Drivetime Sow-A-Long

The sun may be momentarily missing from the skies but here at Drivetime it’s never far from our hearts - which is why we’ve decided to plant out the production office in sensational sunflowers!

To help deck out our desks Tom Brown from the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley Gardens, give us an insider's guide on how to grow the perfect sunflower seedling.

If you want to "sow-a-long" too, here's what you need and Tom's top tips...

TOM BROWN'S GUIDE TO GROWING A SUNFLOWER

Equipment required:

A small flower pot (minimum of 10cm deep and 9cm wide)
Multipurpose compost
Three sunflower seeds
Water

Method:

1. Fill your pot with the compost to the top of the pot.
2. Tap the bottom of the filled pot on a hard surface to settle the compost
3. Water the pot, making sure all the compost is moist.
4 Using your finger make three holes in a triangular formation in the pot, the holes need to be about 2cm deeper than the seed.
5. Insert one seed in each hole, pointed end facing up.
6. Use your finger tips to cover the seed.
7. Place your pot on a window sill with plenty of light; make sure you keep the compost moist.
8. In about a week your sunflowers should start to grow. When they reach about 5cm select the strongest seedling, remove the other two by cutting at the base or pulling and plant it out in a sunny, sheltered area of your garden.