Honest review: Sunflower is rewarding but poor germination in compacted or clay soils is real

Sunflower is a genuinely satisfying plant to grow, but I want to be upfront about one thing: poor germination in compacted or clay soils. I've dealt with it twice now and it takes consistent attention to manage.

Beyond that, self-seeding and naturalising without annual replanting makes it one of my favourites in the collection. I keep it in a wildlife pond margin planting which suits it well. Learning about sowing directly into poor soil as rich soil encourages weeds has been essential. cutting back meadow areas in autumn to remove thatch is worth waiting for — the plant really justifies itself then. Four stars because of that persistent issue.