Sunflower question

[tommyq1976]

Hi all,

I've been growing some sunflowers at home and over the allotment, I re-potted one of the ones at home, one that had got to about 2ft tall, into a bigger pot where it'll be left to grow to maturity. In the past couple of days this sunflower has started to wilt a lot on its lower leaves (the top leaves are fine and it looks like it's starting to form a flower too), I wondered if there could be a problem with my re-potting it or if it's normal to lose the lower leaves as sunflowers develop. I water every day and use Miracle Gro once a fortnight and I've attached it loosely to a cane using a couple of cable-ties.

This is my 1st year growing sunflowers so any advice would be great.

Cheers all.

[Hammer]

Hello Tommy, yes it is perfectly normal for the lower leaves to die off as the plant grows, they put all their energy into their goal of producing seeds. Regards Hammer

[Nicola_D]

My friend's got one in a pot at work doing exactly the same thing. Glad to hear it's not a bad thing.

[tommyq1976]

That is good news, thanks guys

[Hammer]

I only planted three Sunflowers which have been eaten by a Pigeon, funny but they don,t touch anything else ?
Regards Hammer

[Crazylegs]

Most bottom leaves die off as the sunflower plant progresses up, its the normal thing that happens to allow the plant to put all its energy into actually growing very tall and then producing the seed head itself!

Feed them once a week with your miracle grow and they will soar to the heavens..

Good luck with them!

[GMB27]

Pigeons absolutely decimated my sunflowers haha. I think they can sense I hate them! Im hanging CD cases, twirly things and just about anything else to keep them away, to no avail of course!

[Alison_Kristina]

Originally Posted by Crazylegs

Feed them once a week with your miracle grow and they will soar to the heavens..

Yep:


This was our competition winner from 2008. As you can see, the bottom leaves got a bit scarce as the plant grew higher. Oh, it was in an 18 inch pot, watered every day, fed once a week with Miracle grow.

[Crazylegs]

Nice pic Alison

Nearly as High as one of my beauty's, it travelled over the eves and a quarter way up the roof..

[golden14]

I am impressed! my daughters are around the two foot mark

[wilonas_poppyseeds]

Sunflowers are among my most favourite flowers. But I actually prefer them when they are smaller or about my size so I can directly look at the beautiful blossom!

[MatthewWilliam]

I think to grow vegetable we require lots of space this is not as complicated as you think swollen roots that are this tasty should be difficult to grow, but they are child’s’ play if your soil is anywhere near reasonable.