Guide to growing garden plants - Heliopsis False Sunflower
Members of the Heliopsis genus are hardy annuals that reach from 90cm to 1.5M in height.
They carry large daisy / Sunflower like flowers of orange or yellow. Due to their large size they make great border flowers, where their weedy leaves can be hidden.
Some of the common names for Heliopsis include False Sunflower and Orange Sunflower.
How to grow False Sunflower (Heliopsis)
When growing False sunflowers it is best to sow the seed outside in either early spring or at the beginning of autumn. Simply cover the seed with a light dusting of topsoil. They like to grow in a sunny part of the garden that has a rich loamy soil with slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.5 to 7).
If you would like to first grow False Sunflowers (Heliopsis) indoors as seedlings then this should be started about 9 or 10 weeks before the seedlings are due to be transplanted into the garden either at the beginning of august or before the last frost of spring. They should be spaced at about 60 to 90cm apart.
Caring for False Sunflower - Heliopsis in the garden
If you require more false sunflowers then they can be divided in the spring or cuttings took from the stems in the summer. Heliopsis plants can grow in dry soil but it is best to water them occasionally and to apply a light fertilizer in the middle of the growing season. Once flowering has finished cut back the plats to the ground in the autumn.