About Sunflower Microgreens

Sunflower microgreens produce sturdy, crunchy shoots with a nutty flavor and thick cotyledons (the first “seed leaves”). They’re a high-yield, fast crop ideal for blends or as a stand-alone. Best for beginners and pros alike.

When to Plant Sunflower Microgreens Seeds

Sunflower microgreens can be grown indoors year-round, as long as you’ve got reliable lighting and stable temperatures between 65°F to 75°F. They’re fast too, expect a turn time of about 7 to 10 days from sowing to harvest. This makes them an easy, repeatable crop to grow on a windowsill or under dedicated grow lights.

Where to Plant Sunflower Microgreens Seeds

Give sunflower microgreens bright, even light to prevent stretching, which leads to thin, weak stems. Use a fine, well-draining seed-starting mix, moistening it to field capacity, which is moist enough to feel like a wrung-out sponge with no standing water. This creates the gentle, consistent moisture the seeds need to germinate well.

How to Plant Sunflower Microgreens Seeds

Start by pre-soaking the seeds for 8 to 12 hours, then rinse them well. For a standard 10×20 tray, use six to nine ounces of seed and broadcast them heavily across the surface, pressing them in so they make solid contact with the moistened media. 

Place the tray into a two to three day blackout, which simply means keeping it dark and adding weight on top. Place an inverted, second empty tray on top of the seeds with 10 to 15 pounds of plates, bricks, or a water jug. This weight encourages strong, even germination by pressing the seeds firmly against the media. When the seedlings push up the lid or reach about ½ to 1 inch tall, remove the weight, end the blackout, and move the tray into strong light. From here on, bottom-water only by pouring water into a solid tray underneath so the foliage stays dry. Your healthy sunflower microgreens should grow upright with thick, juicy stems.

How to Care for Sunflower Microgreens

Keep the media evenly moist through bottom-watering, being careful not to let it become soggy. Harvest at 7 to 10 days to receive the best crunch and flavor, when the cotyledons (the first leaves) are fully open and most hulls have loosened. Maintain good sanitation by washing and sanitizing trays between crops to avoid mold issues.