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Start a Sunflower Farm


Tips on Growing Sunflowers


Summary: Is sunflower farming a viable business in your area? Do you have the land to grow it and the market to sell it to? If yes, then you can start this venture that is fairly easy to pursue. Learn from our guide basic tips on sunflower planting, growing and harvesting.

Sunflowers are fairly easy to grow. They are drought resistant, pollinate without much need for insects, and are not highly susceptible to diseases.

Should You Grow Sunflowers?

If you are planning to start a sunflower farm, however, the two most important questions that you should consider are: whether you have the market for your product and the large area with which to grow the crop. Sunflower seeds are valued for their oil and are sold to pressing plants. They are also milled for selling to the birdseed market.

Sunflower Growing Tips

  • Plant a small crop in your chosen site to assess potential yield and susceptibility to local pests or soil diseases.
  • Choose the variety of sunflower you want to grow. Each variety has different uses – some are commonly used for snacking, others for other purposes like, as garnish or food ingredient, others for oil extraction.
  • An ideal soil for sunflower planting is loose enough for water to drain, but compact enough to hold the plant stalks against the wind.
  • Regulate the amount of water you apply to the crop. While water is good for the plant, too much of it will loosen the soil and make the root weak.
  • Look out for weeds that could compete with young plants especially during the first few weeks that the sunflowers were planted. You can employ mechanical and chemical means of cleaning out weeds from the crop.
  • Plant density is important in determining yield. While low density could result to large heads and thus increased seeds per head, it could result to premature drying out. High density crops, on the other hand, would require higher rate of watering, resulting to water lodging. Check recommended sunflower density standards.
  • Planting sunflowers in groups has the benefit of stabilizing their stand, protecting them from wind damage, and preventing moisture loss from soil.
  • Harvest sunflowers timely to avoid having to loss seeds to late season diseases and birds that loves to eat them. Harvest time is when the back of most of the sunflower heads become brown.
  • A typical sunflower farm yield is around 1,500 pounds per acre. Yield is highly influenced by seed selection, plant density, and pest and weed control.
  • As sunflowers are tolerant of weather conditions, you can plant them in more than one season to spread the risk of failure for each cropping. Also, plant them in rotation with other crops to control diseases and weed infestation that often results with monocropping.
  • As with any grain or seed crop, drying off of the seeds is important to control potential damage from moisture and insects. Check for moisture standards applicable to the type of sunflower you are producing.

For additional resources, visit the National Sunflower Association.
 

11 Responses to "Start a Sunflower Farm".

1. Satyanarayana on 2/21/2009 8:10:47 AM

I am looking for a business kindly send me more information!

2. abel otieno on 3/11/2009 8:48:30 AM

I am working in Kenya with widows living HIV and AIDS and supporting orphans to start some income generating activities. We have selected sunflower cooking oil production as a viable venture which will enable this group to be independently. Kindly send more information

3. esther njoki on 8/3/2009 12:11:38 PM

i am in kenya and i have 8 acres of land, i would love to start sunflower farming, please send more information

4. Lawrence on 8/18/2009 1:26:22 AM

please send me more info on starting a sunflower farm

5. svenx on 8/25/2009 2:59:34 PM

hi, i'm a young university graduate who is very interested in non-traditional farming in ghana. i would be very pleased if i could be provided more information on sunflower farming in Ghana. thank you.

6. Bob on 9/3/2009 11:09:20 AM

Please send me more information on starting a sunflower farm. Many thanks

7. Idris on 9/10/2009 9:05:39 AM

I have 15.5 acres, and would like to try sunflower farming and pressing to produce sunflower oil. I would be most grateful if you could send me more information. Many thanks.

8. richard on 9/20/2009 8:21:37 AM

I would appreciate if you could inform me on these facts about sunflower production
1. What is the maximum yield per ha?
2. What is the average compound fertilizer required per ha?
What will be the average Nitrogen fertilizer required per ha?
3. Whats the average import parity price per ha (world average)
4. What is the average oil content percentage?
thanks.

9. raja on 9/24/2009 10:03:17 AM

What is the minimum amount of acreage to start a sunflower farm? What initial start up money do I need.

10. cathy on 9/29/2009 1:22:16 AM

I'm interested in farming sunflower? Can I grow it in Kibwezi? Give more information e.g
1. What is the maximum yield per acre?
2. What fertilizers should I use
3. How can I control pests and diseases
4. I'm interested in growing the sunflower where I can extract oil, do you have an idea where I can sell it?
5. What is the average oil content
6. What is the cost of sunflower seeds per kilo
I wait to hear from you. Regards

11. Janet Ogangah on 10/10/2009 9:25:42 AM

My family owns some acres of land where we would like to start sunflower farming for oil extraction. I wanted to find out whether it can be grown in green houses.

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