Asked on Aug 18, 2014
What is wrong with my sunflowers?
by
Nancy Martin
+3
The seeds were old, several years, but they sprouted so I thought I'd get sunflowers. The seeds were from an actual giant sunflower head. The plants got tall, over 6 feet for some of them.
There are many small yellow flowers on each stem but they don't look like sunflowers at all!
There are several plants nearby so if they need cross pollination I thought they'd be ok.
All day sun, good soil... I think since all the other flower seeds, zinnias and wild flower mix, worked.
6 answers
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Perhaps @Douglas Hunt can help? :)
Hannah V
on Aug 18, 2014
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If you saved your seeds, they were hybrid. I have tried saving those seeds and never do I get what I had the previous year. Also in the sunflower fields around here when they go to seed they come back looking your yours. If you want the big pretty ones, buy new seeds yearly.
Harriette Brice
on Aug 19, 2014
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Harriette is correct that hybrids will not come true from seed. That seems to be the case with yours.
Douglas Hunt
on Aug 19, 2014
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Thanks...that makes sense. Guess the squirrels will be getting a bunch of my old seeds for dinner today!
Nancy Martin
on Aug 19, 2014
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thats not sun flowers its a weed
Rosa Summey Griffis
on Aug 19, 2014
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I believe Rosa is right. This looks like a giant velvet leaf weed! Abutilon theophrastii is a common weed that farmers spend big bucks to eradicate out of their fields! and you need to pull this up before next year your whole yard is full of 7' weeds! Good luck
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Aug 22, 2014
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