Tallest sunflower and largest head challenge

I read somewhere that if you reduced watering before strong winds are due it'll reduce the chance of the plant being blown over, not sure how it works, maybe if they're less turgid they'll flex a bit more?

 

Less rigid without water so more elastic maybe?

Is it wrong I'm already looking forward to next year's challenge?

 

Im happy with my Kong F1`s this year. I got a 3 biggies but didnt measure them as you guys have grown some monsters so I felt all inadequate.

Will be growing a lot more next year and hopefully they will flower and face me instead of facing the neighbours.

 

Only a foot here

 

N.B. The correct method [1] of measuring sunflower heads is to include the petals. @Zigs did you just measure across the seeds, or did you measure across the entire head? It's the same as when measuring heights, they're measured highest point including petals.


[1] As used by Guiness Book of Records, EGVGA, etc. "It is also possible to include petals, again across the bottom or over the top. The official Guinness way to measure is to place the sunflower head on a piece of paper or something similar, draw a mark at the tip of the petal sticking out the most and then draw a mark at the tip of the petal exactly 180 degrees on the other side of the head. Remove the head and measure the distance in a straight line. This is the petal to petal in a straight line method. This is the method accepted by the EGVGA"

 

Petals have withered away now.

 

I didnt get around to planting any sunflowers this year - thankfully my birdies have helped out by redistributing their feed:

-- Thats about 3 meters up, although they have cheated somewhat:


-- ... by leaving it one of my hanging baskets..

 

I decided to put a face on mine fixed to the bird feeder. Not sure how tall the ones are in the background.

 

And I thought I was cheating by putting the snapped one in a trug of water!! Well...

Love his face @john558 , brill!

 

Hi Linz, my grandaughter thinks its female as it has Red lips I know its silly but makes you smile when in the garden.

 

Got a shoot that's grown above the flower that was 11'6" high, only it hasn't increased in overall height due to the flower sagging/petals shrivelling and the new growth above it has only recovered that loss in height, doubt if it'll grow taller than the 11'9" plant.

EDIT: Checked it accurately and it's 18" diameter.

Rough measure yesterday indicated now around 18" diameter, but I need to do a proper check using my cardboard sheet placed around the stem and behind the head, marking the extremities on it, then measuring the distance between them, markings here are from last time I measured 6 days ago

 

Second tallest sunflower is now 11' 8.75" inches high, still growing and will surely better my earlier 11' 9" plant.

A flower head on that same plant is now approaching 20" diameter, beating the 18" diameter one on another plant but I need to take a stepladder to measure it accurately.

 

Forgot my tape measure, but remembered my camera.

@Richard360 Is there an end date for this competition?

 

Tallest sunflower made it to 12 feet high before the last winds blew the petals off the top bloom.

Biggest flower didn't get any bigger than 19.5" as the head started curling, the remains of petals around the edge withered and the head has started rotting.

Largest 3 heads cut as the seeds are ripe and ready for harvesting.