"Natty Dread" wrote in message
m...
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!

Hi Rhonda,

I'm in Charlottesville, so we're practically neighbors.

I found that when I started sunflowers from seed they got too leggy, no
matter what I did. Just sowing them directly into the bed after May 1st and
then ignoring them works much better for me.

Of course, make sure your seeds are the really tall variety, too. There are
so many different kinds out there and some of them are quite short.
Callen in VA