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itzybitzy_gw

Sunflowers:)

itzybitzy_gw
11 years ago

I know I'm annoying;) but I really need help with this...How do you grow this beauty,I'm about to give up on them forever,last year I planted them for the first time they got eaten,this year I'm on my 4th bag,for the season and have excatly 0 plants,let me explaing the first round direct seeded as soon as they sprouted I meant to cover them up with empy nursery pots,forgot and next day some creature dug them and snack on,second try start them in peat pots as soon as they got the first set of leaves,they were getting big for the pot I transplant them in the garden and the very next day I found "stumps" only,agrrr,well I tried one more time last weekend put them on regular nursery square pots,planning on being very carefull @ transplanting time because I cannot find peat pots anymore and they sprouted very fast was not expecting that they were outside and got dug,eaten and I don't even know who is doing it suspects are:squarels,rabbits...I have many dif. seedlings outside on my patio but they only eat the sunflowers.It my be the same animal that stole my eggplant I planted 4 total 2 in pots, 2 on the ground,one of this just dissapear left was the tiniest stem just 2 feet away is the other eggplant very happy looking...I had the "same comedian" doing something similar to my pepper plants except that the peppers tops are intact and left just laying along side.

Comments (7)

  • User
    11 years ago

    Itzy,
    Time to go look for some fencing.
    They have all types at big box stores and
    Tractor Supply.
    That is what I did. I keep my big fat male cat
    in the fencing too. LOL! No animal problems.
    Or give up on flowers.

  • trianglejohn
    11 years ago

    Just about everything eats sunflowers. Deer love them and will eat them right down to the ground. Rabbits often eat the newly sprouted and even squirrels go after them, once they find them. Sunflowers hate to be transplanted but you might try growing them in large pots and then setting the pot where you want them after they get big if you can't protect them while they are babies.

    Whenever I read or hear a gardening "expert" rant and rave about only planting perennials I always say - "a garden isn't a garden without sunflowers" (the same attitude goes for zinnias and numerous other annuals - I wouldn't want to garden without them).

  • itzybitzy_gw
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Totally agree John...my husband does not understand why I bother with plants that need to be replace each year,last year I discovered Dahlias I'm in love with the bicolor ones,zinnias,marigolds,etc...anything easy to grow,AKA idiot proof I'm in:)will try containers for the sunflowers...

  • Claudia-PlantLearner
    11 years ago

    I grow impatiens every year! Been doing it for so long I get entire bunches of volunteers in the most interesting places. For the last 2 years I've had a whole washtub full of red impatiens (must be the dominent color); there's a few seedlings coming up now. I expect to have another big mound!

  • itzybitzy_gw
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    wow,Claudia I guess with time you learn to ID seedling I'm not there yet(except for marigolds and zinnias),I had some lazy people luck with plants that were clearly label as annuals and because I am extremetly lazy had left them neglected and survive all my Dahnlias,are sprouting back I guess the mild weather and they are planted at the top of a slope mulched,help me a lot:)

  • trianglejohn
    11 years ago

    The biggest problem I've had with dahlias is that voles like to eat the tubers in the winter while they are dormant. When I have one that I really like, I dig it up and save it in a pot til spring. I got lazy this past winter and left my favorite one out and now its gone - waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

  • Claire Pickett
    11 years ago

    I agree with John. I have to have a few sunflowers even though I might not have the full-full sun they love. Most of the time I plant them in little individual cells so when I set them out I'm not disturbing the roots b/c they really hate to be disturbed. I really like the branching varieties b/c they are not so heavy.

    I use Liquid Fence to stave off the deer. They love 'em. But the LF works.

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