How to Grow Giant Sunflowers Part 4: Care Over Summer

In this part four video about growing giant sunflowers I explain in depth how to care for your sunflower over the summer months to ensure that it grows to its full potential. For a sunflower to grow to giant proportions it requires perfect growing conditions with as little stress as possible, the longer you can delay flowering the taller the sun flower will grow.
Part one can be found here: • How To Grow Giant Sunf...
Part two can be found here: • How to Grow Giant Sunf...
Part three can be found here: • How to Grow Giant Sunf...
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:33 What your sunflower should look like
07:11 Watering
09:20 Feed/fertiliser
15:03 Plant supports
18:38 Root system
20:19 Dead heading
20:45 How to Identify flower buds
25:41 Pest problems
31:45 Conclusion
Thanks for watching
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[@mawkernewek]

Back in 2018, I grew sunflowers in containers, and they got to about 8 feet, despite being in fairly small troughs. At one point I was having to water twice daily, in fact on the hottest days I needed to do it three times a day, I was working in an office close to home at that time and came back at lunchtime to water them.

[@Gardeningat58N]

They are very thirsty plants, especially towards the end of summer when they are large plants. You did well to reach 8 foot in a small trough, when they are in the ground they are easier to look after as there is more soil for storing the water in between waterings.

[@MrCaronhalt]

I have been using blood meal for my sunflowers and they have responded very well. I like your explanation of staking,

[@Gardeningat58N]

Blood meal works well as its very high in nitrogen and is also released fairly quickly to the plant. It also has some iron in it which also helps the sunflower to grow strongly with dark green leaves. I might make a whole video dedicated to staking later this summer if I have the time.

[@ThePerennialGardenSociety]

Beautiful job on your espaliered bleeding heart. I've never seen one as lovely! Thank you for sharing.

[@cathyhull1810]

Your fuscia is beautiful.😊

[@newdreams4507]

Beautiful flowers

[@IronDruids]

If you are growing a variety that doesn't grow flowers on side shoots I assume you should prune those off for taller growth, right? Or would doing so be enough stress to make it flower? I'm doing some for the first time this year. They are called mammoth sunflowers. I don't think they flower more than once.

[@shane6450]

How come I’m always told not to over water them? I have seedlings and it’s my first time growing them. Should I water daily?

[@Gardeningat58N]

This video is focusing on their care over summer, my first video focuses on their care when young plants. Seedlings can easily be overwatered so make sure any excess water can drain out of the pot, they grow very fast though, so although they won't need much watering for the first week or two, after three or four weeks if they are not in big pots they may need daily watering if in warm temperatures with lots of sunshine.