I received a sun flower planted from seed with no idea what variety it was. It’s been growing strong now, but I left it in a fairly small pot. I am in Vancouver, and the sun flower has received quite a bit of light. But I’m afraid the sunflower was not a dwarf variety, and now I am wondering if the sunflower will actually flower, if i should transplant it to a larger pot (maybe it’s too late?) or if I should give up on it now? Any thoughts you have are very appreciated.
Hello, I am sorry to tell you that if your sunflower has not already bloomed or at least set up a bud, its not going to flower for you this year. It is also too late to transplant to a different pot. The reasons your plant did not flower can be many. One of the most important factors is light. Sunflowers need at least 6 to 8 hours per day of sun in order to flower successfully. These plants need heavy feeding, that means planting the seeds in soil rich in compost, and if they are container grown, you should supplement with an organic fertilizer a couple times during the season. Sunflowers have an extensive root system (especially the tall varieties) which brings me to another contributor to your plant not flowering. Unless you have a really large container, its best to grow a dwarf variety to ensure you provide enough space for the roots to spread out.
Don’t despair! think of this as a learning opportunity and look forward to growing sunflowers next summer. Here is an article in Farmer’s Almanac with information to help you.
https://www.almanac.com/plant/sunflowers