Is my 16-INCH Mammoth Sunflower actually blooming?

I'm currently growing a lone mammoth sunflower in a container (not sure about its volume, probably 12" or something). I'm well aware that its growth may be stunted but I also know it can still grow pretty high, probably several feet tall (I saw a picture of a really tall mammoth sunflower being grown in a small pot so I know it's possible). My plant is now around 2 months old. The thing is, it's only around 16" and I think it may already have started blooming, which I find weird. It might be stunted, but isn't 16" still a little too short for it to start blooming?

Here are some pics:


These are the mammoth sunflower seeds I bought. Actually, they were already "expired" and he's the only one that grew out of all of them.

 

[size=medium]Yes, your sunflower is definitely blooming.
Two suggestions for you.
Plants grown in a small pot will come into flower much faster - but if that plant is in a 12" pot I don't think that's the reason.
Some sunflowers (mini varieties) only grow 12 - 16".
You say the other seeds in that batch didn't germinate so maybe there was a rogue seed of another, smaller variety in that packet. It does happen.
I think that's the most likely explanation.
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Is it (supposed to be) a mammoth tall or mammoth flower head sunflower and which variety? They look like good sized seeds, but I think they've been sown far too early.

I'm growing these this year, http://www.pandpseed.com/Merchant2/...roduct_Code=GSUNFDS&Category_Code=SunflowerSS but won't be sowing them for another week at least and as soon as they've germinated in my heated greenhouse they'll be moved somewhere cool so they don't go spindly and will be planted out about 4 weeks or so later into pits filled with well rotten manure/compost.

(That's not me BTW, just a pic from the seed site)

 

Dyancuevas is in the Phillipines - so normal rules don't apply.

 

I see... But even if this were a miniature sunflower, isn't it still a little too small? The leaves and stalk are tiny.

I'm pretty sure, though, it's a Russian Mammoth seed that I planted. I kept germinating each seed until this one sprouted. (I have different kinds of sunflower seeds with me and these are the only grey stripe seeds I have.)


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I didn't know there were different kinds of mammoth sunflower. The ones I got are the Mammoth Giant kind. I was expecting it to grow at least 8' in a container.

Yup, like what Alice said. I'm from the Philippines. One of the blessings we have is that we can plant all year round and not have to worry about perennials. On the downside, though, we can't plant "cold climate" plants like you guys.

 

I knew I'd seen something like that, but I think you might need bigger pots (especially as the records are 25 feet high for tallest and a 32 inches diameter for biggest flower head):



I suspect that even in those large tubs the plants are probably rootbound.





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Wow, that's a great picture! I'm pretty sure my pot is the same size as the 3rd pot from the right (the only "cube" pot). It's just so strange that my sunflower didn't even get to dwarf proportions (2-3'), which I would've been fine with. It's miniature, at 16"!

Btw, the flower has almost bloomed but it doesn't look anything like a sunflower... I swear I planted a giant mammoth seed in that pot. Or maybe it is a giant mammoth, only a mutated one?

 

I get flowers something like that on the sideshoots that grow late in the season after the top parts of the sunflowers have been removed for cut flowers, and they also get cut and mixed with Michaelmas daises.

 

"I'm pretty sure, though, it's a Russian Mammoth seed that I planted. I kept germinating each seed until this one sprouted.

Yup, like what Alice said. I'm from the Philippines. One of the blessings we have is that we can plant all year round and not have to worry about perennials. On the downside, though, we can't plant "cold climate" plants like you guys."
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You have got me confused here.

So you dont consider a plant called "Russian Mammoth ", to be a cold climate plant?

Sunflowers are classed as hardy annuals, not been able to try them myself but I would guess they dont like the tropics.

 

By your analogy, African Daisies shouldn't be able to grow in England then? :D

Sunflowers do grow here in the Philippines, as do most flowering plants. (I've seen them in parks and in fields as crops.) We don't have to worry about something being a hardy annual or tender perennial or whatnot.

 

So if you can grow sunflowers in the Philippines, without any problem, all well and good.
As I said, I've never been in a position to try.

It was just a response to this statement:-"On the downside, though, we can't plant "cold climate" plants like you guys."