The Fortey family of Cwmbran, Wales, UK, grew the head of heaviest sunflower the world – for the second time. The plant weighs 6.44 kg – about the same as three bricks, two newborn babies or the most common size of a bowling ball. The piece surpasses the previous feat of 2021 by 1.23 kg and enters the Book of Records.
Kevin Fortey, 44, grew the sunflower with the help of his brother Gareth, son Jamie and mother Marjorie. “I was shocked by the weight of this monstrous flower,” he told the Guinness Book of Records.
The sunflower was planted during a heat wave in late May and harvested in October. He grew for just over 20 weeks, reaching a height of 3.35 meters.
The seed used was from the Fortey family seed line, which is “over 100 years old,” according to Fortey. Called the “Fortey Giant Sunflower”, it was originally bred on his father’s family farm in Suffolk and later taken to Wales.
In addition to using a special seed, the family has mastered the art of growing sizable sunflowers. Before planting, they test the pH level of the soil and check for any nutrient deficiencies.
They also use a variety of supplements to improve plant health and growth, such as green manures, organic rooting inoculant, compost tea, and a guano (bat droppings) mix that is high in potassium.
“Growing any plant requires time, dedication, commitment, experience and skill. Heavier head sunflowers need a better designed structure to grow in, as the weight of the heads could not be grown without some form of support,” says Fortey.
A large water pipe was also inserted into the soil close to the stem, which was used to encourage the roots to extend their search for water during the early stages. For the rest of the 20 weeks they never watered the sunflower by hand. Instead, his plants were fed once every 12 hours by a drip system connected to a battery timer.
This is the eighth Guinness World Records title the Fortey family has won, and they still hold four of them:
- Largest sunflower leaf: 68 x 87 cm
- Heaviest beetroot: 23.99 kg
- Tallest potato plant: 2.84m
- Heaviest sunflower head: 6.44 kg
(With information from Sanj Atwal of Guinness World Records)
Source: CNN Brasil
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