Very odd sunflowers!

[whychangethehabitofalifetime]

Gardeners, your opinions please!

What on earth is going on with my sunflowers? I planted them inside in pots in March and put them outside in April. They've grown but they've got these weird heads and they're not pretty at all! They look like mutants! Some also have multiple heads like this growing all they way up the (eight foot) stems.

Any ideas? I did water them with miracle grow....

The second photo has flowered and gone like that after. Are they seeds?

Aaaarghhh... run for your life!

Seriously though, it could be a virus or some sort of pest that has caused the mutant growth.

A chemical imbalance or weedkiller residue in the compost?

I used compost from Wickes, just standard stuff. Nothing else on them except water and the odd miracle grow treatment when I first planted them and they were little weedy things.

They're grim aren't they!

Seriously grim.

Aha - you used too much fertiliser too soon, by the sound of it.

What, the miracle grow? I just thought that made them bigger and healthier ().

Very novice gardener here, as is evident!

Did your area have warm weather and then some sharp frosts after you'd put them out? That might have messed up their development.

😂😂

Bad case of triffids op!!

Run and make sure you burn everting behind you and install penguin bollards so they can’t chase you.

It could be a type of fasciation or similar developmental glitch. Some of dandelions shown in this have multiple heads.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasciation

I did an image search for for 'sunflower fasciation' and found this

www.pinterest.co.uk/rbc29/fasciation-cristation-proliferation/

The second photo will go to seed. But they’re still really odd how the heads are arranged.

Accidental weedkiller overspray or residue? If you or your neighbours use weedkiller that is. I've seen weird looking regrowth after using glyphosate on brambles.

Has there been a meteor shower near you recently?

My Russian Giant, all 2 foot of it has flowered.

Are your eyes ok ? Triffids hear sound so you may need to stay silent as you make your escape. Flamethrowers will be your friend and electric fencing.

We don't use weed killer, and neighbours haven't, they cut their grass and that's it! Their garden is weed central.

Definitely no meteor showers There were some frosts after I put them outside and I remember thinking it might kill them I wish it had

I've got one too!

Feed me Seymour

My really weird one hasn't flowered properly.. I'll take a photo in the morning. I might just dig it up but I feel like it's a science experiment to see what happens with it now!

Something strange is happening to sunflowers. I don't know many people who have had success growing them this year. Out of 30 I planted, from seeds that usually produce 10ft+ beauties, I've got just four pathetic sunflowers.

@SirenSays

Something strange is happening to sunflowers. I don't know many people who have had success growing them this year. Out of 30 I planted, from seeds that usually produce 10ft+ beauties, I've got just four pathetic sunflowers.

Same here. I planted ten seeds in pots and nurtured them like they were my own babies. Put them outside. Only two are left now and they are long frail spindly things with pathetic leaves. I'll be staggered if either produces a flower.

Last year's were gorgeous!

Maybe they've got covid.

I'm in a competition with my neighbours and none of us have done very well this year. Where's Monty Don where you need him?