What is the name of an insecticide that can be used on sunflowers to prevent further damage from cutworms? I have lost almost all of my young plants due to these brats.
Here is an article that you may find helpful: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/get-rid-cutworms.htm
I have heard ashes from a wood fire or coffee grounds help but I haven't tried it as I don't have cutworms but I sometimes get slugs and they both work on them,give it a shot
While squirrels and chipmunks are cute to watch, they give me no end of difficulty with regard to sunflowers. They dig up the planted seed. They chomp down sprouts and young plants. They devour the immature seed heads. And, if the plant survives that, they wipe out the bloom seed head. I have used pepper, cayenne, hot chili powder, but to no avail. Other than barbed wire, how can I protect my sunflowers from seed to maturity?
Perhaps, some of the suggestions in the following articles will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/get-rid-squirrels.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/chipmunk-control-eliminating-chipmunks-from-your-garden.htm
I have grown sunflowers very successfully for 8 years now. They are big and beautiful, etc. This year, it appears that something is digging up the seeds and eating them and then if they do start growing, something starts eating the plants. Please help. I have purchased this year's seed packets and have planted plenty of packets with no success. Very frustrating and disappointing. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.
The following article should be of some help to you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/sunflower/sunflower-problems.htm
Birds and small rodents are the most likely culprits for digging up seeds.
I recently transplanted some of my false sunflowers (rudbekia). Some are really tall and I was wondering if I can cut them back. If so, would they branch out and get fuller?
You can trim anywhere from 50-75 percent of the plant back. This should help encourage additional branching, making the plant fuller. You'll also want to keep it well watered during this time, which will help the plant bounce back.
My Mammoth variety grew 8 to 12 ft tall and all produced beautiful, large flower heads. Then all but one died within a very short time of each other. It appears that they were the victim of some sort of mold or blight. Too much water, wrong fertilizer? Incidentally, most of the plants continued to have healthy leaves. Please, help me.
It is possible that it was Sclerotinia Head Rot. This can happen if the head of the sunflower is slightly damaged - say by winds, heavy rain or hail, which gives the fungus a route in. The fungus will not attack uninjured leaves and flowers, which is why the leaves are fine.
Here is more info:
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/rowcrops/pp1193w.htm
I have a large garden with tomatoes, peppers, squash, herbs, etc. But something is really eating the leaves on my sunflower plants. I have some in the front yard also among flowers, the same is happening. ONLY the sunflower leaves, they're about 3-5 ft tall. I have gone out to look at ALL times of the day and night and see nothing.
Typically, if you don't see the pest, it is either slugs or rodents. Both come out late at night when most people are sleeping. These articles will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/facts-about-slugs-and-how-to-kill-garden-slugs.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/garden-mouse-control.htm
I bought these sunflowers that only get about 12 inches. It says annuals, and I was wondering if I can keep them inside during the winter. Will they keep or will they flower? I have windows that are 8 ft by 6 ft, sunny in the afternoon till sun down. I'm new to flowering, but these are so pretty. Wishing I can keep them inside. Also, do I cut the old flowers off or leave them?
With sunflowers, them bloom once and then die. Even if you bring them inside, they will not live. You can however plant new seeds that you can try growing over the winter indoors.
You do not have to remove the spent blooms. Once the plant flowers, removing the blooms will not result in new blooms (which does happen with some other plants). Many people like to leave sunflower heads on teh plant so that the birds can eat the seeds in the winter. But you can cut them off and harvest the seeds so that you can grow more in the future.