Sunflower help please

[OrchidOrchard]

Hi All

Novice here! I have taken over the care of 4 sunflower plants from my DS. His work gave the seeds out as a team building challenge to grow the tallest. After a great start they have just sort of stopped.

I think I didn’t make the most of all the sun we recently had🥺. Having just googled it, it looks like they fare better in the ground but I’ve done mine in pots. We are having the garden levelled in a couple of weeks so I could re plant them in the ground but would have to move them again. Would they survive a move?

Does anyone have any good advice for food/planting etc to get them going again?

I never thought I would say this but this little bit of green fingery has actually ignited an interest so am looking forward to adding some colour to my garden when it’s done!

HA! Sounds like you might have the gardening bug. Join the club!

I'm sure your sunflowers will survive the move.

What's probably happened is that they've used up all the goodness in the soil in their pots. Most compost only has enough nutrition for a month or six weeks. Until you can get them in the garden you could either put them in slightly bigger pots with new compost or feed them with some seaweed food. You can buy it at hardware shops/garden centres and you just put the recommended amount in water and water the plant.

Once they're in the garden they shouldn't need feeding. Sunflowers are greedy, thirsty plants. Keep watering them daily and make sure they get lots of sun.

Happy gardening.

Could you wrap something round the pot and the plant. Like a tube but make it taller than the sunflowers and they should grow quicker towards the light.

I'm no gardener so take this with a pinch of salt lol

Mine are fine in pots, but they are the small kind of sunflowers.

This

How big are the pots? are they tall and narrow which wouldn't give the flower much ballast once it's grown a few feet? Or are they wide and shallow which might not give enough depth for the plant roots to grow?

Sunflowers tend to have shallow but wide roots that mimic the flower head itself.
So, if you were to plant and then dig them up again you would need to ensure you dig a fair bit wider around the stem in order to not disturb the roots at this vital time of the flower head showing and then the seed formation.
However, I personally would not plant those you describe into the ground only to be moved again. Mainly because it's now flowering time, and we have not had anything like the amount of sun needed to bring them on.

Instead, if you think the pots are too small then treat them to bigger ones - types with a wide flat base are best as those with a narrow bottom and wide top don't offer enough resistance when windy, and will go over.

*To remove the sunflowers from the old pots first water them and leave for an hour or two to allow the soil to absorb it.
*Whilst waiting, add small amount gravel/old crockery//or broken terracotta pot (for drainage) to the inside base of new pot and then half fill with soil/compost, whatever you have.
*Taking the pot that the SF is sat in Gently squeeze the sides (if plastic) or run a knife around inside edge (If terracotta) to loosen soil.
*Carefully lift the SF out of the old pot and place into the new one. Fill in all gaps with soil /compost whilst holding stem upright. Press soil down firmly, ensuring all roots are covered.
*Water SF again and keep an eye on it. It may droop but should recover within 24-36 hours. SF's like plenty of sunshine and water, and appreciate being protected from the wind, so a sheltered spot is good.
*Once settled in to new pot, feed them. I give mine a feed of tomato plant food once a week. Never fails.

Have fun!

Sunflowers are quite greedy plants, l would water and feed well. A liquid plant feed or sprinkle of bonemeal should do the trick, mine are also in pots and require alot more water than my other plants in pots.