My Poor Sunflowers

[MajorMorgan]

Does anyone know what's happened to my sunflower seedlings? Looks like a disease. Can the last few be saved ? Just happened over the last few days up to which they looked really healthy 😕

Pic

well, they look hugely better than mine, which never got to that stage. Try fertiliser?

Are they outside? Could be sun scorch?

I always find they do better when put directly into the ground where you want them to grow. Mine have always been a bit crap after transplantation

Possibly

I've taken them out and put them in water for now, will transplant tomorrow. Never seen this happen before and I've grown them for years in containers. They're an RHS AGM variety as well 🤔

Agree it looks like they got a bit hot. Though you’re beating me, I had some direct planted and some started in the greenhouse and the bloody mice ate the lot! Have a third batch germinating on my window sill at the moment which is a bit ridiculous.

I'm going to try again - any tips! I just cant get them beyond about 3 inches!

Too crowded and your soil looks like the one I got recently, it dries out pretty quickly and so the plants are either soaked or bone dry.
Transplant them into bigger individual pots with better soil and a good water and they will come back

Just look a bit thirsty to me. They'll perk up.

I was going to prick them out today then noticed they weren't looking too healthy. Yes peat free compost this year has been awful. I think I'm going to go back to John Innes types or make my own.

Update: pricked out in different compost , plus some liquid feed, I ended up with four survivors! Thanks for all your suggestions

I feel that it was a combination of bad compost and strong sun that caused it but I don't think I'll ever know for sure ...