Hello, is anybody here growing sunflowers? Are they in bloom yet and which direction are they facing? I would very much appreciate responses from those that have sunflowers growing now. I know which way they are suppose to face, just wondering if anyone has any sunflowers facing the wrong way? I know that they follow the sun. thank you for responding and thank you to those that have responded so far! moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
Bloom time is dependent on the variety of sunflower and when you planted them, the date from planting to bloom varies too. My neighbor has some that have been blooming since late May. I have some that won't bloom until late Aug or into Sept. They tend to follow the path of the sun as long as they are growing. Once they stop growing they face east and don't move with the sun anymore.
i only have one growing this year and like toni it will be august - september time before i see any flower. . . mine is sat in a west facing border and will be baking in the sun from dinner time till late :-D
Birds planted mine. all was facing west-but 90 mph winds took them all down. There in compost now. was about 6 feet tall.
Heliotropism -: is the diurnal motion of plant parts (flowers or leaves) in response to the direction of the sun. Heliotropic flowers track the sun's motion across the sky from East to West. During the night, the flowers may assume a random orientation, while at dawn they turn again towards the East where the sun rises. The motion is performed by motor cells in a flexible segment just below the flower, called a pulvinus. The motor cells are specialized in pumping potassium ions into nearby tissues, changing their turgor pressure. The segment flexes because the motor cells at the shadow side elongate due to a turgor rise. Heliotropism is a response to blue light. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (link: Heliotropism) Once the sunflower plant reaches a height of 1 to 2 feet, it starts to be recognized as a sunflower. It reaches for the sky growing ever taller, while at the top of the stem the bud starts to form. If you were to watch sunflowers during this bud stage, you would see the flowers follow the sun. They start the day facing the east as the sun rises. In a process known as heliotropism, the developing bud will follow the sun from east to west. By morning, it is again facing east, awaiting the sunrise.
i grow them every year also....i usually plant mine around memorial day (normal for my zone) and they flower towards the end of august. as long as they get sun, i think they would be o.k. as deepwood's and toni's descriptions state...they follow the sun. awesome plant to watch grow & develop!
