I have a miniature sunflower I like very much that is only about an inch accross and about 10 inches tall. It is really very very small, especially when compared to Barbara's of Gardening in Mannheim, Germany's sunflowers in her post here. Hers is 12 ft tall with up to 20 blossoms per stalk!
Have you ever grown or seen a sunflower as tiny as this size ?
The seeds came from the highlands. Somebody gave them to me. I placed 10 seeds in a potting mix on 8th July 2010. I was overjoyed when all the seeds germinated the next day. They grew fast.
When the second set of leaves appeared, I applied a general purpose liquid fertilizer. The leaves look fat and juicy.
“My Miniature Sunflowers”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on September 5th, 2010.
I notice that my plants began to grow taller and taller but the stems were long and slender. There were very few leaves. Soon I saw flower buds but there was only 1 flower bud for each plant. The stems were so thin that they could hardly support their flower heads. So I tie them to a bamboo stick for support. I also moved them to full sun hoping that some solar energy will be good for them.
This is the best I could get from my sunflowers. Today, after almost two months of growing, they have reached the end of their life cycle. They are strerile and left behind no seeds. Their vital statistics:
Height: 8-10 inches
Diameter: 1.5 inches
No. of blooms per plant: 1
No. of leaves: 6 - 8
I miss my little ones and I will try to grow another batch. This time I'll grow them in a cooler place near the shade. Any suggestions?
35 sweet words:
Those are really sweet. I hope you get more seeds to grow them again next year.
FlowerLady
Dear Autumn Belle, How delightful. Little golden rays of sunshine. Yes, I really do feel that you should grow them again but as to where I am afraid I cannot help.
Hello AutumnBelle
Thats a pity that they were sterile as I was hoping as I read through to the end that you were able to collect some of that seed. I've never heard of sunflowers being that size before. Hopefully someone will be able to advise you on where to grow them next year.
hello Autumn Belle, i am back but still cannot make a post. I chuckled reading this post. I wil try to give my litle bit of analysis, if you dont mind. If the parents are really big, then maybe yours did not receive proper light, water and nourishment. It looks like your pot is so small, also they need full sun from the time they emerge. Full sun means from sunrise to sunset. When plants dont receive required sunlight the stem gets spindly or worse, etiolated, meaning long, thin stems, and yellowish or whitish color. They need light to make their own food (photosynthesis), with water and nutrients.
the first and the last two are great
congrats
nice sunday
graceolsson.com/blog
Hi, FlowerLady, Edith, Rosie, Andrea, Grace. Thanks for the suggestions. I still have quite a lot of seeds left from the gift pack. I can grow another batch anytime. The seeds are from the highlands which is cooler, like temperate climate. This batch which I blog about was grown under full sun a few days after the seeds germinated in shade.
Although small, it's still very beautiful. Is it supposed to be small?
that is such a pretty sunflower.
A great series of photos,
Gill in Canada
Hi Autumn Belle,
If they pop out really quick it must be they like the temperature. Sunflower need lots of sun. They grow up facing toward the sun. Maybe the pots were too small for them? In summer I sowed them on the ground and they grow very fast and were more than 2 metre tall. Then I used the same seed and sow in pots it grow become a dwarf!
Very pretty!!
I didn't know they could be so tiny yet just as beautiful!
Thanks for commenting on my dragonfly photo.
It's cute and pretty, even though it's tiny. Hope your next batch will be a success. I had one just a little bigger than yours, I guess mine was stunted due to pests.
Their colour is very cheerful.
These are very pretty. A wonderful splash of colour in your garden!!
Hi Autumn Belle, The diminutive sunflower is very cute; it makes up easily with its brilliant colour. I have seen small sunflowers but never as "petite"!
Small but proud and beautiful! It's rare that is why it is such a treasure. Oh I hope it will flower again!
Perhaps these are not sunflowers but their smaller cousin , the African Daisy? I hope I got the name correct, there's lots of them here in the parks and they bloom all year long.
My first time to see a miniature sunflower. It's beautiful. Great shots.
Have a great week.
I like simple, small flowers. There is something so sweet and honest about them. Your photos are very good!
oh that is just lovely..so cute..we call this dwarf sunflower here..awesome photos too
mine is up too
The flower look so pretty! Hope your seedings grow well this time and bloom more flowers for you!!
This one look so similar to a groundcover which I often come across along the streetsides, but the plant is very hardy - it got sturdy leaf and branches - more likely a trailing plant.
Hope your second batch are more successful.
The flower is indeed very pretty. Try placing one pot in partially shaded area and one more under full sun. I guess sunflower really need full sun. If this is a miniature type, then I do not think that it will grow that big. But it is a truly pretty flower to have and brighten any garden!
Such a cute sunflower. I am familiar with the giant ones, but this variety is cute! I love it!
They are small but beautiful.
So small yet blossom into gorgeous flowers. Your photos are beautiful
Cute little sunflowers. Our sunflowers in the garden range from a tiny plant of a feet to a tall plant of 5 feet. In my case, its more of the location, the space and the amount of sunbathing, that make them different even though all from the same mother's seeds. ~bangchik
Such lovely tiny beauties! I've never seen these before...love the sunshine floral colour and the fuzziness on their sepals, leaves and stem!
All the best on your next batch, A.Belle!
I actually like your smaller sunflowers. Mine are gargantuan and kind of annoying. I will have to try some small ones next year.
Your photos are great, as usual.
hugs,
Rosey
Too bad they are sterile. I have never seen sunflowers so small or any plant that germinates so fast.
Very pretty and tiny. Too bad they're sterile...I'm certain you could sell more seed than you could produce!
Thank you very much for your ideas, advice and suggestions. I'll be trying them out in my next 'experiments'
I love how you show the sequence to this beautiful bloom. Thanks for sharing.
An English Girl Rambles
aloha,
very nice details you have captured on these miniatures, must be fun to do this from seed.
my flowers for today post is on my plantfanatic blog
Hi AB, never seen such tiny sunflowers. Shame they were sterile - fleeting ephemeral beauty, makes it even more wonderful while it lasts. cheers, catmint
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