Allotments 4 All
The Show => Sunflowers => Topic started by: kenkew on January 21, 2007, 21:23:49
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Anyone not too embarrassed to have a try either first time round or some of you past contenders? Wer'e talking about the tallest stalk, ground to flower. (And why not a second comp. for the largest flower head?)
Basic rules:
No fixed 'sow-by' date.
Start when and where you wish, inside or out.
No restriction on how you grow or what you use to make 'em bigger!
Just one rule to be decided...
When to say stop!
This has to be within a 7 day period to give people a chance to post a pic.
What say you?
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Souds fine by me but after the cross pollination problem a couple of years ago I haven't topped twelve foot!
::)
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Yeah! I know, Saddad. Sad in'it? Last year my 27 footer developed mid stem soft bug laceration suckitout weevel infestation and fell over right on top of my exhibition cabbage patch.
That's two of us then destined to have another go at failing....any more?
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I had a magnificent specimen last year. Wonder if I can acquire the same seeds again, please. Strange, the flowere is still in the garden, uneaten by the birds. ;) ;)
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Carol; Is that a yes?
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Can my children enter? Sunflowers are just about the only thing my daughters want to grow!
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mine were pitiful last year - had to sow a second time and really left it a bit late. I'll have another go this year.
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Of course they can Laura, did I drop some seeds in your lucky bag?
???
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Of course they can Laura, did I drop some seeds in your lucky bag?
???
You did ;D
Eleanor was pleased!
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My first go at sunflowers last year wasnt anywhere near good enough for a competition. 9FT was about it. Any chances of a few tips to try to gain some extra height?
cj :)
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I'm up for it .......now where can i get some 30ft canes ::)
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Tape normal length canes together. More to the point, how are you going to tie them to the stem 30 feet up?
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I'd give you some of my canes but I'm not cutting mine in half...! ;D
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Redbull it gives you wings Robert ;D ;D
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My first go at sunflowers last year wasnt anywhere near good enough for a competition. 9FT was about it. Any chances of a few tips to try to gain some extra height?
cj :)
Suprising how many different methods people employ to get biggies.
A couple of suggestions here which will certainly help.
Select what will be a sunny position Last week of March turn an area 2ft square to a depth of 1/2 spade depth ( for each flower you intend to grow. Remove anything that's not going to help your plant, like weeds, bits of decayed plant and rubbish. A few small stones are OK.
Early April sow 3 seeds 2" apart. These will be reduced to one as you select the strongest one.) When you're down to just one plant, stake it and do a weekly feed of liquid fertiliser (Not manure) a couple of inches round the stem. Don't splash the stem with it.
I've known people who place drainpipe around the stem to encourage the plant to 'shhot fo the stars'...it doesn't work!
If you want to start indoors, fine, but it's not going to give you an advantage other than being able to sow many more seeds and so give you a greater choice of the best. Sowing indoors needn't be done until end March as any sooner and your plants will not only end up pot bound but if kept indoors too long, like waiting for the frost to end, then you'll end up with straggly plants.
( Colder areas prone to late frosts then seeds would be better started off indoors or outdoors in a home-made 'right size' coldframe -with lid-. Needs to have daily attention to weather!)
Indoor sowing is best in peat or paper pots. Paper pots are easy to make. Both mean that the seedling isn't disturbed when it comes to planting out.
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Yeah! I know, Saddad. Sad in'it? Last year my 27 footer developed mid stem soft bug laceration suckitout weevel infestation and fell over right on top of my exhibition cabbage patch.
That's two of us then destined to have another go at failing....any more?
27 foot!!!!!
WOW!
Don't think i'll even t ry to beat thet one!!!
Louise
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Don't panic, I'm only kidding.
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OK. kenkew If at first I don't succeed I will try, try and try again ;D
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My 8 year old son is growing his first ever sunflower this year, so we'll enter. :)
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i will look forward to the challenge of who can grow the tallest!!!
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Sounds like a great idea - i'm gonna get mine going this weekend - by the way, how are you intending to measure the height of the sunflowers - and whats the record?
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I'll be having a go, though I don't rate my chances against the more experienced lottie peeps here.
Let the games begin! :)
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Girls will be having their usual sunflower grow so we'll see how they do. Last year our prize specimen, which reached about 9 ft (i know, not that impressive, but brill for us) was source of daily joy until one night I heard a small thud outside bedroom window (ground floor flat). Thought 'what's that' but didn't bother investigating. Maybe if I had I would have caught the slug/snail who had crawled all the way up to just under the flower and chewed through the stem.
In the morning when girls rushed out to check, eldest found that her best ever sunflower was just a very tall stalk!! :'( :'( :'(
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We will give it a go and I know that Bunjy has got the kiddies some sunflower seeds so I will put her name down too
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I'm in he way - started mine yesterday in the greenhouse...whats the record?
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Well this looks interesting,I have never grown a sunflower seed in my life, closest I got was when someone gave me a couple of plants and I just stuck them in the ground,,they grew tall but not anything like any of yours!! So I am real novice at this.... but tempted,so where do I buy these seeds from please? I presume it really matters what type you use..can someone advise a real dunce? Thank you Jeannine
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Count me in - though I might be at a disadvantage if we have any strong breezes, as I don't have any pylons nearby for supports (sigh!).
;D
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Who won last years, anyone know? ;)
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Me i reckon ;D ;D ;D
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How about a side competition for the most flowers on a multi-headed sunflower? Not necessarily of the giant type. There are quite a few smaller sized multi-headed varieties.
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How about a side competition for the most flowers on a multi-headed sunflower?
Now that's interesting. I had loads of side flowers on mine last year, so I could be in with a chance on that one ;D
cj :)
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That was discussed 2 years ago, and why not? It's not everyone who's into the giants and a border filled with a mass of smaller headed ones is a real sight.
If there's 2 or more interested in doing it; well, we have 2 competitions.
One is 'heads' the other is 'height'.
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Count me in ;D
cj :)
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I shall hopefully be growing some of each, (actually sown 2 days ago)so count me in for both please.
Russian Giant (seed bought in Netto), and Italian White (from AlanRomans).
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Ok.
If I say my kids would love to join in, does that mean I can blame them if it all goes wrong! ;)
Count us in!
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'Cors you can....in fact that's the best excuse ever!... :D
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Ok.
If I say my kids would love to join in, does that mean I can blame them if it all goes wrong! ;)
Count us in!
me too!
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Count us in, we have a packet of Giant Yellow sown into 3" pots, just poked through the soil yesterday :)
Dad and Dominic
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;D Count me in 2 lol i love to grow sunflowers
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Well I am a bit late, but I would like to join too,haven't got a clue though XX Jeannine
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Can I enter Grandson Joshua's efforts please?
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only ever grown sunflowers with plants that the kids have sown at school. Decided that I was going to give it a go this year. Sown two a week ago and they are already 4 inches high.
Knowing my luck that is as far as they will go. Lol
Don't think I will ever get anywhere near the height some of you will get.
But will give it a go!
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Gary are they the fable MRS Kirk's sunflowers from Normanton Juniors... ours got accidentally out crossed with some cutting ones!
(My lads are both now at Derby Moor)
:-\
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They were from Normanton juniors but I don't know the teachers name.
My two are now at Merrill college.
I also get some bought back from the scout hut on Coleridge street as my partner Shirl is Beaver leader and they plant them every year.
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ok I'll give it a go
mite be first time lucky
;D ;D ;D
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Hello
Count me in with my "Bird Seed Special"
I am up for a laugh.
Cheers
Brogusblue
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Got mine in too ;D
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I've got two growing @ the moment. Dad and I had a competition with each other last year & Dad managed to win.
this year we're growing Titan
CC
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Count me in too!
My son started one at nursery last year and was so proud of it he never shut about it. (The MRS said - He sounds just like you and them bloody chilli plants!!)
(http://images.fotopic.net/ynjp8l.jpg)
BTW - My son is 4 years old but is seven foot tall therefore a rough guide is the flower is 21 foot tall!
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I had to read that twice ;D
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Well I know nowt about sunflowers. But thats the same for all my plants, and most of the others have come up :) My friends and I are having a competition with the old Giant Yellow, but I have to agree that I prefer the smaller ones and have some lovely looking red ones just in :) Can't wait to see if they grow!!
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Mine are still looking a bit sad. Doubt there's a winner among them. Never mind, I like 'em anyway.
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Well mine only got sown last week XX Jeannine
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these are the evening sun netto special, 19p per packet of seed, there were twice as many but we got slugged !! :)
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cor am I behind, first lot went in 2 weeks ago............mice ate them, >:( so 2nd sowing a couple of days ago, if these dont come up thats it I am out as have now run out of seed! :-\
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Mine are about Manic's size....but guess what....I'm about to intoduce my magic formula.......LOOK OUT....! :o
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but I haven't put the piccies of the giant ones on yet, kk
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I'm saying nowt.......yet!