Guinness World Records: Welsh family grows world's heaviest sunflower head

Setting a new world record is an achievement many dream of, but imagine then breaking it again!

That's exactly what's happened to the green-fingered Fortey family from Cwmbran in south Wales who have grown the world's heaviest sunflower head - twice!

Tipping the scales at nearly 6.5kg, their latest bloom weighs more than the average bowling ball.

The hefty new sunflower head is also over a kilo heavier than their previous record-breaker, which was harvested in 2021.

The record-breaking sunflower was a "real surprise" for farmer Kevin Fortey, who grew it with the help of his brother Gareth, son Jamie, and mother Marjorie.

Kevin said: "I was shocked by the weight of this monster flower."

A special family sunflower seed was used, which is "well over 100 years old," according to Kevin.

Planted during a heatwave in May last year, the sunflower grew for just over 20 weeks, reaching a height of 3.35 metres (11 ft) before being harvested five months later.

The sunflower grew far bigger than any of the family's other sunflowers last year - in fact it was so large it had to be weighed at the local post office!

Growing these hefty sunflowers takes a lot of hard work and commitment.

Before planting, the family first tests the soil to check if it's lacking any nutrients.

They also use a variety of supplements to help the health and growth of their plants - including a special blend which contains bat poo!

A large water pipe is also inserted into the ground next to the stem, which helps encourage the roots to widen their search for water during the early stages of growth.

This is the eighth Guinness World Records title that the Fortey family have achieved, and they still hold three others too - the largest sunflower leaf, heaviest beetroot and tallest potato plant!

Kevin says that through achieving these records, he hopes to inspire others to get into gardening and grow their own plants.