Sunflower Growing Competition

Growing Curiosity, Creativity, Courage and Sunflowers!

Welcome to Westonbirt’s Sunflower Growing Competition. At Westonbirt Prep we aim to inspire pupils to be curious, creative and courageous. You can learn more about our wonderful school on the further pages of this website but in the meantime, please find full details for our sunflower competition.

Using the top tips below, please use your supplied sunflower seeds and compostable pot to try and grow the tallest sunflower you can! To enter, please email us the height of your sunflower in centimetres and a photograph to marketing@westonbirtschool.uk by 30 August. All entries will receive a certificate and the grower of the tallest 3 sunflowers will each win a £25 book voucher and stuffed peacock, just like Birtie, the real Peacock that lives at Westonbirt.

Here are some quick tips on how to grow your sunflower. Good luck!

1. Location: Sunflowers love the sun and hate the wind, so selecting an ideal location that provides them with 6-8 hours of sun and minimum wind is key.
2. Sowing: When sowing your sunflower make sure it goes in the given biodegradable pot. Once to big for the pot sow entire thing into a larger pot or into your garden. Remember, sunflowers love to stretch their roots so make sure the next pot or location you put it as room for it to do some yoga.
3. Soil: They thrive in a rich, well-draining soil that is free from rocks or tree roots. They like to stretch out and dislike obstacles getting in their way.
4. Water: It is key to not over water but underwater your sunflower. They do not like swampy soil, neither will they tolerate drying out.  An inch or two of compost or finely chopped bark mulch will help keep moisture in and gradually decompose to amend your soil.
5. Support: If you want to add support to your sunflower make sure to add it when they are young and their roots are small. The older your flower gets the fussier it will be and any disruptions later on can aggravate it.
6. Pests: Most animals including, birds, squirrels, mice and all their distant cousins love sunflower seeds as a snack, so make sure that your seed is protected from them until your stem is a couple inches tall.
7. Enjoy and we can’t wait to see how tall your sunflower grows!

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