I planted mammouth sunflowers from seed in my garden. They have grown great! They are about 10 to 12 feet tall with the heads developing nicely but not with seeds yet. Now they are all drooping despite watering, etc. What happened?
2006-08-17 06:29:10 · 13 answers · asked by radahabas 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
If you are referring to the head drooping, that is normal, they are starting to make seed, you will see the inside of the head, sort of shedding small petals the head droops, the coating in the the inside fall off and the seed start to form. You need to feed it through out its life, until you harvest the heads. Simple blossom booster will work well. Miracle grow makes this but there are many brands. Once all the petals fall off and the lower leaves start to brown it is time to harvest your heads. Cut them off with enough stalk to be able to hang them to dry. Once dry the will easily fall from the blossom, and you can soak in salt and bake or harvest for your birds.
If you leave them on the stalk to dry with out cutting, you may loose your seeds to the wildlife.
If your leafs are what is drooping, this is caused by too much water, towards the end of the season the plant requires less water, the roots are actually slowing down. Pull back on the water and allow it to dry well in between.
I have these beautiful flowers all through out my garden. I am growing some to eat but most for the birds. Mine also have reached 12 feet and plus! are they just too awesome!
God Bless
grandma
2006-08-21 03:45:23 · answer #1 · answered by grandma 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Drooping Head
2017-01-18 23:24:34 · answer #2 · answered by burge 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's simply because the heads are so heavy. The stalk is thick enough to hold the head but as the head develops its seeds, and there will be a LOT of seeds, the weight pulls the head down. Do not over water!!! Mine were as high as my gutters and heads hung down almost halfway. They did not break the stalk or anything. Be patient there is nothing wrong.
I've researched sunflowers and have given classes to groups regarding this topic which I continually learn more about everywhere I look!
2006-08-17 07:26:51 · answer #3 · answered by Patricia D 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Possibly nothing is wrong. Try more water. Remember many of a sunflowers roots are close to the surface and they dry out more easily than some plants. Try a little miracle grow or fish emulsion. Also being Top heavy you made need to stake them.
2006-08-17 15:12:43 · answer #4 · answered by Kevin P 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Re-potting it relatively is going to likely be high-quality, as-long as its no longer skipped over of its pot for too long And in my view i think of you would be below-watering it, as quickly as a week would have been high-quality for a small sunflower yet now that its larger it relatively is going to desire extra water so if I have been you i'd water it extra advantageous than you have been, additionally if the wind is blowing it over, you will would desire to apply a stick and a few twine or string to assist it, stable luck (:
2016-10-02 05:04:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My 15 ft mammoth are also drooping. I guess that s normal. What month should they be harvest the seeds? Thank you for any advise given.
2015-09-10 15:32:39 · answer #6 · answered by peter l 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's what they do. It sounds like they are happy. Leave them alone. Devote your efforts now to keeping the squirrels away. They got to all the 12" heads I got on my 14' plants. Bummer.
2006-08-18 06:02:37 · answer #7 · answered by dderat 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
that's what sunflowers do, they droop, and follow the sun to some extent. I think they're fine
2006-08-17 06:57:55 · answer #8 · answered by wellaem 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Might I suggest grinding up some viagra and mixing it into the dirt. That should perk them right up.
2006-08-17 06:35:25 · answer #9 · answered by d 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋
maybe they are top heavy
they might need some plant food
2006-08-17 06:37:16 · answer #10 · answered by suz' 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋