A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 My own sunflower cultivar!

This is really amazing me. Last year, I planted some dwarf sunflowers (18-24", single large flower) and some of those tall, branchy types with the smaller flowers. I saved the seeds and thought it would be neat to have dwarfs lining my vegie garden. Well, I guess all those warnings about things not coming true from seed are right! These are not at all what I expected, and they're kinda tall for the edge of the garden, but they're gorgeous! This is one plant, about 5 1/2 feet tall. It has 14 open flowers today. It had one large flower to start with, and the rest are on the smaller side, but not real branchy like the originals-yet so full!I wish I had planted these seeds along the fence, where I'm not having much luck with my "Mammoths".

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It seems like the best plants come about by accident-like the pumpkin that the birds planted-not only do I have a pumpkin, it's already orange! How long can I leave it on the vine? Is this normal? I thought they didn't turn until fall? Like I said...the best stuff is the stuff I don't plant

WOw rozy that's really pretty! Very full looking and great color to them too Wonder what you'll get outta these seeds! It'll be interesting to see what comes from them!

Wow I had no idea some sun flowers grew like that. It's like a flowering bush of sunflowers. It is way cool. I guess it is way to big to transplant in the area where you would like to have it.

It's so pretty though it makes me think I want one but i'm not allowed to have any bushes.

But Tammy-It's NOT a bush. It's an annual-you're allowed to have annuals, right?
As I'm running low on these seeds, next year I might try to cross-breed some more-see if I can get it to work again-hey-I might be onto something here.....

rozy221- those are beautiful.

Now wouldn't that be too cool. What would you name it?

um I don't think my landlord is scientific. I think if it looked like a bush just for one day I'd be in trouble. And I don't want to lose my gardening privilages.

Hope it breeds true for you.

Ummmmmmmmm, I got one just like it,
haven't had my flowers come to a head
but I've got the same thing..
*last year toooooooooo*

I know how mine got that way,
BOTH TIMES...
The deer nipped them early in the season...
and all those side heads form....

*and I have nooooooo camera either..
*We had one on order, but hubby just canceled it
cause our cars had to get some work done...*

Anyhow, was yours damaged in the beginning by anything, tipped over, bent, nipped, etc.????

Nope, I don't think they sustained any damage. They really seem to be a cross between the dwarfs with the bushy foliage and large single flower, and the other ones with several smaller flowers and about the same height. Interesting-I wonder what I'll get from the seeds of the original branchy one-I only wanted little ones, so I didn't try the branchy-type seeds this year.

PS Weezie-thanks for letting me know that I don't have to cross breed my own seeds to have these plants-that makes things a lot easier!

Rozy,
Anytime a main stem gets injured or something...
It will then stop growing up and side branches
will take over...
Their main mission is to make seeds, any way
they can!!!!!

I am going to cry. Sunflowers are my favorite and this is the first year that I have none. OH, I planted them but something clipped them all off. It was to late to plant more. I could of cried. Dh told me to get some from a nursery, do you know that I went to 6 nurseries and none ever sell sunflower seedlings.
Keep those pictures of your sunflowers coming, I need them.

I've posted this photo before but I thought I'd share it again. This is one of many sunflowers I have growing but this one is a little odd.