The Harvest Rules
Five growers. Twelve sunflowers. Zero room for excuses. The rules are clear. The outcomes are not.1. The Setup
It starts simply. It does not stay that way.
The Sunflower Showdown is a family sunflower-growing competition contested across twelve outdoor growing pods in Cape Alder, New England. Although all sunflowers are grown by Woody, each one will becomes a reflection of the one who drafts it. Five family members each draft two pods and root for their seeds through the full season. All twelve pods share the same soil, the same sun, and the same unpredictable New England weather.
Twelve pods are named The Roots — the fifteen Grove favorite foods eligible for the draft. Five Team Owners each draft three pods: two compete weekly, one is held as a personal reserve. Five plants grow in Prospect Field unselected, held by the Commissioner. Three seed varieties are available for the season; specific pod and variety assignments are determined on Draft Day.
2. The Season
Thirteen weeks. Enough time for everything to change.
The season spans thirteen weeks. Seed Plant Day falls on Cinco de Mayo — May 5 — and all twenty seeds go into Prospect Field, the indoor growing space, that day. Draft Day follows on May 10, Mothers Day weekend. All pods remain in Prospect Field through Exhibition Week, hardening outside daily before the move is complete. Official scoring begins on Memorial Day, when the field moves outside for good. Owners must designate their personal reserve pod before that first scoring session. Regular season scoring runs Weeks 1 through 10. Final regular season standings determine playoff seeding for the top four. Playoffs begin in Week 11. Media Week precedes the championship. The champion is crowned at The Final Bloom — Week 13.
| Period | Week Begins | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preseason | 05/05/26 | Cinco de Mayo — Seed Plant Day. All 20 seeds into Prospect Field. |
| Preseason | 05/10/26 | Mothers Day — Draft Day. Pod labels assigned. |
| Exhibition Week | 05/19/26 | Pods taken outside daily to harden. No official scoring. Reserve designations due by May 26. |
| Week 1 | 05/26/26 | Memorial Day — Season Starts. Field moves outside. Scoring begins. |
| Week 2 | 06/02/26 | |
| Week 3 | 06/09/26 | |
| Week 4 | 06/16/26 | |
| Week 5 | 06/23/26 | |
| Week 6 | 06/30/26 | 4th of July All-Star Match Up |
| Week 7 | 07/07/26 | |
| Week 8 | 07/14/26 | |
| Week 9 | 07/21/26 | |
| Week 10 | 07/28/26 | Regular Season Finale |
| Week 11 | 08/04/26 | Playoffs — Round 1 |
| Week 12 | 08/11/26 | Media Week |
| Week 13 | 08/18/26 | The Final Bloom — Championship |
Weather, timing, and judgment are all part of the schedule. Only one is predictable.
3. The Scoring
Numbers help. They do not settle anything.
Each pod is scored once per week across five metrics using three photographs per pod — front, left side, and right side. The Scorer's verdict is final unless a Root Check Challenge is filed.
Each week, every plant is judged the same way. The results rarely feel that way.
Each week's scoring produces one Root Card per pod — showing the five metrics, weekly total, season-to-date total, and a one-to-two sentence verdict. Cards are published every Tuesday.
4. The Root Check Challenge
Second chances. With consequences.
Any Owner who disputes the Official Scorer's assessment of one of their pods may file a Root Check Challenge. This is a re-review — not an appeal. The Scorer examines the challenged pod again with fresh eyes and issues a new score. The new score stands regardless of whether it is higher or lower than the original.
If something doesn't look right, it probably isn't. This is how it gets checked.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Challenges per season | 3 per Team Owner |
| Scope | One pod per challenge. That pod only. |
| Outcome | New score is final. No further challenge that week. |
| Timing | Must be filed before the following Tuesday's session. |
5. The Reserve Pods
Every owner holds something back. So does the Commissioner.
There are two layers of reserves in the Sunflower Showdown. Both matter. Neither scores until activated.
| Reserve Type | Held By | Count | When Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner Reserve | Team Owner | 1 per owner (5 total) | If a competing pod fails |
| Commissioner’s Extras | Commissioner | 5 | At Commissioner’s sole discretion |
They are not expected to matter. They often do.
6. The Playoffs
This is where it becomes something else.
The top four Team Owners at the end of Week 10 advance to the playoffs. Final regular season standings determine seeding. The format is single-elimination across two weeks — no byes, no second chances. Playoff scoring uses the same five metrics as the regular season. The highest weekly score in each matchup advances. Media Week precedes the championship, just like the week before the Super Bowl. The champion is crowned at The Final Bloom.
One bloom. No scoring. All pressure.
By now, everyone has an opinion. It starts to matter.
7. The Commissioner
Someone has to keep this moving.
Woody Grove serves as Commissioner for the inaugural season. The Commissioner is responsible for weekly photography, score publication, rule interpretation, reserve pod assignments, and maintaining the official spreadsheet.
The Commissioner may not use his position to influence his own scores. The Commissioner's draft position was determined by a process he designed, administered, and personally certified. He sees no issue with any of this.
The Commissioner's rulings are final. The Commissioner acknowledges this is an imperfect arrangement. The Commissioner is doing his best.
Decisions will be made. They will stand.