How to Grow Giant Sunflower Plants
If you grow sunflowers, you already know that there are sunflower plants,
and then there are Giant Sunflower plants. At some point, most sunflower
growers try their hand at giant sunflowers. Many of them, including this
author, get hooked on growing giant sunflowers. There is a fascination at
growing the tallest sunflower. There's an equal fascination at growing the
biggest, most gi-gundous sunflower bloom, or head.
If you have ever been to a county fair, state fair, or 4-H club competition,
chances are you've seen giant sunflowers. Fall
giant
pumpkin weighoffs often include a competition category for giant sunflower,
complete with monetary prizes for the tallest sunflower, and/or the biggest
flowerhead.
Just how big can a sunflower grow? Well, scroll down to the "World
Record Sunflowers below!
Varieties of Giant Sunflowers:
There number of varieties of giant sunflowers. Here are a few of them:
Mammoth - Perhaps the best known of the giant sunflower varieties.
Many believe it is also the best looking of the giant sunflowers. An enormous
head, more than a foot across, sits atop a 7-12 foot plant. Seeds are great
for roasting, too.
American Giant Hybrid - This variety produces very tall
plants. The head is not as big. The plant grows up to 16 feet. Blooms are
approximately 10 inches in diameter.
Skyscraper - Grows a very big flowerhead of 14 inches across
or more. The plant grows about 12 feet .
More on Sunflower Varieties
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World Record Giant Sunflowers:
Yup, they grow sunflowers pretty darn big. If you are out to beak the world
record, here is what you have to beat:
Tallest Sunflower: 25 ft. 5 1/2 inches tall, grown by M Heijms
in Oirschot, Netherlands in 1986.
Largest Flowerhead: 32 1/4 inches in diameter, It was grown by Emily
Martin in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada in 1983.
Most Flowers on a Single Plant: 837 flowers! Grown by Melvin Hemker
in Saint Charles, Mi. in 2001.
Note: The flowerhead diameter is measured from the outer tip of the
petal on one side, to the outer tip of the petal on the opposite side.
Days to Maturity: 75 to 90 days, or more
Propagation:
Giant sunflowers are grown from seed. They can be started indoors, or directly
seeded into the garden. If you start them indoors, do not let them get root
bound. Carefully transplant them into their summer home as soon as possible.
Final spacing of plants should be 2-3 feet apart. If you are growing
them to get them as big as possible, we recommend a full three feet, so the
plants do not shade each other.
How to Grow Giant Sunflower Plants:
Giant Sunflowers need to be grown in full sun. Soil conditions can vary,
from average a to rich soil. To produce optimum growth, the soil should be
very rich. The richer the soil, the better the plant growth. The soil should
also be well drained. Dig a hole two to three feet deep. Fill it with layers
of compost, regular garden soil, and manure. This will help to promote optimum
plant growth.
One of the important ingredients to fueling giant growth, is a regular supply
of fertilizer. Begin your fertilizer regimen with a high nitrogen formula.
If you are growing sunflowers for record height, continue the high nitrogen
formula all season long. For big blooms, switch to a high phosphorous formula,
as the plant nears its expected height and the flowerhead begins to form.
Give your plants a regular supply of water. Deeply water your plants, to
assure it gets to all of the roots. Do not allow the soil to dry out. And,
do not soak the soil.
Staking giant pumpkin plants is very important. These tall, heavy plants
are susceptible to falling over on windy days. The stake doesn't have to
be as tall as the plant. But, it should be several feet tall, and anchored
firmly into the ground.
Insect and Disease:
Sunflowers experience few insect and disease problems.
Ants may be frequent travellers up and down the stalk. They usually do no
do any serious damage to the plant.
Deer and rabbits will chew on small plants, especially the growing tip. Provide
protection against these pests.
More Information:
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More on How to Grow Sunflowers
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