# Anybody got one of these



## Andy Thurston (26 May 2014)

I've just repotted this and was wondering if anyone else has one?


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## tam (26 May 2014)

I'm going to guess sunflower?


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## Andy Thurston (26 May 2014)

Your right has anyone got one?


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## tam (26 May 2014)

I don't yet, but you've just reminded me I've got some seeds in a drawer somewhere so give it a week or so...


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## Andy Thurston (26 May 2014)

I started mine a bit later last year and it only grew to about 3 feet tall. Does anyone know how to make them grow really tall? Well at least 6 foot 
This year my youngest daughter, 18months, brought it home from nursery so i've been watering it with water from my ei dosed high tech


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## Greenfinger2 (26 May 2014)

Hi Big Clown, Well rotted Horse manure and lots of itIt will grow better& taller. Planted in the ground in full sun


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## tam (26 May 2014)

Some of it's down to the variety - 'Russian Giant' is one of the big ones (10' +)  but others only grow 3-6' naturally. Sorry to be the barer of bad news but that doesn't look like it's going to be a whopper - it's really skinny - they should be stocky enough to support themselves at that height. Not to late to start more now though. They do best in the ground, with manure dug in first. I've heard planting them on the north side of a wall/fence helps height wise as they grow up looking for the light. Not too shady though or they end up weedy.


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## Andy Thurston (26 May 2014)

Cheers Roy
I cant plant it in the ground unless i take it to grandma's but theres plenty stables round here [DOUBLEPOST=1401116365][/DOUBLEPOST]& tam


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## three-fingers (26 May 2014)

I've got some too this year, in the ground for the first time. I started one off inside early and planted out to see if it does better or not, and have another 5-6 seeds that have sprouted from the ground.


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## Andy Thurston (26 May 2014)

I think I'm going to have to plan it better next year. And plant loads to see if we can get a big one


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## Greenfinger2 (26 May 2014)

Big clown said:


> I think I'm going to have to plan it better next year. And plant loads to see if we can get a big one



Its still not to late to start another one or three  In will grow lots in four months


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## Wallace (26 May 2014)

I haven't grown sunflowers since I was about 10. They grew to be 14ft and had to be tied to the house. My dad did his best to keep them straight, but they eventually came down. 

Upset isn't the word, I think I must of cried for about a week lol


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## Greenfinger2 (26 May 2014)

Wallace said:


> I haven't grown sunflowers since I was about 10. They grew to be 14ft and had to be tied to the house. My dad did his best to keep them straight, but they eventually came down.
> 
> Upset isn't the word, I think I must of cried for about a week lol
> 
> ...


 About time time you went back to your childhood And grow some more  Thinking about it we could all start one And have a comp to see who can grow the tallest one  Anyone up for it


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## Andy Thurston (26 May 2014)

Yes but i don't think my weedy specimen will win, i think three-fingers will sneak a whopper in


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## Greenfinger2 (26 May 2014)

Hi Big Clown, LOL Plant another one next to the thin one  We could call the Thread 123 Grow "Sunflower"  I am going to planting one over the allotment tomorrow with the Grandson


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## Andy Thurston (26 May 2014)

I'll have to get a bulk bag of topsoil delivered and grow them in that next to the car  i might just about be able squeeze 4 in. 1 for me and 1each for the kids


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## Greenfinger2 (26 May 2014)

LOL Let go for it  I will post some pics soon


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## three-fingers (26 May 2014)

Will post pics of mine when I'm next in the garden .


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## Greenfinger2 (29 May 2014)

Hi Big Clown, Have not planted the seeds yet it has not stopped raining  But here's a pic of the Grandsons sunflower 2013 it got to about 10ft or so One pic


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## Andy Thurston (29 May 2014)

Thats awsome. Mines not even as tall as your grandson and its starting to flower so i dont think it will get much bigger


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## Andy Thurston (29 May 2014)




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## Greenfinger2 (30 May 2014)

Hi Big clown, As you said i don't  think it will get very much taller 
One thing the Plastic thing holding the sunflower to the stick  it will damage the stem of the plant  Use soft cotton or string it much kinder to the stem


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## three-fingers (2 Jun 2014)

Most of my sprouts have been eaten by slugs haha, so havent posted pics yet. Going to start some more new ones off inside though.


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## Andy Thurston (2 Jun 2014)

Bleedy slugs
I've got to go buy some more seeds before i can plant some more, i've lost the ones from last year in a cupboard somwhere and i'll be lucky if that one gets to 2 feet tall
Its a bummer living in a rented house with a carpark out front and a patio&gravel out back. The only plants i have are that sunflower on the patio and my three fishtanks[DOUBLEPOST=1401727720][/DOUBLEPOST]





Greenfinger2 said:


> Hi Big clown, As you said i don't  think it will get very much taller
> One thing the Plastic thing holding the sunflower to the stick  it will damage the stem of the plant  Use soft cotton or string it much kinder to the stem


It was the OH that put those on. Last year i used cable ties, in pairs so I didn't crush the stem. 
Which reminds me, i need to buy some cotton to tie some moss on.


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## parotet (2 Jun 2014)

The proper variety is important IMO, otherwise you just have normal heigh plants. I have good results planting them near the manure pile but no need. Here in Spain they grow like weeds, they are actually planted in very bad soils, just need sun, sun and more sun. Probably too much water (or British rain ) will produce a weak plant, we don't give them too much water and here's quite hot...

Jordi


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## aliclarke86 (3 Jun 2014)

Dog snapped mine yesterday so got some new seeds in 

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## Greenfinger2 (3 Jun 2014)

aliclarke86 said:


> Dog snapped mine yesterday so got some new seeds in
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


 Hi Ali, Bad doggy


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## Andy Thurston (3 Jun 2014)

I've just put another 3 seeds in my pot lets hope one grows bigger than the one thats already growing


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## three-fingers (11 Jun 2014)

The one I started off indoors is doing OK, even if the aphids seem to love the taste of it! Just ordered some ladybird larvae to sort that though . The pics next to a 640ml for scale.
Slugs have eaten all the ones I started in the ground so I've started a more couple off in a pot on the windowsill too.








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## Andy Thurston (14 Jun 2014)

My weedy specimen seems to be growing a couple more flowers, perhaps my daughters nursery bought a mixed pack of seeds from b&q 


 


 
I'll get some better pics when it grows a bit more
And in the pot


 
3 new sunflowers and those plastic thingys have damaged the stem but it does seem to repair itself though


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## Greenfinger2 (14 Jun 2014)

Hi Great that things are coming along I planted 4 seeds they had just started to grow then the slugs got them  So i will replant and get some slug pellets 
Said the plastic ties would damage the stem It will heel itself but it takes a lot of the plants energy to do so That it could be using to grow taller


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## Andy Thurston (14 Jun 2014)

I think the damage was already done i've loosened the ties and am going to hold the others up with thread or cable ties like last year


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## three-fingers (14 Jun 2014)

Nice one getting flowers already Bigclown, you'll get tasty sunflower seeds before me! Or just leave them for the birds.

Greenfinger2, maybe try beer traps, nematodes, copper tape or woollen slug pellets for the slugs?  Slug pellets are a real pet hate of mine, I especially hate the ones branded as "organic" as after doing some research on them I came to the conclusion they are just as dangerous as the other ones when it comes to hedgehogs, frogs and birds. Not to mention the potential negative affect on the soil microbes (which are overlooked by most gardener a, but are just as important as they are our fish tanks IMO)

My neighbour uses loooads of them around his lettuce and I really feel sorry for my local thrush population .


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## Greenfinger2 (15 Jun 2014)

three-fingers said:


> Nice one getting flowers already Bigclown, you'll get tasty sunflower seeds before me! Or just leave them for the birds.
> 
> Greenfinger2, maybe try beer traps, nematodes, copper tape or woollen slug pellets for the slugs?  Slug pellets are a real pet hate of mine, I especially hate the ones branded as "organic" as after doing some research on them I came to the conclusion they are just as dangerous as the other ones when it comes to hedgehogs, frogs and birds. Not to mention the potential negative affect on the soil microbes (which are overlooked by most gardener a, but are just as important as they are our fish tanks IMO)
> 
> ...


Hi Three fingers , You made me feel real bad now  I have tried the other methods but they are not that great at killing slugs and snails .Nematodes are not allowed on the Allotment ?? plus the cost  But i will have a rethink about using the pellets  Well our small birds do need help and they are good for the garden with all the bugs they eat


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## Edvet (15 Jun 2014)

crushed eggshells?


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## Andy Thurston (21 Jun 2014)

Better pics of new flowers


 



 



 
Three in the pot doing nicely


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## Andy Thurston (30 Jun 2014)

We have a fully open flower and 3more on the first plant


 





 
My 3 giant variety seem to be doing ok


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## aliclarke86 (30 Jun 2014)

Time for a new camera Andy 

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## Andy Thurston (30 Jun 2014)

aliclarke86 said:


> Time for a new camera Andy
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


 I keep telling the OH this, perhaps i should spill a brew on the other one Theres no way i can afford a dslr though.
Perhaps i should just have a bash with the compact i've got.


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## Andy Thurston (30 Jun 2014)

Or i can clean my phone


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## aliclarke86 (30 Jun 2014)

Haha what a difference a wipe makes

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## three-fingers (15 Jul 2014)

Just a wee update, I planted the second of the two I started off later on the windowsill in the ground today. The biggest and oldest one is doing well, still developing a big flower bud and growing upwards. The other one of the two I started on the windowsill I put in the ground earlier, and it's doing well too, but is being a bit buffeted by the wind and needs some support! 

640ml bottle as scale:












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## Andy Thurston (15 Jul 2014)

My 2 and a half year old black lab snapped my flowering one  but i've got three more little ones in the pot.  i might get some soil and repot them now the other  one is dead


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## three-fingers (17 Jul 2014)

Sorry to hear about the flowering one! The others will soon catch up though , especially if you get new soil. 


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## Andy Thurston (17 Jul 2014)

Perhaps dead is a bit strong but certainly not healthy


 
And the 3 little ones catching up quickly and standing unaided, for the moment


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## Greenfinger2 (17 Jul 2014)

Not looking good  Better than mine there dead again  I will keep trying though


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## Andy Thurston (20 Jul 2014)

I should have probably left this a bit longer theres lots of very pale soft seeds but we can see if they'll grow next year


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## Greenfinger2 (20 Jul 2014)

Hi Big Clown, Put them in a paper bag rap it up and keep them in a tin and keep in a cool place  They should grow next year


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## Andy Thurston (22 Aug 2014)

Doggy damage


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## three-fingers (26 Oct 2014)

Should have posted this much earlier! Heres my biggest one on the 29th August - now its full of ripening seeds .

Next year will be taller!






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