Need help on growing sunflower?

Question

I planted a sunflower seed in a pot a few weeks ago. Although it is growing tall, it doesn't seem it's very healthy. Its colour is very light green, and the second set of leaves is not opening.

The pot can't leave the office since we're in a competition, so I've put the pot under a desk light and leave the light on night and day.

Please help me what is going wrong and what I should do to make it look healthy.

Thanks,
K

Answer 1

what kind of soil is in the pot? Sun flowers grow in areas that have high soil nutrients and are well irrigated you might want to try a mild fertilizer. The reason your plant is not a green as it should be is probably do to the fact that you are not using the right light bulb in your desk light to allow it to photosynthesize properly that can also cause the immature leaves that are lets say" not properly feed by the light to not fully mature". Places like Kansas where they are grow well have light but not all day your plant may need at least 5 hours of dark. have the flowers been rotating toward the light? if not then they are probably receiving to much of the wrong light. If i were you I would place it by the window rotating it every other day and watering it with a mild fertilizer every two weeks. This will give you the color you are looking for and help with the leaf growth if you have any More questions feel free shoot me a message.

Answer 2

I agree, it needs sunlight, not just desk light. Try putting it on a sunny windowsill. If you don't have sunlight available, you may be out of luck, unless you buy a special light. If you do have sunlight and can put it there, also try some fertilizer, like Miracle Grow. Don't know what kind of soil you planted it in, which could make a difference. Keep the soil moist, but not too wet. (Water gently every other day, and fertilize according to directions - frequency will differ depending on which brand you use.) Good luck!

Answer 3

It needs sunlight, "SUN flower", get it. lol.... Typically during the day outside the sunflower follows the sun. Artificial light can only do so much, if you were goanna use artificial light, you'll need to invest in some incandecent bulbs, standard 100 or 200 watt light bulbs, otherwise I'd put it by a South or West facing window.

Answer 4

If you have to grow it indoors, the way to get full spectrum light is to buy a special gro light, or use a warm white fluoresecnt tube with abut 30 watts of incandescent. The incandescent gives the far red, which is essential for flowering. The Warm light gives the blue for foliage.

Don't get one of those incandescent "grow" bulbs. They use a blue filter thinking that will give you blue DUH! but you really end up with green, which is essentially useless for plants.

Sunflowers tend to be paler green than most other plants.

Answer 5

You can try a bigger pot not by to much though, but I do belive it really does need to be planted outside in the ground.

Answer 6

Chlorosis can be a sign of a mineral deficiency, usually sulfur or magnesium. Don't add nitrogen fertilizer until its root system is established

Answer 7

sunflowers need lots of sun, if it's not getting it forget it. Try putting in a window that has lots of sun

Answer 8

sunflowers like the sun and lots of it...direct sunlight

Answer 9

may need a bigger pot