What did I do wrong?!

[continueasyouare]

Absolute newbie to gardening but trying to set a good example. My daughter was gifted some sunflower seeds and we sowed them inside and all was going well until now - have I overwatered them or is the pot too small? Can they be saved? They’ve just all flopped over 😬Thanks so much x x

They’re fine! Just tall, you need to use some sticks or canes to support them. Tie them
loosely and check them sometimes or the string will eat into the stem when they’re big

Might need a stake to prop them up with as they get taller. Do they have access to daylight/a window? Is the soil moist?

Are you keeping them in that pot because I think it's going to be too small (depending on the kind of sunflower you're growing)

If you keep too many in a small pot the stems will be thin to support and therefore fall over.
Put them into individual larger pots (unless you are going to put them in the ground eventually?)

Amazing advice thank you all so much! I had planned to transfer them into larger pots and maybe it’s about time I did that! I wasn’t planning to put them in the ground as I don’t have that option sadly. I’ll pop a stick next to them for now and get some larger pots for them individually and keep everything crossed!!

How much daylight are they getting? All seedlings will get very leggy as they reach for the light, and these even more so as they grow so tall anyway.

I would also suggest that keeping them indoors doesn’t always help. They grow too fast in my experience. Are you planning to put them outside?

They're growing too fast because they are a) toasty warm b) inside so looking for light

Can you move them outside during the day??

Oh ok 👍 yes they have been in the kitchen next to the window - I was planning on putting them outside (we are trying to create a sensory garden for my autistic toddler) but the weather has been so cold and wet I wasn’t sure if they would survive - could I put them in the shed or maybe somewhere dark? It would be no problem to leave them out in the day and bring them in at night if you all think that’s best. I have been growing them inside for about 3 weeks now.

Don’t put them in the dark! That’ll make it worse and they’ll turn all yellow and die!
out during the day and in at night might help. They need to harden up.

As others have said, not enough light, but tall anyway. Do you know which variety they are? If they're branching ones, you want to be pinching them out too.

They are leggy for lack of light.

Sunflowers don't do too well in containers as they tend to be quite large. And they don't transplant well.

You probably would be better off with zinnias; they are easy to grow. But will still need a more substantial size of container. As in at least a foot deep.

For a sensory garden you might look at herbs; the textures, shapes and smells might suit your purpose better.

Plant each one in its own pot- I am assuming these are the normal big sunflowers? If so the pot should be as big as possible- put a cane in to help support them and put them somewhere sheltered and sunny.
They won't survive a frost, so keep an eye on the weather forecast and be prepared to either bring them indoors or cover them at night.

Mine are smaller than that but are coping well outside day and night now the frost has passed (east mids)

They’re still too young to pot up, and they’ll be perfectly ok in those pots for 2-3 weeks.

I wouldn’t try to stake them, the stems are too fragile and might break. Don’t worry about the flopping, they’ll sort themselevs out eventalle

Excuse spelling, been a hard day

These are the ones I bought - we are in the South East so rain for the rest of the week!

Oh no worries - hope you’re ok x

Yeah, too warm for the amount of light they're getting.

Agree they are leggy from lack of light, and too much warmth. When you pot them on you can plant them a bit deeper to try and make them grow stronger.

they look like they are stretching for light a bit.
if you can move them nearer the window or source of light.
if you have bamboo scewers sticks or any stick to stake the stem of sunflowers.

Not a branching variety then - just try and give them some more light.

This makes sense - they were near the window in the kitchen and this morning they started dropping so I moved them into the conservatory as it’s a single pane window so thought they were too cold - if I put them out in the rain will they be ok? I’ll get some bigger pots tomorrow!

Listen to @MereDintofPandiculation, they are a fount of growing knowledge!

No! They’re prime slug food! If you put them outside they won’t be there when you go to get them in!