The 2018 Sunflower Growing Competition!

[Treblot84]

This year i experimented in trying to grow "mini" sunflowers and to my suprose it really worked! They are just over two months old, and are smaller then a standard spoon, and are already growing heads! Also here are some of the flowers we hope to enter as well. Some are in pots, some in garden.

 

[Treblot84]

The previously posted "mini" was the smallest one I have had survive, but here are a few others that are almost twice as big, but still smaller then the spoon.

 

[Treblot84]

Hey guys & gals could we see some pics of everyone's sunflowers? We don't know many other people that grow them, other then a few neighbors who I gave some extra seedlings to lol. So, we really love seeing the pics on here. They are all such wonderful flowers, and its always amazing to see the results of the patience and care it takes to grow them! Here's some of our pot grown ones from this morning .

 

[Treblot84]

Mid day is my favorite time of day, when the sunflowers are reaching straight up for the sun! I gave them some organic garden fertilizer two days ago, and i was afraid that I would end up hurting them as I have never used any fertilizer before. It seems to be doing them some good because they seem much stronger, and are getting bigger a lot faster then before. Does it look like I should start to see a flower head forming on the bigger one soon? It is about a month old and because I am new to this I'm unsure as to when the head should start it's formation.The smaller one is younger, only like 2 weeks old or so.

 

[Treblot84]

Doesn't seem like there are as many people currently interested in this competition this year, compared to the previous two years that I was looking at. I hope some people join up and start posting some pictures soon, I am really looking forward to seeing some of their progress.

 

[Treblot84]

These really aren't great pics, but this was the first flower we ever grew. It's from last year, and was grown late in the season and had some other mistakes made with it along the way, but it made it lol. The seeds that it produced are the ones we are using this year.

 

[Treblot84]

Can anyone tell me how long it typically takes before flower head formation starts? The internet isn't very consistent on the time frame. My oldest plants are one month old or maybe just over one month. Thank you!

 

[Treblot84]

Nevermind lol my gerden sunflower decided to answer my question for me today. Grow baby!

 

[Treblot84]

Hmm I think that my biggest potted sunflower may also be starting to form it's main flower head. Any tricks to getting the sunflower to grow more "extra" flowers? Also has anyone ever seen such a symetrical plant? I have looked and looked but cant find another sunflower pic where one is so evenly grown. Anywho, hope everyone is doing well, have a wonderful day!

P.S. PLEASE POST PICS PEOPLE

 

[Treblot84]

Well, at this point I am beginning to think that I may just be annoying everyone here with all our posts lol. The sun has finally been out strong for the last few days, and growth rates have noticeably improved, although nothing crazy lol. Hope everyone's plants are also doing well!

 

[Tjohn]

Doesn't seem like there are as many people currently interested in this competition this year, compared to the previous two years that I was looking at. I hope some people join up and start posting some pictures soon, I am really looking forward to seeing some of their progress.

There's not a lot to show, yet. Your flowers won't start forming for quite a while yet, but be patient, it will come. Most of my sunflowers don't get interesting until the end of August!

 

[Treblot84]

Thanks for the reply Tjohn! Most of my "full size" sunflowers are just as you said, not forming as of yet. However, one of our oldest ones are, its one of the ones I grew in my garden with all the other crops in an effort to attract more pollinators. Also, this year I decided to experiment in trying to see if we could get some sunflowers to grow in miniature sizes. I honestly didn't know if it would work, if they would survive, or of they would form flowers. They are now just over 2 months old, and to my suprise it actually did work 100%. I mentioned this in an earlier post, but realised it was hard to get a scope on their sizes without measurments. So, here they are. Should be starting to open over the next couple of weeks. All of our sunflowers are grown from the same seeds that came from one sunflower that we grew last year.

Miniatures' sizes: 7 inches and 3.5 inches. (From soil to top of flower head)

*First picture is a "full size" in garden that has started to form flower.

 

[Treblot84]

Here is another one of our self made "miniatures" that I completely forgot about. I transplanted it to the far corner of a neighbors garden a few weeks ago, and it seems to be going strong. It measures to be just under 11 inches tall from soil to flower head.

 

[Larisa]

This year we did not see snow in June, as last year. But ... Hot May, but the cold start of June. Then 2 weeks of heat and drought. Now hurricanes and downpours. But ... they grow! Although I am a "weekend gardener."

 

[zigs]

One of mine got bitten off by an angry bat but it's still growing