Sunflower 'The Bee's Knees'

Prefers well drained soil in full sun
Staking is usually not needed unless exposed to unexpected strong winds

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water often. Keep in mind when planting that The Bee's Knees is thought of as hardy, so this plant will survive close to or on freezing temperatures. Planting The Bee's Knees in loamy and clay soil with a ph of between 5.7 and 8.1 is ideal for as it does best in weakly acidic soil to weakly alkaline soil.

Sow thinly 1cm deep 30 cm apart in well cultivated soil. Can be sown in spring indoors with heat at 20C
Keep the seedling short before planting out by growing in cool and bright conditions, such as in a cold fram

Sow 0.39 inches (1.0 cm) deep with a guideline distance of 11.7 inches (30.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 13°C / 55°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations, you should look at sowing The Bee's Knees about 21 days before your last frost date.

When plants are well grown gradually acclimatise them to out door conditions and plant out after all the frost has past
Choose a bright sunny site, not exposed to the wind

As The Bee's Knees is hardy, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.

Flowers are good for cutting, a variety of colours with medium sized heads.
The seeds can also be harvested for the birds
However, ‘The Bees’ knees’ are F1 so will not come true to seed if harvested to grow next year

This variety tends to be ready for harvesting by mid autumn.

The botanical epithet is from the Latin annuus meaning “annual”.¹
‘Helios’ means sun

Bee’s Knees

¹ Latin Dictionary