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Original poster

Gardening Advice Please - How to make a Sunflower flower

17 replies

Easy · 11/08/2004 12:47

So we planted sunflower seeds. They have been fed and watered, and grown Magnificently. One is nearly 7 ft tall (needs a longer cane) the other a good 5 ft. The growth is lush, lots of leaves, very healthy, but no sign of flowers. ds now gets up every morning and throws open his curtains, desperate to see them flower.

Help !!

OP posts:
JanH · 11/08/2004 12:52

Is there a big bud thingy at the top?

batey · 11/08/2004 12:52

Our sunflowers havn't crowned yet either, have no tips on how to speed it up I'm afraid. They'll do it when they're ready. Sounds like yours'll be whoppers!

JanH · 11/08/2004 12:53

Or even a little one?

Original poster
Easy · 11/08/2004 12:54

No bud that I can see

OP posts:
JanH · 11/08/2004 12:57

batey sounds as if she knows what they do though - note that encouraging "yet"!!!

We grew 2 last year, Easy, not quite as big as yours, I can't remember when their bud thingies appeared but they did eventually and that was after being left in their pots before planting out for weeks and weeks (we went away at Easter and I forgot). Even so they did flower so yours must do too!

batey · 11/08/2004 13:04

We've grown sunflowers for years and have never had one that didn't flower, unlike daffodils, but that's another story! HTH.

Bagpuss30 · 11/08/2004 13:24

Ours have just started about 2 weeks ago. The biggest, a 7 footer like yours, is taking it's time and the smallest one went first. I am impressed that you have lots of leaves though, most of ours seem to have been eaten!

Original poster
Easy · 11/08/2004 16:35

our smaller one got eaten at first, which is why it's smaller I think. They are in big pots on the patio, and we moved it to stop it being eaten

OP posts:
Original poster
Easy · 12/08/2004 14:43

I've been on my garden tour. I swear they've grown 6 inches in the last 24 hours

OP posts:
Bagpuss30 · 12/08/2004 14:50

I was wrong too, my big one is in full flower and does actually have quite a lot of leaves but all above fence height. Maybe the insects have vertigo .

hana · 12/08/2004 14:53

one of ours (planted in May) is just beginning to flower...I was getting worried too! It's about 6 feet tall. DD is delighted!

broodybroody · 12/08/2004 15:32

easy, sunflowers like quite crap quite dry/welldrained soil. sounds to me like you've planted them in some good, enriched soil (did you manure them?) and so they are producing lush growth at the expense of flowers...
next year plant them in the bit of your garden where nothing much else will grow and they will flower away happily. or even just average soil you haven't fed or manured for a year or two.

Original poster
Easy · 18/08/2004 14:52

Just so you don't all worry (I know how you all care!) The shorter one appears to have a bud in it, Hoorray.

Can't tell with the taller one (now 8 foot), but have to keep it well watered, otherwise it gets top-heavy and blows over.

OP posts:
JanH · 18/08/2004 15:13

Thanks for the update, Easy. Did you manage to find a long enough cane to help the taller one stand up?

Original poster
Easy · 18/08/2004 15:18

Jan, we're now onto 3 ca\nes joined together with duck tape

OP posts:
shrub · 18/08/2004 16:03

can i ask i really silly question - can you use the sunflower seeds from the health food shops? and when do you plant them? i live in the country aswell

Original poster
Easy · 18/08/2004 19:07

Shrub, I don't see why you can't use those, I've grown ones out of packs of Hamster food before now. Plant them in March/April/May

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