non-flowering sunflower?

United Kingdom

I have a single sunflower stem growing in a pot (12inch circumf, 8 inches deep) on a (largely sunny) deck area in the garden. it's now (late July) over 6 feet tall, but not really showing any sign yet of flowering? Does anyone know when flowers would normally appear? might it be to cramped in the pot for the roots and so that's preventing flowering? Thanks for any advice.

22 Jul, 2009

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Answers

Bamboo

I don't think the pot is deep enough, unfortunately, eight inches isn't enough, needs to be a foot to 18 inches.

22 Jul, 2009

Tyro

Thanks a lot Bamboo -- still growing strongly upwards, just without flower. Will transplant it to a better home -- hopefully without too much damage.

22 Jul, 2009

Bertiefox

Restricting the roots won't stop it flowering, just affect the quality of the flower that will come. The rougher you treat an annual, the more likely it is to come into flower, short of dying of course! The shock of transplanting it will probably kick it into flowering anyway.

22 Jul, 2009

Tyro

Thanks a lot.. Hope we will see some flowers -- kids impressed by rapid and continued growth, but asking me if it's a Sunstalk rather than a Sunflower...

22 Jul, 2009

Nickyt08

Depends also on the variety, if its 'Kong' it will get to 14 foot.
There are 2-3 foot ones too.

22 Jul, 2009

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