The tallest sunflower ever grown has been recorded in the Guinness Book Of World Records, measuring at 30 feet and 1 inch. This giant sunflower was grown by gardener Hans-Peter Schiffer of Germany in 2015. Pastiche (1.2-2m): A mixture of evening sun shades – yellows, reds and buff, some with a bright yellow or a deep red disc. Widely available. Harvest the sunflower heads on a dry day, to prevent molding of the seeds. mammoth grey striped sunflower heads Removing From The Stem Mammoth sunflowers will generally take the entire summer to grow from seed to bloom. However this does not mean that the plant growth is slow. Place covers over germinating sunflower seeds and keep them protected until they are several inches tall at least. Options for protecting the seeds and seedlings include fine wire cloches, dollar store mesh waste baskets, or lightweight frost cloths.

Personally, I am very cautious with fertilizers because of the environmental repercussions, so do your homework first. I avoid synthetic fertilizers and choose organic, slow-release amendments with care.

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The Soraya sunflower is a unique variety with bright orange petals and a dark center. It reaches up to 6 feet in height, making it a reasonable branching option for container gardens, if you have enough clearance around the pot. The unique variety is actually an award-winning variety, the first sunflower, in fact, to win the All American Selections Award (in 2000) for its distinctive orange color. Sunflowers are pretty big compared to most flowers, but there’s one behemoth relative of the sunflowers we all know and love. Seeds can be harvested at any time, although often easier to harvest after the flower head is dried for several days. Chances are, what your neighbor is growing is a large sunflower cultivar. And chances are, the sunflower starter that you bought from the nursery is a compact ornamental variety that’s meant to grow in pots. The Kong Sunflower is a newer variety that’s perfect for the perimeter of the garden or along a fence line. This hybrid variety is easy to grow and is a great choice for new gardeners. Rather than producing only one flower at the top of the stalk, this variety grows branches, blooming up along the sides of the main stalk (which is covered in green foliage).

Some varieties need to be staked, especially in windy climates. Use a sturdy metal stake and tie the main sunflower stalk to the stake with twine at approximately 2-foot intervals.Sunflowers are hungry plants, and the giant hybrids will take even more nutrients out of the ground. Providing the right planting location and care for your mammoth sunflowers will result in best growth, blooming, and seed production. Growing Zones Regular watering will contribute to the growth of mammoth sunflowers, especially when they are first starting out. Sunflowers need protection at different stages of growth, but that’s especially true once you’ve just planted the seed. Mice, birds, slugs and other critters will be getting a delicious feast if you forget to cover your seeds, and you’ll be left wondering why none of your seeds germinated. You’re not the only one waiting for the sunflowers to ripen. They will still flower on slightly less sun but to give them the light they crave, even if you have to stake.

Tall sunflowers can be planted outdoors as seedlings, but this is disruptive to their developing roots. For the tallest sunflowers, direct seeding into outdoor soil is recommended instead of transplanting baby plants. If you want great height and huge flowers, a variety like Paul Bunyan is a good choice. It can produce flowers that are 18-24-inches in diameter and reach heights of 15-18 feet! Crazy. One very common annual species is the sunflower Helianthus annus, also known as the common sunflower. This species includes many different sunflower varieties, of many different sizes and shapes. The sunflowers were transplanted into the garden when the weather warmed up. They grew to be about 2 feet in height. Growing sunflowers is popular with home gardeners and beekeepers. There are many varieties of sunflowers to choose from. Some only get a few feet tall and can be harvested by machines. Others are ornamental and grown for bouquets.Sunzilla Sunflower plants can reach 16 feet tall in optimal growing conditions. The flowers grow to be about 12″ wide. Sunzilla Sunflower plants take about 90 days (3 months) to reach maturity after planting. 8. Kong sunflower Direct sow the seeds in spring after the last frost has passed or start indoors a few weeks beforehand. Plant Lemon Queen in full sun, with rich soil and moderate moisture. Topolino Sunflower Sunflowers need full sun; see 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day – the more the better if you are trying to grow them to their maximum potential. Choose a well-drained location, and prepare your soil by digging an area of about 2-3 feet in circumference to a depth of about 2 feet. Sunflowers are heavy feeders and deplete the soil more than many other crops – especially if you are growing them to reach a massive height so the nutrient supply must be replenished each season. The Topolino Sunflower is both a dwarf and branching sunflower variety, producing yellow blooms on stems that reach 16 inches in height. Each plant, when healthy, produces multiple flowers, and is hardy in either flower beds or containers. The plant reaches about 2 feet in height, maximum, with medium-sized blooms. Learn all about this variety, how to grow it, where to get high-quality seeds, and what makes it such a unique sunflower.

Ring of Fire (1.2m): Heavily branching, bicoloured blooms, with petals dark red at their base surrounded by golden-yellow flames. Widely available. Blooming close to the sun… Velvet Queen (1.5m): One of the best multi-branching sunflowers in my opinion. The darkest sunflower with freely flowering, branching plants with deep velvety crimson flowers with an even darker centre. Widely available. For tall sunflowers, be sure to plant the seeds in an area where the leaves of the growing sunflower plant will be in full sun. This means that the plant should receive a minimum of 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Sunlight is required for photosynthesis, which is how the plant is able to grow so tall. Don’t try to grow giant sunflowers in the shade!Though I don’t see the need to get competitive with my sunflowers, Renee’s Garden has some good harvesting advice, lay seeds out in a single layer to allow to dry completely before storing mammoth grey striped sunflower seeds Conclusion American Giant’ sunflower is a fast-grower that takes between 70 and 80 days to reach maturity. At its tallest, it can get to 16 feet, but the blooms stay relatively smaller compared to other large sunflower varieties (around 10 inches across)