Stillman Posted November 9, 2013 Nov 10th I think mine will head soon. Might make 2 metres. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted November 9, 2013 Change and Stillman both lookin good! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 10, 2013 I'm out slugs ate mine the very night I planted them out I'll just stick to me marigolds Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted November 18, 2013 Well this is me done 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 18, 2013 Lovely!! Like a sunflower-tree Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted November 19, 2013 I like to think of it as a happiness tree - last night one of my friends had had a really shit couple of days, so I clipped a sunflower off and and gave it to her. It's cool how many flowers there are on the one plant - especially if you do end up using some or all of them as cut flowers. One plant could brighten up to 15 separate days 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted November 19, 2013 Beautiful GT! What was the overall height? Here's the pictures of mine - and the weather has only just picked up here so I'm hoping there's a long way to go for them yet! First lot: Second lot planted 2 weeks later: 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted November 19, 2013 Nice. Not sure what the height of the multi-header is...probably somewhere between 5 and 6 feet high. The biggest one from the earlier pre-competition batch got to 225cm, so that's the biggest I've grown. Next year though I'm gonna get serious about finding some legit giant seed 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stillman Posted November 23, 2013 Back middle one just cracked 3 metres. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted November 23, 2013 ^ is there anything your not good at skillman?. You certainly have a green thumb. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 24, 2013 (edited) Is your multi header a special type Gman? Edited November 24, 2013 by Ceres Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted November 24, 2013 Yeah I'm not sure if it's a different species...my guess is it's probably just what they all looked like before they started selectively breeding them to grow as large single-flowered plants, but I could be wrong. Got a bucketload of seeds forming up on the plant if you're keen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted November 24, 2013 Back middle one just cracked 3 metres. Nice! They started heading yet? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 24, 2013 Got a bucketload of seeds forming up on the plant if you're keen. Keen! I planted a variety called "teddy bear" with some kids at a kindy once, which were meant to be multi-headers with heaps of mini flowers. I was gone before they flowered, but if I can track down some more seed I reckon a stand of your tall multi-head variety surrounded by the 'teddy bears' would look epic. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted November 24, 2013 Next one I want to get a hold of is 'Moulin Rouge' cultivar: 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 24, 2013 Well that's a nice coincidink cause I just bought some moulin rouge seeds the other day. Happy to swap ya some if you haven't got ya seeds already. I wonder if its too late to be starting some for this year, blooms in late summer/ early autumn? Never been very interested in flowers, but they do add a certain sparkle to the garden. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted November 24, 2013 Yeah if you have some spare that could be cool. I'm not massively into flowers or ornamentals/non-usefuls at all really (although I guess sunflowers are also a food plant and can be used to remove lead from soil). But that aside I think sunflowers are just so easy to grow that it's not really a massive investment, and they do tend to put a smile on people's dials which is important too IMO 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 24, 2013 As reasons to smile are sometimes hard to come by, there is a lot of sense in planting smiles 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted November 24, 2013 Wow - spectacular work. I see you have a bamboo lattice, I've lost 2 to wind so far because they snapped off near the base. All bamboo'd up now but I think I'll add some cross members like yours. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stillman Posted November 24, 2013 No heads yet Gtarman, I'm thinking they might go long. Dunno how I am going to trellis them after the next segment? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted November 24, 2013 Wow, maroon sunflowers. Never seen those before. I need a proper garden again. No growing giant anything for me until then... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted December 1, 2013 Just took most of the seed heads off the multi-header. Probably earlier than I should have for some but the plant was done and I needed the space in the garden bed for veggies. Either way, I'll still have plenty of seeds if anyone is keen so just PM me. There was some kind of strange insect crawling all over the seed heads though and mating - kinda like a cross between a fly and a mosquito. So I'm not sure if the seeds may have some kind of bug-problem? Anyone know what kind of bugs they'd be? These are the seed heads anyway... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stillman Posted December 4, 2013 4th of December. These will be 60 days since germination on Friday. I have been told by the Victorian record holder they will grow for almost 100 days. So far the tallest one is 3 metres he recons I might be in a chance with a record, so I have gone into a gardening frenzy ... I must grow these plants stupidly tall lol . I have built this dangerous bamboo trellis much to the disgust of my neighbour but I think its quiet charming and just top dressed the bed with mushroom compost and rooster booster, every second day I am foliar fertilising. Will keep you posted 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhoenixSon Posted December 4, 2013 precariously perched there! good luck 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted December 4, 2013 Nice one man. Although I think the growing period may be slightly different down in Vic than up here. My experience has been that once they form heads they only have another foot or so in them, maybe 2 or 3 if you really pump them full of nutes. I think the humidity up here might make them want to bolt to seed a bit. Will watch this space though, hopefully I'm wrong Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
