From

Location

Message

Date Posted

President - GPC

How does one pollinate these giant sunflowers to ensure they dont cross and they are pure?

8/8/2007 9:59:35 AM

Georgia

Id also like to know Wiz. I just grow my sunflowers with only other giant strains and usually have no problems. I havent had any giant headed 15 feet tulips yet.

8/8/2007 10:24:26 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Bag them and Shake them I believe...Otherwise you need to put bee's in the bag...lol

8/8/2007 1:12:48 PM

Bay Area

The sunflower is make up of many individual small flowers. In order for these flowers to produce viable seeds they have to be pollinate. As the flower opens first comes the anther with pollen (m) and then the style branches (f).

Select two and bag them before the flowers open. As they open collect pollen from one X sunflower and place on the female of the Y sunflower and you have a Y cross. The other way around you get a X cross. (You need a ladder for this job.)

Have fun!

8/9/2007 2:19:20 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Could I just bag two heads together and shake and bake

8/9/2007 1:08:20 PM

Bay Area

Shannon, most likely the sunflower selected to pollinate-usually for height, stem size, or other traits-are some distance apart, since the closest you can grow them would be 2 ft. Bag two heads together is almost always impossible.

BTW, for those who don't grow giant sunflower, the plural for sunflower is sunflower.

8/9/2007 3:40:06 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Them Sunflower growers are crazy...

8/9/2007 10:11:11 PM

President - GPC

Thanks, Ill give it a try, Got no squirrels this year.....HA! Moved 44 so far..... so I have sunflower heads....

8/13/2007 9:39:50 AM