[Oliver]

Hi,Wow - your second photo looks just like the area around her compost heap - with the fabulous giant corn, although her corn this year was Wildas Pride - an ornamental Indian Corn which only grows to 11 ft. max. it sound lovely in the wind though. On her plot the Hopi Red Dye Amaranthus are self seedlings, as are the sunflowers.

We don't normally grow giant stuff as we grow to eat, but some sunflowers just grew! Two of her sunflowers reached 15 ft this year probably because they were on the edge of the sweet corn which got a lot of water.

[Dawnte]

Holy cow, that's some HUGE stuff!   And hello from a fellow Yank!

I'm pretty new to all this gardening stuff but I definitely want to plant some sunflowers with my 2-year-old next year and see how big they get.

[sunflower_info]

I just went out today and measured one of my giant amaranth.  The stem went from 11 inches only 12 days ago to 14 inches in circumference.  That's incredible growth!



Also, here is a pic of my last hold out of corn in the garden.  This one still is growing and hasn't put on a tassel yet.  Sorry the pic is dark!  My wife got home from work late.  

[John]

I went to our local NVS meeting last night where we had a talk on growing exhibition long leeks - a combination of size and quality.  These had the white blanched stems around 20" long (51cm) and were perfectly straight  without bulbing. Works of art.

It's quite amazing what you can get when you give ideal conditions to any plant. (plus extended daylight, heating and daily reading of inspirational works!)

[muntjac]

just a tip for stopping the borers you may try i use it to stop earwigs on my sweeetcorn .paint car grease on the stems up to about a foot ,.you will need to put a piece of card with axle grease around the juvenile stems . cut a circle in the middle of the card for the stem to grow safely and then when they get big enough put the grease around the actual stem

works for me
           TENNESEE TITANS

[sunflower_info]

I went to our local NVS meeting last night where we had a talk on growing exhibition long leeks - a combination of size and quality.  These had the white blanched stems around 20" long (51cm) and were perfectly straight  without bulbing. Works of art.

It's quite amazing what you can get when you give ideal conditions to any plant. (plus extended daylight, heating and daily reading of inspirational works!)

   I've tried growing leeks, but they never seem to amount to much.  I plan on trying again next year.  Sometimes it's as simple as finding a particular strain that does a little bit better in your growing conditions.

[sunflower_info]

just a tip for stopping the borers you may try i use it to stop earwigs on my sweeetcorn .paint car grease on the stems up to about a foot ,.you will need to put a piece of card with axle grease around the juvenile stems . cut a circle in the middle of the card for the stem to grow safely and then when they get big enough put the grease around the actual stem

works for me
           TENNESEE TITANS

  Thanks!  I'll have to try that.  Does the axle grease hurt the sunflowers in anyway?  What about when it rains, do you have to re-coat them?   I have a feeling these borers also use the leaf stems to get into the main stalk.  I'd have to cover them in grease as well.

[muntjac]

no not at all its just like a band ona fruit tree  you just put the grease up  the stem .if the leaves are touching the ground then its fine to trim those off as the rest will carry the plant regs karl

[DD.]

Yes, it is a yardstick.  Everyone in the USA still uses inches, feet, miles, etc.  If we could get the rest of the world to do the same, we would.  

Amen!!!