Sunflower in a Pot

Hello readers!

It's been some time since my last post, but here goes one... By the way, I'm gardening in Manila, Philippines (just to give you an idea of the climate and environment).

I wanted to grow sunflowers on a pot so I decided to buy sunflower seeds. I got the Yellow Empress variant, from Yates Seeds, imported by Ramgo. According to the packet, the plant is expected to have a height of one meter (or more). Needless to say, this sunflower variant has to be planted on ground, not on pots.

In my garden, there's not much space. If there were, that space isn't good enough; it doesn't receive enough sunlight. Given that, I decided to plant the seeds on a pot. I wanted to see how it will do, aware that the chances of it flowering is relatively slim. I still kept my hopes high, however. Years back, I saw a bloomed sunflower planted on a metal milk can (which is commonly used as a pot in the province).

I planted on April 23 and in around 3 days if I remember, the seeds emerged. Unfortunately, the seedlings were leggy (but not drooping), as I planted them on a not-so-sunny place. I then transferred the seedlings to a bigger pot (still not big enough, however). The leaves drooped initially, but the seedlings normalized eventually. The plants receive at least five hours of sunlight a day, and they have grown well since then (despite the leggy stem; that portion has strengthened).

I eventually decided to transfer the seedlings to their individual pots. Transplanting isn't recommended for sunflowers, but I still decided to give it a try. I took the shortest one and transferred it on a plastic pot (roughly 7 in. diameter x 8 in. height). After a few days, success! The plant was able to establish itself. I planted another, but it is yet to fully normalize as of now.

I let the established one grow, and after some more days, lo and behold- the plant has a bud! Picture was taken June 4 (roughly a month and two weeks).
 

I was delighted to see a bud growing. Days passed, and the bud grew larger. This plant is serious about blooming! Picture below was taken four days after, June 8.

I'll be photographing as much photos as soon as the flower blooms. In the meantime, stay tuned! I wonder how the flower will look like (obviously yellow with a brown center- I mean how big and so on).