How NOT to Grow Giant Sunflowers

A few years ago, we grew a mammoth sunflower that my son has talked about ever since.  We had planted it in our raised vegetable bed so it had good sun, good soil, and a good water supply.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t so good for the vegetables that struggled to compete with it!

We have tried to grow giant sunflowers every year since in other areas of the yard that didn’t require sacrificing a zucchini plant or a tomato crop.  But perhaps due to the clay soil, more sporadic irrigation, or hungry birds or squirrels, we couldn’t even get the seeds to germinate. 

So this year, I gave up a corner of my raised vegetable bed to growing a giant sunflower again for my son.  The seeds germinated quickly and the seedlings happily grew . . . and then we went on vacation.  When we returned, the seedlings were so big that I was reluctant to thin them for fear of disturbing the roots of their siblings.  (That, and I’m a bit too soft-hearted to thin seedlings like I know I should.)  Giant sunflowers should be space 20-24” apart.  If they are planted too closely, the seed head will be smaller. 

Ultimately, instead of a giant sunflower, we have ended up with a crop of 5 very tall sunflowers with good-sized—but definitely not giant—seed heads.  Being contrary flowers, they prefer to face our sunnier neighbor’s yard than our own.  We didn’t get the mammoth sunflower that we were hoping for, but I have to admit, the cheery faces of the sunflowers that we do have more than make up for it.  Plus, I know my finches will be happy when the seeds ripen!  It was definitely worth worth skipping a few zucchini this year.

Giant sunflower. (photo by Erin Mahaney)

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