'Russian Giant' Sunflowers

[Mekoz]

Hi,

So i've been growing and saving seeds of this variety for a few years now.



This year gathering the seeds i had a interesting surprise.



The seeds are normally white and long as seen in the top right of photo. Now i also have brown and purple, the brown look short and stocky. Each came from its own sunflower.

What are your thoughts? Possible mutation or cross pollination?

There are two other allotmenteers who grew sunflowers. The closest to me also has white seeds and unsure yet as to the variety he grew for the time beeing. The other is unkown for now also.

Just thought i would share as i thought it was pretty intresting.

[Zelenina]

Cross pollination of last year's sunflowers that you saved and planted seeds from is the most likely cause.

[Mr Bones]

I had tall single headed and shorter multi headed varieties last year and this years self set stars were tall multis'. Be interesting to see what your seeds produce next year Mekoz.

[Bren In Pots]

All my sunflowers are grown from saved seeds / self-set its a surprise how they turn out.

[Small pumpkin]

Your Russian giant sunflowers and garden are stunning

Really hope you're going to sow a few of each seed next year, especially the purple one ( how cool is that purple seeds ! ).

I'd love to know what you get from them

I'll be saving some seeds this year ( I'll leave most for the birds to eat ), I've had lots of varieties growing in the squash bed. Not grown many before, it's all been very educational and pretty.
Been very impressed with my sunny giant. He's about 9ft tall and still standing!! It's been a bit breezy here at times over the last few weeks. Velvet queen is more like a tree! I didn't realise how many heads it would produce.

[Chris11]

Agree with Zelenina, that's the most likely explanation.

I've been growing and saving seeds from sunflowers for many years and enjoy the surprises and new variations. I've also had a wide range of seeds, same as Mekoz.

Most of my sunflowers are descended from Russian Giants and others planted years ago, then saved from the best flowers each year. I've got Giant and Medium lines of saved seeds for different parts of the garden.


I occasionally add new varieties and give them chance to cross pollinate with flowers grown from saved seeds to add to the genetic mix. Had some excellent flowers this year which were descended from seeds saved from a Mongolian Giant. I've always got spare seeds if anyone wants any.

They're great for attracting and feeding bees and pollinating insects, and love to see the birds and squirrels eating the seeds.

[Zelenina]

Sunflowers are grown commercially where I live. Hectares and hectares of them. I was looking at a field of them recently while I was waiting for the little local train, and somehow a few of the seeds made their way into my pocket. They were a black-seeded variety with big flower heads, but not very tall. Probably an F1 hybrid. Maybe I'll plant them next year and see what comes up.

[Scarlet]

Sunflowers are grown commercially where I live.

They grow them by me too...it's on my dog walk route in the mornings. Always make me smile.

[Small pumpkin]

Zelenina and Scarlet
Are they grown for seeds or cut flowers?


Some seed would probably fall into my pocket too ( if the opportunity was there)

[Zelenina]

Here they're grown for seeds, which could then be used to extract vegetable oil, or fed to livestock, or de-hulled and used as food for people e.g. for baking in bread or roasted and salted as a snack. Of course people grow them in their gardens as flowers too, but those would be different varieties - giant ones, dwarf ones, multi-coloured ones etc.

[Scarlet]

I think ours are used in bird seed....though not 100% sure. They grow them every year.

[Mekoz]

Your Russian giant sunflowers and garden are stunning

Really hope you're going to sow a few of each seed next year, especially the purple one ( how cool is that purple seeds ! ).

I'd love to know what you get from them

Thank you for your kind words.

I'm looking forward to trying them out next season and will take some photos.

[Nicos]

They are so pretty to look at!
I bought a 'variety pack' of various types of sunflowers when I was in the UK. Really looking forward to those growing next year.
Sadly my multiheaded ones I got off the Vine have crossed -those were a stunning display.

I must collect in the dead heads this year before the birds nab them all -after the high winds they've all been bashed to the ground.

[Jonny.D]

Interesting thread, I grew Mrs Mars last year which got cross pollinated with something in the area and this year they came back as 5ft'ish multi headed red / yellow plants.

[Small pumpkin]

I've now got some of my (gone to seed ) sunflower heads hanging in the tunnel over a bucket. Looking forward to seeing what colour seeds I get and what weird and wonderful flowers I get next year.