The 2017 Gardening Forums Sunflower Growing Competition!

[johnny canoe]

I'm still killing off sunflowers. I let them grow and then find that they are blocking out sun that other plants need. But here's a better picture of the random sunflowers thanks to birds.

 

[KKosy87]

@MaryMary yes! Thank you! I will try it with a little dawn in there and see what happens. Right now I just have to keep spraying with the hose, or pulling the leaf off altogether. It got out of control last year, so really trying to stay on top of it this year!

 

[MaryMary]

@MaryMary yes! Thank you! I will try it with a little dawn in there and see what happens. Right now I just have to keep spraying with the hose, or pulling the leaf off altogether. It got out of control last year, so really trying to stay on top of it this year!

If it gets way out of control, it is quicker to wipe the aphids off with a damp paper towel. Make sure you throw the paper towels in an outdoor trash can or burn pile, not in the house or your compost pile - they'll spread. (Make sure to be gentle with the leaf. .)

I had so many aphids on my Stargazers, my trigger-finger got tired.

 

[Tjohn]

Someone was just waiting for the sun to finally come out!

 

[Daren]

I feel I should post a pic of mine lol not the best ever by far but worth the effort

 

[johnny canoe]

 

[MoonShadows]

I just saw this thread...some beautiful sunflowers. I can't enter these pics because they are from last summer, but I thought I would share them. I stuck a couple of black stripe sunflower seeds in the back corners of a raised garden where I planted my spinach and peas last summer. I never thought they would get this big!

The tallest was over 15 feet high and the largest flower was over 16 inches in diameter...unfortunately the birds and squirrels beat me to the seeds!

 

[KKosy87]

Sorry about the lighting. The sun was just so bright! But here are a few i have in the garden. Looks like I lost one. I think some sort of animal chewed the stalk. I was so upset! Also, When is the cut off for the competition? Im still waiting for the real big one to bloom. We have until the end of August, right?

 

[KKosy87]

My big guy finally opened up. I guess this one will be the one I will enter! It makes so happy to see it in the morning. Gosh, I love sunflowers.

 

[Tjohn]

Guess I'd better enter her before she gets too far gone! Looks like she's having a bad hair day already.

 

[Ian]

Remember to take measurements too (height and bloom diameter), as that is the criteria for two of the possible ways to win . It'll help if the tape measurements can be seen in the photo somehow.

You can enter the pic and measurements at any time up until 31st Aug, so only a couple of weeks to go.

Some cracking entries so far!

 

[Tjohn]

Guess I'd better enter her before she gets too far gone! Looks like she's having a bad hair day already.View attachment 25761

She's only 51 inches tall and 13 inches across, so not a contender for size, but she sure is cute!

 

[zigs]

Mines bigger than me but not opened yet

 

[johnny canoe]

I won't enter the contest because I really have done nothing, not even planting the seeds, but I have a fun to look at jungle of them.lol

 

[Chuck]

The deer just ate all of mine. I was waiting to photograph them next week when they would have been a little bigger. Oh well, maybe next year.
I also had a great crop of okra but not anymore. They ate everything still growing and green in one night. There must have been a dozen or more of the damn things