Plant Sunflowers in Zone 7b

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 7b

Direct sow

Apr 10

Harvest (~80d)

Jun 29

Zone 7b averages 212 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around April 3 to a first fall frost around November 1. Sunflowers needs roughly 80 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 38 percent of that window. Sunflowers is a half-hardy crop, which is what decides where in the window it belongs.

Sunflowers resents transplanting and hates cold soil, so direct sow around Apr 10, after the Zone 7b last frost has passed and the soil has warmed. At 80 days to harvest, a 212-day Zone 7b season has room for about 2 sowings, so stagger them rather than planting everything at once.

Fall planting: sunflowers in Zone 7b

Sunflowers has no useful fall window in Zone 7b. Sunflowers need a long run of warm, long days and will not finish from a late-summer sowing outside frost-free zones.

Sunflowers need a long run of warm, long days and will not finish from a late-summer sowing outside frost-free zones.

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 7b average first frost, not forward from a sowing date. See the fall planting calendar by zone for the full method.

Spring vs fall sunflowers in Zone 7b

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	Apr 10	Apr 10	Jun 29
Fall	—	—	—

Last spring frost

Apr 3

First fall frost

Nov 1

Growing season

212 days

Sunflowers in nearby zones

Sunflowers in Zone 7a (colder) Sunflowers in Zone 8a (warmer) Full Sunflowers grow guide Zone 7b planting calendar

Other crops in Zone 7b

Tomatoes in Zone 7b Peppers in Zone 7b Cucumbers in Zone 7b Lettuce in Zone 7b Zucchini in Zone 7b Carrots in Zone 7b Beans (bush) in Zone 7b Peas in Zone 7b Broccoli in Zone 7b Spinach in Zone 7b Kale in Zone 7b Onions in Zone 7b Garlic in Zone 7b Potatoes in Zone 7b Squash (winter) in Zone 7b Corn in Zone 7b Radishes in Zone 7b Beets in Zone 7b Eggplant in Zone 7b Basil in Zone 7b Cilantro in Zone 7b Parsley in Zone 7b Pumpkins in Zone 7b

Frequently asked questions

When should I start sunflowers in Zone 7b?

Direct sow outdoors around Apr 10.

Can I direct sow sunflowers in Zone 7b?

Yes, direct sow around Apr 10.

Can I plant sunflowers in the fall in Zone 7b?

Sunflowers has no useful fall window in Zone 7b. Sunflowers need a long run of warm, long days and will not finish from a late-summer sowing outside frost-free zones.

Will sunflowers survive frost in Zone 7b?

No. Sunflowers is a half-hardy crop and a single light frost ends it, so every Zone 7b planting has to finish before the average first frost.

How many plantings of sunflowers fit in a Zone 7b season?

About 2. Zone 7b averages 212 frost-free days and sunflowers needs roughly 80 days plus a couple of weeks of turnaround, so sowing every 47 days keeps a supply coming.