What's wrong with my sunflower???

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triss96 Paxton, FL Apr 25, 2007

I planted sunflower seeds about 2 months ago in some mini pots.They did great at first,but about a week ago they started drooping and turning brown and crinkly!What did I do wrong???

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Apr 25, 2007

Can you post a picture? My guess would be damping off, it's a fungal infection that kills many, many seedlings--you'll notice that the base of the seedling's stem looks skinnier than the top part of the stem if this is what's going on. It can happen if you didn't sterilize whatever you were starting the seeds in, or if the seedlings were being kept a little too wet. It could be something else too but without seeing a picture it's hard to tell. Damping off is probably one of the biggest causes of seedling death, that's why I'm suggesting it as a possibility.

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gessiegail Taft, TX(Zone 9a) Apr 25, 2007

There aren't too many seeds i start outdoors....I like to start them under lights but these tend to get leggy and get a fungus mighty quickly....getting ready to sow outdoors the following: zinnias of all kinds, cosmos of all kinds......basically any plant that gets leggy in a hurry....when i do sow them inside I always turn the containers I have put them leaning on a side so that air gets to the bottom roots......
good luck

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triss96 Paxton, FL Apr 27, 2007

I don't know if it would be an everyday fungal infection if it is one,because I've been watching those plants and they're like nothing I've ever seen.Yesterday they were fine as ever,but today they're turning brown and crinkly again.I've never heard of that happening before.Is it common for them to do that?

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gessiegail Taft, TX(Zone 9a) Apr 27, 2007

I promise you that your best bet with sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, etc. is to plant in the ground......some flowers just do better when they go directly in the ground...then you can't ever let them dry out until they germinate....

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Apr 27, 2007

A picture would really help, otherwise it's hard to say for sure. Have you looked at the base of the stem to see if it looks narrower than the rest of the stem? That's a sure sign of damping off. But if the base of the stem looks OK then it's something else but I have no idea what without a picture.

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