leaderboards.
Great photos
Light, angle and scale — make your sunflower shine.
Beauty contest
What makes a winning bloom, and when it's at its best.
Record heights
The tallest sunflowers ever — and the tallest on Sunometer.
End of season
Harvest & roast seeds
Harvest your seeds and roast them for a tasty treat.
Save seeds
Keep seed from your best plant for an even taller one next year.
Stories & science
Do they follow the sun?
The truth about heliotropism — and why mature flowers face east.
The maths of the spiral
Fibonacci numbers and the golden angle hiding in the seed head.
The story of the sunflower
Origins, Van Gogh, and the national flower of Ukraine.
Watch one grow
A sunflower's journey from seedling to full bloom. On Sunometer, every time you update your plant's height with a new photo, we turn your pictures into a time-lapse just like this.