This procedure will keep these potential giants at a more manageable size and eliminate the need to stake them.
However, the rules are slightly different for late summer blooming varieties. Late summer blooming types should be pruned back when they reach between 1. 5 to 2 feet (0. 5 to 0. 6 m) in height, because they will recover in a few weeks and bloom regardless of the cuts.
Maximilian sunflowers can also be left standing through the winter months as food for the birds. If you choose to leave your tall sunflowers for the birds, they can be cut to the ground in the early spring to prepare the plant for new growth.
Prune sunflowers with sharp bypass hand pruners or hedge shears.
Diseased parts should be kept out of the compost bin to prevent the ailment in question from being transmitted to any other plants. These bits of debris will instead need to be burned or bagged up and left for the local waste crews to collect.
Some people prefer to only prune away damaged parts of the plant so that their sunflowers can take on a more wild look.
