Sunflower Seeds Aren't Growing :(

[l008com]

I planted 10 "skyscraper" sunflower seeds in different spots in my yard earlier this spring. One spot is shady, one spot is a lot sunnier. But I've been watering the sunnier spot, plus it's been a pretty rainy year so far.

I also planted another ~40 skyscraper sunflower seeds and a bag of 1,000 perennial sunflower seeds in a spot nearby. I'm unable to water this spot, but again it's been a pretty rainy year so far. Minus one very short dry stretch.

I have not seen a single plant grow. Either at my house or at this other spot. What gives? I thought sunflowers were supposed to grow pretty easily? I grew one from a seed last year in a 5 gallon bucket on my deck. It didn't get to be 12' tall but it was a solid 6' I'd say.

If conditions were poor, I'd expect that very few would grow. But conditions would have to be horrible for not one single plant to grow! And conditions haven't been that bad. We just had another 3" of rain this weekend. Waterways are high, things are not dry at all. It's a real bummer. I was expecting an explosion of these plants.

 

[Chuck]

When did you plant the seeds?

 

[l008com]

May 26th I put it on my calendar so I could keep track.

 

[Chuck]

May 26th I put it on my calendar so I could keep track.

The only thing I can think of is that the soil was still too cool and possibly too wet and the seeds rotted before sprouting.

 

[l008com]

Ack I was looking at the wrong thing, it was April 26th that I planted them. So about 2 months, so yeah they're not going to grow. But still, that doesn't seem like it's too early to plant things around here. I really don't feel like buying more though. Maybe next year I'll try again.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

The other possibilities that strike me are, there is something, like a mouse, that loves sunflower seeds, or someone is selling off a lot of old seeds the have that are no longer viable, or the retailer stored them inappropriately. I would try some indoors in ideal conditions in cups to determine if it is the seeds themselves or something about the locality.

 

[l008com]

The mouse thing, maybe if it were a few. But it was literally a bag of 1,000 perennials all planted within lets say a 200ft radius. Theres no way they would have gotten every last one. I dunno. They were cheap enough so I guess it doesn't matter too much.

 

[Chuck]

Ack I was looking at the wrong thing, it was April 26th that I planted them. So about 2 months, so yeah they're not going to grow. But still, that doesn't seem like it's too early to plant things around here. I really don't feel like buying more though. Maybe next year I'll try again.

If you are serious about gardening you really need to invest in a good soil thermometer. They are cheap, around $12 and will last a lifetime, plus, they will save you having to by seeds twice. A good rule of thumb is to plants seeds when the soil temperature is about 70F

 

[Oliver Buckle]

The mouse thing, maybe if it were a few. But it was literally a bag of 1,000 perennials all planted within lets say a 200ft radius. Theres no way they would have gotten every last one. I dunno. They were cheap enough so I guess it doesn't matter too much.

True, that would be some fat mouse
That many, planted over a fair size area, I reckon it has to be bad seed, like maybe they were stored next to the microwave they heated lunch in or something. Only way you could be sure of that is to try a few in ideal conditions, like on wet kitchen roll in a propagator, or an old margarine box in the airing cupboard, and see if they sprout at all. Got any left?

 

[Chuck]

Ack I was looking at the wrong thing, it was April 26th that I planted them. So about 2 months, so yeah they're not going to grow. But still, that doesn't seem like it's too early to plant things around here. I really don't feel like buying more though. Maybe next year I'll try again.

I looked up your average temperatures for April. Lows of 36F and highs of 58F. That means your soil temperature was in the 40's. Way too cold for sunflowers but it is possible that some of the others can still sprout.

 

[Susan BBPM]

We've been growing sunflowers for a couple of years. I start them off indoors really early (early March) and usually plant them out in April weather permitting. I also plant some seeds when I plant them out as a fall back. It's always gone really well with masses of sunflowers flowering from June through to October. After the first year we also got literally dozens of volunteers.

Last year we tried saving the seeds but noticed all the husks were empty. I googled to find out why and whilst I don't remember the details, weather conditions can cause this. I asumed it was due to me planting mine out so early.

Anyway, my sunflowers that I sowed indoors in March are romping away and doing well, but I don't see a single volunteer. In previous years we've had dozens by this time. So even last yea's volunteers seeds haven't germinated.

 

[Susan BBPM]

The mouse thing, maybe if it were a few. But it was literally a bag of 1,000 perennials all planted within lets say a 200ft radius. Theres no way they would have gotten every last one. I dunno. They were cheap enough so I guess it doesn't matter too much.

Although it seems unlikely, last year I sowed Alderman Peas directly in my beds three times in total over the space of about 6 weeks. Each time I must have sowed 100 seeds. In total 3 germinated. The same seed was used in plug trays and I had near 100% germination rate - so nothing wrong with the seeds.

You couldn't see any soil disturbance yet every one of them (bar 3) were eaten by something. I dug around in the soil and couldn't find a single pea.

Eventually I gave up on peas and sowed runner beans - with near 100% germination rate.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

You couldn't see any soil disturbance yet every one of them (bar 3) were eaten by something

Them meeces don't leave traces. They have every pea in my garden and greenhouse, I have to put the seed trays up in the rafters with a gallon tin they can't get round each end.

 

[l008com]

Although it seems unlikely, last year I sowed Alderman Peas directly in my beds three times in total over the space of about 6 weeks. Each time I must have sowed 100 seeds. In total 3 germinated. The same seed was used in plug trays and I had near 100% germination rate - so nothing wrong with the seeds.

You couldn't see any soil disturbance yet every one of them (bar 3) were eaten by something. I dug around in the soil and couldn't find a single pea.

Eventually I gave up on peas and sowed runner beans - with near 100% germination rate.

I had 1,000 seeds. So at that rate, I'd still have 30 plants growing.

Unfortunately I do not have any seeds left to test in pots.