Growing sunflowers

Former Member

Sunflowers are my favourite flower and I really want to grow some massive ones this year.

I have two packs of them, one are normal yellow ones and the other are red.

Anyone got any tips? Or want to have a competition for who can grow the tallest ones?

Do you think I would be able to grow some on my roof in pots? I only have access to a communal garden and not sure where there is space to grow them or if kids will trample them!

Former Member

katchika wrote: »

Anyone got any tips? Or want to have a competition for who can grow the tallest ones?

No tips i'm afraid but my girlfriend planted half a dozen last year and only one grew, it towered over their garage, it must of been about 12/15ft (rubbish at estimating things like that!) it died when the weight of its head was too much and it snapped in half, even though it was being supported with canes! It was a monster!

I think if they start getting big you'll struggle with them in pots, hers was in a pot but when it was about 1ft it got planted outside, then it soon shot up, it's stem was almost as thick as my arm, so it would of needed to have gone in a huge pot to carry on growing!

Give it a go though, my gf has planted a dozen or two, so far only 4 or 5 have spouted out, i think they are about ready to be put in individual pots for a few weeks then in the garden if this lovely whether continues!

Former Member

Plant a lot because like Mr Orange said only some grow! Me and my brother planted some when we were little and one grew each (lucky!) although maybe it was my parents destroying the other ones so we would only have one each and wouldn't argue :eek2:

Anyway you need to have a cane to tie them to :yes:

Former Member

I think a sunflower competition is a fab idea! I always forget about sunflowers until it gets to summer time and they are everywhere, now i've finally cleared out my jungle of a garden I might actually get some sunflower seeds and have a go at growing them

Former Member

I would take part in a sunflower growing competition, we've just spent ages clearing our garden so it'd be excellent!

Former Member

This is a true story. When I was 5, in my first class at infants school, we used to have "jobs" which we would change every day. When it was my turn to feed the class gerbil or whatever it was, I used to pinch all his sunflower seeds and put them in the pocket of my little pinafore dress. Then when I got home from school, before I went in the house, I used to poke them into the dirt of the flowerbed in front of our house. Then I forgot about it because nothing happened.

But then, come the summer, we had a big row of sunflowers along the front of the house. My mum and dad were amazed and I never made the connection until years later when I suddenly remembered doing it.

I don't think they're hard to grow!

Former Member

I have actually bought some sunflower seeds and will be planting them tomorrow so game on!

Former Member

I have nothing important or helpful to add, but I would love to see pictures if/when you grow them! How awsome sunflower growing would be

Former Member

you could grow some fois gras whilst you're at it too