On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:56:46 +0000, Natty Dread wrote:


"Wolf Kirchmeir" wrote in message
.. .
Natty Dread wrote:
I'm sure you master gardeners will laugh at me, but how does one grow
a sunflower to be 6 feet tall? [...]

You get a variety that will grow that tall. :-) One such has been sold
hereabouts as a Russian Sunflower, and has grown to over 8ft tall in my
front yard. It has white seeds, not black or brown ones, but the birds
don't care, they gobble them up anyway. I have no ides what other names
it goes by.

Well, in response to everyone that said get the variety that grow that
tall, according to the seed packs I have, the varieties I've planted are
supposed to grow to 6 or 7 feet in height. The problem is that mine
have never gotten over 2 feet tall. The are leggy with thin stems and
few leaves, not at all thick and full like the pictures Mark posted, for
example. So do these plants actually grow 6 feet over one summer? How
early in the season should I be planting them so they have sufficient
grow time to get that big?



This sounds like a classic low nitrogen and or too little water issue.
Sunflowers are somewhat heavy feeders and require a larger amount of
nitrogen than you may think. You can deal with this issue in a variety of
ways , one being to amend the soil with steer manure or blood meal. I like
to plant sweet peas with my sunflowers. The peas will use the sunflowers
as a trellis and help to feed the sunflowers. The peas will fade off in
the summer heat and stop supplying the nitrogen and not affect the flower
head production.

Sunflowers require lots of water. Sunflowers has been used for centuries
to drain and reclaim swamp land in Holland. Under watering will stunt
there growth just as badly as low nitrogen.

I would recommend that you amend your soil to at least 12 inches.
Sunflowers will put out a massive root system if they have the room. Add
compost, manure, blood meal..etc and a good handful or two of bone meal.
Water well in the summer and you should have great sunflowers.

Good luck.

--
http://resources.ywgc.com/info