GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

27-02-2006, 10:00 PM posted to rec.gardens

In article says...
I'm sure you master gardeners will laugh at me, but how does one grow a
sunflower to be 6 feet tall? I've tried growing sunflowers from seed for
the past two years, starting them in pots and transplanting the seedlings to
containers outside when it gets warm enough, but the seeds I've planted have
set one small bloom at about 18" and then nothing. (I haven't pinched or
anything - I was always told that sunflowers are the easiest plant to grow,
so I just planted 'em and watched 'em grow.) Are those huge Kansas-style
sunflowers perennials that take a few years to get that tall? Any info
appreciated!

You need the Massive Sunflower seeds or something similar. Not all
sunflowers are alike and many don't grow that big. I've gotten them 8'
high growing them in a container with no problem. The sunflowers in my
wildflower mixes only get around 4' high. The Menards by me has an
entire section dedicated to different sunflower seeds producing plants
of all different shapes and sizes.

In the following pic from early July last summer, these are 7' high
grown in a 20 gallon Rubbermaid tote. They're volunteers from the
previous years so they're part massive part some other breed made by the
bees. The year before these were well over 8 feet high. I don't have
to plant sunflowers anymore. :-)

http://www.brandylion.com/images/sunflower-clump.jpg