More sunflower house/staking question

23 years ago

I'm quite taken with the idea of a sunflower house (as is my 8 year-old daughter), but have read conflicting viewpoints on the subject of staking-- some suggest it's a necessity with larger varieties, others scoff at the notion of staking at all.

What, if anything, can be done to eliminate the need for staking taller sunflowers? I've read the following:

* Make sure the flowers get enough sunlight (presumably to avoid weak, leggy growth)

* Avoid too much nitrogen fertilizer

I've also personally theorized that planting close together may allow the stems to support one another, and act as a buffer against wind damage.

Any other hard information or advice would be appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

beckyishere
23 years ago
I have never done a sunflower house, but we do sunflowers every year. I have never staked them. Becky
amts
23 years ago
I did a Sunflower house @ my son's school last year.
I think planting the seeds deeper would help. We staked only the one's that needed it. Green stakes there very unobtrusive. We never got so far as the Morning Glory roof, as the kids did a spectacular job of trampling 60% of the plants!!! I'd have to put a barrier around it @ a school if i ever did this again. Sun was also a HUGE factor, BIG size/robust difference. AMS
Related Professionals
Spartanburg Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Charlottesville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Jonesboro Landscape Contractors · Florence Landscape Contractors · Grand Rapids Landscape Contractors · Lubbock Landscape Contractors · Poplar Bluff Home Additions · Winston-Salem Home Additions · Nashville Home Additions · Georgetown Home Additions · New Braunfels Home Additions · Lincoln Home Additions · Portsmouth Home Additions · Plattsburgh Home Additions · Las Cruces Home Additions
samanthaz
23 years ago
One thing I did with my backyard sunflower house was to plant strong-caned (no thorn) plants around the base of the sunflowers to help with the inevitable leggy growth around the bottom part of the plant. In my case, I transplanted some established low-lying Shasta daisy bushes in between every third sunflower. It helped create more privacy for my little kids, which they loved last year, and kept a clear boundry so the stems wouldn't get trampled on. As usual, a little planning and preparation makes it much easier!

Good luck! This is such a fun project!
Samanthaz