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Wixom MI.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=315864

Awesome sunflower SaladDoughow tall is it now and now that you are past the roof how do you plan to tie it to your post ???

6/21/2020 4:37:41 PM

Grittyville, WA

Absolutely incredible... Congrats...

6/22/2020 3:20:39 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

That is some sunflower. There is so much wind here off and on that I could never keep a thing like that up. If the sunflower plant was horizontal on the ground would it still count? lol. Great job Doug. Building the support structure and the plastic protection was fantastic by itself, let alone the very very tall sunflower plant. What will the flower look like? Small? Big? How do you plan on supporting the flower?

6/22/2020 11:12:06 AM

Central NY

Holy crap that’s cool

6/22/2020 1:00:45 PM

On a cliff in the desert

How tall is it? What seed did you grow it from? My wife shook her head when I showed it to her.

6/22/2020 1:26:00 PM

Norfolk, UK

Thanks folks! :D

I *may* have gone overboard when the 4 year old said he wanted to grow a giant sunflower...

It's 16 ft + now, it looks slightly larger as - well, it's basically in a pot - a small raised bed by the side of the house, with no action access to the underlying soil - but that gives it a couple of feet straight off the bat.

It's grown off the 26 ft Butler, an early, experimental sowing this year to test the waters out. Early season meant extra protection needed - hence the frame.

Support is a real tricky one - short answer is i don't really know yet! It's the first time I've attempted to grow a giant sunflower with good genetics and any degree of care.

I don't think it's a small head variety - so it's going to be heavy up there. I have a variety of mad cap ideas to help support it, but it depends on quite how high it intends to go.

Ideas include a wooden post with a string and pulley system to hook around the head of the flower, or even hiring a mobile scaffold rig for a few days to build something better at a good working height.

Nothing get to grip on for a flower head and a scaffold rig to hire (even briefly) is expensive, so i could only do it once. Have to be done when it's done growing.

If all else fails, I'll tie it in for as long as i feel i can and feel safe on a ladder, and then after that, it's on it's own, at least for a while!

I shall endeavour to take a rather more flattering picture of it next time, vs the end of a windy day, in the shade with a bunch of stuff in front of it! :)

6/22/2020 3:34:59 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

That is awesome.
I bet the stalk looks like a tree.

6/22/2020 7:30:31 PM

Norfolk, UK

A sunflower update for all you closet sunflower enthusiasts! I aimed to take a better pic this time, with less stuff in the way :)

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=316511

7/3/2020 5:50:25 PM

Grittyville, WA

Very happy for you. Those were some good seeds I think! Incredible... Making the story about jack-and-the-beanstalk seem very plausible. Good memories for your kid hopefully!!!

7/3/2020 6:55:05 PM

Wixom MI.

Looking good doug i hope you make 20 feet. I started my seeds june 1 and they are already 4 feet tall.

7/3/2020 9:43:02 PM