Helianthus debilis Soluna Lemon or beach sunflower
Helianthus debilis also known as beach sunflower is native to the United States. Beach sunflowers require very little care and can even grow on poor soil. This type is especially great for bouquets because the plants produce branches with multiple flowers and the flowers are much smaller. Traditional sunflower heads can be a bit difficult to use in bouquets. Maybe you are not a big sunflower fan but I think you will like this one. Compared to the other beach sunflower we offer, the Italian white, this one is more lemon or fresh but still very soft yellow. The smaller birds in your garden go crazy for this type of sunflower in autumn because the seeds are much smaller.

Planting information to grow Soluna lemon from seed:
Plant type: half-hardy annual
Height: 150 – 180 centimeters
Position: full sun
Start: under cover March-April or later outside until June
Number of days until plants bloom: 60 – 70 days
Distance between the plants: 40 – 50 up to 100 centimeters
Pinching: no recommended
germination: 1 to 2 weeks at around 15 to 18°C
Number of seeds per pack: 50
Origin: France

How to grow beach sunflowers from seed
This type of sunflower is slightly frost resistant but it germinates and grows fast. If you sow the seeds too early they outgrow their indoor pots. Start the seeds a few weeks before your last expected frost date. You can sow twice to extend its flowering window. For example once in late March and once in early June. Because the plants bloom in just 60 to 70 days after sowing it’s not a problem to sow the seeds later in the season. When the first frost arrives plants will die. If you sow in March you can transplant seedlings into the garden around 4 weeks later.
Start seeds in seed trays with extra height, for example, 40 deep or 28 deep. If you want early flowers you can start seeds indoors and transplant them to 28 deep trays, 15 deep trays, or P9 plant pots. Of course, you can direct sow the seeds but because birds like the seeds and slugs like the seedlings we always start in trays.

If your garden is not so large don’t grow too many plants because they can grow from sweet little sunflowers to huge bushes (1 meter or more in diameter). The more you cut the more flowers you get! Because the plants require so little care you can grow them everywhere where the sun shines. Difficult to water spot at the far end of your garden? full sun? Perfect!

Plant 2 or 3 batches with intervals of 4-6 weeks for a prolonged blooming phase. Particularly for those cultivating them for cut flowers, multiple sowings are beneficial. To maintain a more concise plant structure, consider pinching them (removing the seedling tips) when they reach a height of 40 to 50 cm. If cultivated as cut flowers, two plants can be accommodated on a 75 cm bed, although navigating between rows may be slightly challenging (haha!).