Poor Sunflower

[Klona]

After I moved it to a slightly sunnier spot, lower leaves began blackening and it dropped all of its yellow petals.
I moved it back to its original spot. I've been wondering if too much sun could have caused this problem?

 

[LIcenter]

Very rare for a sunflower to get too much sun. It looks like it's getting too much water. They really need to dry out completely before watering again.

 

[CrazyConure]

LIcenter is right. It looks like it's overwatering to me too. I'm not an expert at growing sunflowers, so correct me if I'm wrong, but did the flower already bloom? The pedals are supposed to fall off after blooming so it can produce the seeds. If it hasn't bloomed and is looking like that, then I would say overwatering as well.

 

[roadrunner]

I agree with the over-watering thing and that it's very, very difficult to give a sunflower too much sun. I have to worry with some plants here in Florida with getting too much sun, but not sunflowers, the more the better.

However, you've asked a question that (IMO) doesn't get enough coverage about sunflowers and that is that they turn very ugly after the flower has been pollinated. And it is common for the leaves to start dying and they will not be replaced once the flower goes to bloom. Everyone shows pictures of the nice blooming sunflower, but they don't show the pictures of what the sunflower starts looking like in about a week after that bloom and it only gets worse with time.

Looks to me like your sunflower is doing what sunflowers normally do. Produce seeds and look ugly -- it's kind of like the ugly duckling story, but in reverse

 

[LIcenter]

LIcenter is right. It looks like it's overwatering to me too. I'm not an expert at growing sunflowers, so correct me if I'm wrong, but did the flower already bloom? The pedals are supposed to fall off after blooming so it can produce the seeds. If it hasn't bloomed and is looking like that, then I would say overwatering as well.

Good catch CC. Sometimes I have such tunnel vision, I fail to take everything into account.

 

[Philower]

Hi there, I found this thread in a search and felt like someone here could help answer my question. I have what is supposed to be a queen velvet sunflower that I grew from seed out of a pack from the hardware store. It was from an opened pack that I grew three really great sunflowers with last season, one of which was more a bush. The one I have now though is something I haven't seen or can't find on the internet. Not sure if it's a mutant or a dud,planted about 3-4 weeks ago. Can anyone shed any light? Thanks

 

[LIcenter]

Can't say what that is, but it's screaming weed to me. Don't get nervous just yet Philower, I'm hardly ever right.

 

[alp]

Haha - could be a handsome architectural weed!

 

[LIcenter]

Haha - could be a handsome architectural weed!

It is kinda handsome, or pretty. Haven't a clue on how to sex a weed.

 

[Greenhorn]

One other thing is there could be a lot of reflective heat depending on what direction that wall faces. Additional heat can generate a need for additional moisture, so what worked well moisture wise in one location might not work as well in another location if reflective heat is involved. Reflective heat can be damaging even with additional moisture.

Sunflowers in general look a little ratty as time progresses.

I have only limited experiences with Sunflowers, but all mine have had multiple buds and flowers, while the one above seems to only have one?

 

[Philower]

I'll continue to give it water and see what happens. If anything I grew a nice weed then. Haha. Thanks!

 

[Beth_B]

I'll continue to give it water and see what happens. If anything I grew a nice weed then. Haha. Thanks!

Those spikes look like they might bloom, maybe? Definitely interesting!

 

[Fernsdaddy]

I like the way it looks, let it grow and then if you don't like it then it becomes a weed. Some so called weeds are very nice because of the flowers.