"Natty Dread" wrote:

-snip-
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?


I'm in NY & I grow Mammoth [a variety name] Sunflowers- plant them in
mid May, and by mid August have had 10 footers with seed heads 2 feet
across. [note that the page Hal posted has 'days to maturity' for
many of the flowers- there are some 6footers there that say 60 days--
and others that need 100]

I'm with Tim- your problem is probably Nitrogen or not enough water.
[mine seem to like well tilled soiled, too. Or maybe the ones in the
well tilled soil are just better fed.]

Jim