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Springfield, MO

Hi, All,

At our weigh-off they were measuring sunflower heads across the back and not including the sepals/petals. Is this the proper technique?

What is the proper technique to measure height of tall sunflowers?

Thanks,
Chris

10/3/2004 11:17:49 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I've wondered about the diameter measurement & will be interested to read the response. Never watched the Sunflower judging before.

Height? Carefully when standing! If they're laid down to measure, then height would increase slightly. Wouldn't it?

10/4/2004 6:47:52 AM

This sunflower site (http://www.geocities.com/sunflower_info/Measure.html) suggests a different technique. Even this does not say if you measure across the back or across the front of the sunflower head. When I asked the judge about it at our weigh-off I was told "that's not how I do it. I have always done it" like I described above.

I don't have a world record or anything, but I measured mine at about 23 inches using the technique at the web site above. At the weigh-off they said it was only 19.5 inches.

With height they measured along the back curvature of the stalk up to the seed head with the thing laying down. This is really the length of the stalk, rather than height above the ground. Again, I don't know if this is correct.

Await some more responses...
Chris

10/4/2004 7:45:58 PM

Montoursville, PA

Confusion will be the order of the day until we get enough communication and unified agreement, on how, to measure.

....I took communication from a non-related person who maintains a site and competition with site members. The height was from water flushed roots (average top of root mass) to the laid down high point. If one tapes a plant to a plank for shipping the height will indeed increase a few inches if it is measured on the plank or if the tape causes the top seed head curve to straighten.

.....The width was from widest point to widest point over the top of the seed head. Due to curve in the seed head this would add an inch or so compaired to accross the back.

.....A third category was the most seed heads on a single plant.

.....I hauled it two hours, on a trailer, thereby wind burning the leaf like points from the seed head and lost three or more inches, in width between the two leaf like points over the front of the seedhead. This happened even inside a gargabe bag wrap.

I doubt if there are any standards at the weigh-off sites as, of this hour. This will be muddled about the ballpark until interest demands communication and agreement. Even so there would be site to site differences, for a while, at least. I just think it is good because any kid can grow a sunflower and go with dad, to show the result.

Altoona will be measuring at the least for seedhead width in 2005. It was a display only shown this year by your's truly. My seed were from Joel Holland called Black Giants. They produced a height above nine feet and a fifteen inch leaf like point to leaf like point over the front measurement. That is just an average nice plant. No record for sure.

10/24/2004 2:26:03 PM

Massachusetts

Guinness Book of World Records measures from top of clean root ball (true beginning of stalk) to the farthest point on the apex of the plant (the upper-most petal on the flower)

11/2/2004 4:29:16 PM

Massachusetts

For height, that is.

11/2/2004 4:30:07 PM

Massachusetts

Anyway....Does anyone out there want to trade some seeds? I can offer some from my tallest this year: 15'4" from 2003 pure white Giganteus seed.

11/2/2004 4:36:51 PM

West Amwell, NJ

The listings that I have on my website for sunflower measurements are based on information I had from Bernard Lavery's Secrets of Giant Sunflowers book. I'm sure not every competition measures plants the same.

12/23/2004 12:13:47 PM