Short mammoth sunflower?

[Sammbalina]

Does anyone know of a sunflower that has a mammoth head, but is shorter, not 10+ feet tall? I want to grow them for the seeds for eating and for feeding livestock, but I don’t want them so tall that they are difficult for my short self to deal with on my own!

 

[catjac1975]

Does anyone know of a sunflower that has a mammoth head, but is shorter, not 10+ feet tall? I want to grow them for the seeds for eating and for feeding livestock, but I don’t want them so tall that they are difficult for my short self to deal with on my own!

The height is what gives you the massive stalk so that the weight can be held up.. They bend over with the weight of the head. I use pruning sheers and fell them like trees, Some are so strong that pruning sheers are not enough to cut through them. My point is your height will not be a problem.

 

[AMKuska]

My son grew them and he's not tall. When it came time for them to be harvested he jumped on the base and they went flying down. SPLAT!

 

[flowerbug]

The hight is what gives you the massive so that the weight can be held up.. They bend over with the weight of the head. I use pruning sheers and fell them like trees, Some are so strong that pruning sheers are not enough to cut through them. My point is your height will not be a problem.

that and the larger loppers could easily deal with them...

 

[thistlebloom]

Does anyone know of a sunflower that has a mammoth head, but is shorter, not 10+ feet tall? I want to grow them for the seeds for eating and for feeding livestock, but I don’t want them so tall that they are difficult for my short self to deal with on my own!

I just took a look in my Territorial spring 2019 catalog and they have a variety called Sunseed, the description says it has 10" - 14" heads and gets 4' -5' tall. It was developed specifically for huge edible seeds.