Apparently I have somehow managed to grow the world’s largest sunflowers, as they are all about 12′ tall and some are closer to 15-16′.
I’m gonna need to borrow a wood chipper to compost the damned things:
That’s the stem at about 4′, not even the base which is bigger. Here are the midgets at only 12′:
Ridiculous.
Bard the Grim
John, you put the
willowsunflowers too close to the house.laura
Still awaiting photos of your bird beard….
And your sunflowers look exceedingly cheery.
Cheryl Rofer
Well done, John!
MazeDancer
Giant sunflowers are wonderful. Especially how they follow the sun.
Last year, had a bumper crop and could really see the sun tracking in action. They would face sunrise, go with the flow at noon, and end the day looking West.
Mine were a mere 8-10 feet, but still inspiring.
Jackie
Years ago a solitary sunflower planted by a bird? took off and grew taller than our 2-story house! The diameter of the head was a good three feet. Someone spotted it and the local newspaper published a photo of it. It made a ridiculous amount of sunflower seeds lol
Al Z.
Triffids!
catclub
what could go wrong?
chopper
@catclub:
i eagerly await cole’s update. “sorry, it took a long time to type this out with only one arm…”
raven
Years ago I flew into Fargo and drove to Ottertail Lake. The sunflower fields were insane!
Anonymous At Work
@catclub: I give that plan half-a-thumb up, the top rating possible!
@John, do you see why biofuels are possible with weeds like that? Imagine, all of Iowa covered in weeds, blowing their seeds out into the air…
(This trolling is not a paid submission from any company, just my post-coffee sarcasm)
SFAW
I’ve heard about plants being “leggy,” but I think your sunflowers are beyond that.
Fortunately, they’re not Tnuctip sunflowers (I hope)
wv blondie
I don’t know about your county, but here in the Eastern Panhandle our county fair has a contest for the tallest sunflower. You should enter! You’ve obviously got a talent for it.
joel hanes
Some largeish finch thinks of that photo as food porn.
When the seeds are ripe, watch for grosbeaks and cardinals.
Maybe your house finches, though I think they like smaller seeds.
SFAW
@raven:
Them’re a lot of sunflowers
Sab
Nice looking shed.
stardus614
Humble brag. Kudos.
joel hanes
@SFAW:
not Tnuctip sunflowers (I hope)
Petals not reflective silver.
Also, Thurston not converted to a pile of ash.
joel hanes
@Al Z.:
Triffids
That book scared the shit out of me when I was 12.
jl
Wow, that sunflower stalk is almost as fat as Cole’s fingers. Amaaaaazinnggg!
Where did Cole get those magic sunflower seeds, and when the tops of the plants disappear above the clouds, I demand pix when Cole climbs one of them.
Edit: what’s at the top? I predict a giant Tunch.
Thanks for scary monster sunflower plant pix.
joel hanes
@Anonymous At Work:
do you see why biofuels are possible
A complete revolution in agriculture that would greatly decrease carbon emissions and chemical inputs and build soil is possible, partly using the perennial relatives of sunflowers from the genus Silphium.
Donate to The Land Institute and help save the world.
landinstitute.org/
Another Scott
Nice! Only 14-15 feet to go for the record! ;-)
Seriously, great job.
Cheers,
Scott.
MomSense
Woodchipper????
Nononononononono!
I’m having visions of the black knight from Holy Grail.
LarryB
Jon, Lock your windows. You just think they’re sunflowers.
kindness
Genus Sunflower Sequoia.
jl
@LarryB: Cole should try mushroom farming in his spooky garden. Maybe start with a cordyceps species.
rikyrah
They are beautiful, Cole.
Tall, but beautiful :)
Spanky
@catclub: @MomSense: I seem to recall an incident from a few years back involving Cole the Elder and a chipper ….
Lapassionara
My sunflowers will not stand upright. I don’t know how these have gotten so tall without being staked.
Another Scott
OT: Wonkette:
StrozkStrzkoStrzok sues FBI and DOJ for wrongful termination:(Emphasis added)
OhPleaseOhPleaseOhPlease…
Cheers,
Scott.
JMG
Was your Mom angry when you traded the cow for the magic sunflower seeds? No matter how tall they get, don’t climb one of the stalks!
The Dangerman
Willow: “Hold my beer.”
jeffreyw
Peek-a-boo finch.
MomSense
@Spanky:
I must have repressed that memory. I am terrified of woodchippers anyway, since I used to watch my grandfather operate one when I was a little girl. He never hurt himself – but all those whirring blades, loud noises, and stern warnings made an impression.
MrSnrub
Are you sure you’re not growing Trifids?
PaulWartenberg
How the hell are they not bending/snapping from the weight?
We tried growing sunflowers in Florida, and they would grow to a certain height and then… the flowers would topple over because the seeds got so numerous and heavy. It was heartbreaking.
jl
@MrSnrub: Trifles (trouble!) will pop out of the seed pods?
I smell a Coletastrophe in the air.
randy khan
@Another Scott:
That sounds like fun. Of course, the way these kinds of cases go, the good stuff might not come out until 2021.
SiubhanDuinne
@MomSense:
And the great big saw came nearer and nearer…
P.S. How’s the pup doing today? Still on the mend, I hope.
A Ghost To Most
And here we were, diggin’ on our 8′ sunflowers. They didn’t get planted until June, because of snow/cold.
Amir Khalid
Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers
That grow so incredibly high …
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!
CaseyL
Wow! I am impress :)
Giant sunflowers always give me a pleasurable horror-frisson, because once their seeds are formed they look to me like alien scouts. An entire field of giant sunflowers is incredible spooky, IMO.
gvg
@PaulWartenberg</ Florida's sandy soils aren't firm enough a foundation. You need some clay type soils I think.
Kristine
@MomSense: ::remembering that scene in FARGO::
Ladyraxterinok
In the 80s, when I still lived in IA, there were many farms, areas around Ames with sunflowers this tall. IIRC that was new then.
Comrade Carter
Those things would look great, in Maryland.
hells littlest angel
That’s average height for the Mongolian Giant variety.
hw3
Ahh… West Virginia summers.
Just One More Canuck
@laura: John is like Radagast
mrmoshpotato
Cole obviously watched Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus and wanted a plant-based version in his backyard.
We look forward to Mega Sunflowers vs Creeping Willow!
Michael Cain
@Anonymous At Work: “do you see why biofuels are possible with weeds like that?”
With all due respect, biofuels are the fantasy we tell ourselves in hopes that we won’t have to start buying electric cars soon.
The back third of John’s back yard, kitted out with PV panels, would produce enough electricity for transportation to measure meaningfully in “miles per day”. Biofuels from the same area would be a similar number, but in “miles per month.”
Bill Arnold
wrong thread
debbie
They’ve been extra tall around here too. What I’ve really noticed is that they don’t follow the sun like they used to. It’s like they’re shunning the sun.