Mammoth Sunflowers in Containers?

[Redhed]

Hi there,
I recently decided to start a small garden out on my balcony and bought a "Bird & Butterfly" mix to get it started... Unfortunately, I didn't read the package very well and only now realized the plants I seeded are going to end up being at least 3 feet tall... including the mammoth sunflower, which as you probably know can get up to 5x that big.

That said, I planted three of the mammoth sunflowers in a four gallon pot. Do you think this will be too small? I was kind of hoping maybe it would "contain" them and allow them to bloom, but not get so humongous.

Am I just wishfully thinking or is this a realistic expectation? Should I repot one or two of them... or just get rid of them altogether (I.e. will they be just plain too big for a balcony)?

What else might you recommend? I also got an herb garden mix (lavender, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill, mint, rosemary), as well as some packages of zinnias, impatiens, Oriental poppies, strawflower and bachelor's buttons... would you suggest I plant these instead? I did read on here that the strawflowers and bachelors buttons can be invasive... should I just nix those altogether?

Sorry for all the questions, but I need a bit of direction here (obviously!!).

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Redhed]

maybe I was a little too long winded. Sorry. I will just ask specifically and hope someone can help me

1. I planted three mammoth sunflowers in a 12-inch pot. Will this kill them, stunt them, or have no effect whatsoever?

2. Are there any plants that will do well in a west-facing, full-sun area -- specifically the top shelf shown in this pic? (you can go to [url]https://leah-says.blogspot.com/2009/03/I-finally-got-off-my-butt.html[/url] and click the image for a larger version)

[img]https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tqfaLI8KVVc/Sb8uXXJWoyI/AAAAAAAAAI4/aTflUYoxcAk/s200/DSC02227.JPG[/img]

The only thing I can think of would be a cactus?!

3. Should I get rid of the bachelor's buttons and strawflowers due to their potential to be invasive? They would be in pots on my balcony.

Thank you for reading and hopefully responding.

[rainbowgardener]

what you are looking for for your afternoon sun area are adaptable plants that can take full sun or part shade, ie. handle a range of conditions. Then they will be able to cope with the heat of the afternoon and the morning shade. Part shade (only) plants usually like morning sun and protection in the afternoon. A few egs would be day lily, bee balm, agastache (hyssop), obedient plant, batisia, bellflower, eupatorium (joepye weed and others), geranium (the true geranium, not the pelargoniums), mints, perennial salvia... Since plants in pots dry out more than plants in the ground and since you are talking about afternoon sun in New Mexico, watering is going to be the issue. Some of the above like the hyssop and salvia are also pretty heat/drought tolerant. But you might want to invest in some large planters with reservoirs that hold water.

[applestar]

I think it's possible to grow the mammoth sunflowers in 4-gal pots. They do take full-sun (you might want to raise the pots on a table, then lower to a bench, etc. so they get as much sun as possible while they are smaller), and not being able to "see" the sun all day might confuse or weaken them somewhat. Refer to my observations about sunflower behavior (as well as photos of some beauties - not mine ) here: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8140 I think it's a given that their growth will be stunted (I.e. shorter/smaller) in 4-gal pots. In the garden, they grow LONG roots, so it'll be interesting to see just how tall your sunflowers will get. You'll need to nourish it pretty regularly and watch the water too I expect. Also, when the flowers open up, they start to topple even in the ground, so even with a brick in each pot or placed in ceramic pot covers, they may need to be guy-wired.

I also got an herb garden mix (lavender, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill, mint, rosemary)

Out of these, all except lavender can take a bit of shade. Rosemary will need a bit more sun than the others, but will need surprising amount of water. I think the concept that rosemary is drought tolerant is misleading. According to what I've read, they grow long roots in search of water so that they LOOK like they're fine when the soil surface is dry. In a pot, they dry out fairly quickly, and they're NOT forgiving if the foliage dries out. I'm watering my potted rosemary every day with about 1/2C water in the saucer to supply the root ends, then another 1/2C overhead, plust a good misting in the morning. What kind of lavender is it? If it's not too tall, or if the top shelf on the stand is at least 1' square, I would put the lavender in a decorative squat ceramic pot (WITH DRAINAGE) there. Of course trailing drought tolerant flowers like portulacas might be nice there too. I like nasturtiums for their edible flowers and leaves as well.

[Redhed]

Thanks for your suggestions. I moved the sunflowers up onto a table so they would get some sun. They were doing better, but then one got totally blown out by the roots when we had some strong winds over the weekend. I am going to plant some of the queens velvet sunflowers in its place... those are so pretty! Anyway, if you want to see the progress, you can check out my blog.

[url]https://leah-says.blogspot.com[/url].

applestar, what a lovely sunflower house! That's such a great idea. I can't wait until I have a house with a yard to make one



Thanks again... I'll post updates.