I bought my first sunflower plant with three healthy, open flower heads. Everything was fine for a couple of weeks, then the stems started to sprout new buds next to each flower. However, the buds stopped growing and now each head has closed tightly shut . The flowers are not brown and they don't appear to be dead. If the blooms are indeed dead, what should I do next? Will they bloom again on the stalk, or must they grow new stalks in order to produce new blooms?
Can anyone enlighten me?
It looks like you have the type of sunflower that makes sunflower seeds. Now that the flower has been pollinated it is beginning to make the seeds. New flowers will emerge and repeat the process. If you don't want sunflower seeds you can just cut the old blooms off and the next set of blooms will develop a little bit faster.
Perhaps it is transplant shock. You may have to remove the older blooms to allow the new blooms to mature. perhaps it is a watering or fertilization problem. I am really not sure what is causing your problem. You may want to give your local county agent/co-operative extension office a call for suggestions/solutions.
Here is some cultivation info on sunflowers.
http://sunflower-guide.netfirms.com/
http://www.sunflowerguide.com/sunflower-care.html
