Topic: Help! Anyone else with a sunflower addiction!

[calamityjayneuk]

I grew some sunflowers last year for cutting for the house and now I am hooked. Last year I grew 'oranges and lemons' and 'pastiche' and I loved them all. This year I have ordered 'red velvet queen', 'music box' and 'vanilla ice' - and I'm unnaturally excited.

What's everyone's favourites? particularly interested in ones that will cut well for vases.

Jayne

[betula]

I have never grown them.I had a friend who used to lay the heads on top of the hedge to feed the birds.I love the different names you were telling us about.Hope you post some photos of them later in the year :)

[Jeannine]

Mmm, there is something cooking in me because I have bought a lot of varieties from here and the US and I don't do flowers,  but I am starting to get interested in them?

XX Jeannine

[manicscousers]

we have giant yellow ones,also,I bought a 19p packet from netto last year and have kept seed, they were autumn something, lovely shades of reds and golds, browns and yellows..can't remember the exact name but they were really pretty, oh, and of course, the self seeded ones springing up everywhere  ;D

[markfield rover]

 I have even bought an extra large vase this year . Velvet Queen like you and Starburst Dandy,multi headed,double and pollen free.

[froglets]

I'll be waiting to see what pops up where.  I had lot sof different varieties a few years ago and with cross pollination and mice & squirrels stashing seeds in pots and all over the garden, I get surprise sunflowers every year now.   :)

[Pickle]

Hi folks  ;)
               I start giant single for the local primary school aprox 30 plants for them to grow on in their bit of a garden, largest last year was 18ft with a flower as large as a dinner plate. This has got me hooked , :P

 This year along side the singles I am going to try Velvet Queen which are a crimson colour . 8)
 
Will save seeds for next spring if they do ok might have enough for swap shop.

 Pickle ;D

[GrannieAnnie]

The tall ones are worth growing just for the amazement of seeing an annual develop a trunk the size of your wrist in only a few months.  The grandkids liked having to climb a step ladder to measure them. Planted near a fence so strings could keep them from flopping.

One year some sunflower seeds picked out of the bird feed and purposely planted grew into a bushy multi-stemmed happy yellow plant.

Grew variety "Chianti", a burgundy one last year, a shorter variety but the flowers bent down and were so dark they weren't very noticeable so won't do that one again.

[manicscousers]

some of mine from 07  ;D

[Deb P]

Grew two types down the plot last year, they were stars as they continued to flower really well until late October. Plan to grow more sorts this year, I saved some seeds of the best colours, it will be interesting to see what comes up. Here are a couple of mine from last year...

[manicscousers]

the top one's a lovely colour, Deb.. ;D

[Deb P]

Yes, here's hoping it comes true from seed.....worth a go! ;D

[Angelah]

We tried growing some giant ones for a competition at the preschool, but every single one got eaten by slugs almost immediately. We gave up after the 4th lot were planted out and eaten. We're going to try again this year - any tips to keep the slugs away would be fab - though we tried most things last year! Most effective things were the slug pellets, but we now have a dog so they are a no no (I know there are some that are sposed to be safer now, but having known a dog that had to be put down because of slug pellets I'm not going to chance them).

[manicscousers]

one of the ways was to grow them quite big, cut the top and bottom off a 2 litre pop bottle, cut down the side, slip around the plant..we got many more with this method than any other  :)

[Teena]

 :) I bought the Netto ones last year  ''Evening Sun'' variety and got asked by lots of others what they were. BUT I didn't have a camera then.
They were lovely and seemed to go on for ages - only about 4ft high with lots of heads and i'd put them between the runner bean rows so they looked good too poking out. I bought five packets this year and had to buy more as fellow gardeners keep asking for them. should look good this year.
Teena

[kenkew]

Missed out on anything out of the norm over the last few years....but as a past A4A winner I'm hooked and have a go every year any way.
 This year I've had to buy new seed.....we'll see how I fair!..... :P
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[calamityjayneuk]

Looked in my seed box today and found another 3 packets of sunflower seeds! Can't resist planting some of each, so it looks like I will end up with lots and lots. Maybe we should start a sunflower pass the parcel - anyone interested?

bit worried about you Jeannie - if you get as hooked on sunflowers as you are on squash you will need another plot!  ;)

[GrannieAnnie]

one of the ways was to grow them quite big, cut the top and bottom off a 2 litre pop bottle, cut down the side, slip around the plant..we got many more with this method than any other  :)

what is the purpose of the bottle? do you fill it with soil to grow roots higher up the stem?
I don't know why they'd grow bigger otherwise ???

[Jeannine]

Oh eck,don't say that Calamity, I have a big packet of mixed ?? I think I mixed them,so they could be anything.I will plant them all in Jiffys this week and see when they grow. I do have some other names ones though.

XX Jeannine

[manicscousers]

one of the ways was to grow them quite big, cut the top and bottom off a 2 litre pop bottle, cut down the side, slip around the plant..we got many more with this method than any other  :)

what is the purpose of the bottle? do you fill it with soil to grow roots higher up the stem?
I don't know why they'd grow bigger otherwise ???

it helps keep the slugs off, if you've the inclination, cut it with pinking shears on the top..it's supposed to be even better  ;D
we have voracious slugs here  ;D