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OK, I have two really healthy, beautiful volunteer sunflowers in my front yard. One is about 3.5 feet tall, the other maybe 2.5 ft. Gorgeous. The shorter one has a lovely fat bud on it, should be blooming soon. The taller one had a bud, but it's now gone. Just a stump, looks like something bit it off. The rest of the plant looks fine, so I don't think it's slugs....Not sure what would do that, but that's not my question. (Of course if anyone has an idea how that could happen, please speak up!)
My question is, will another bud possibly grow anywhere else on this plant? Or should I just give up on it? It's a shame, such a beautiful plant. Hubby says "Pull it up, it looks bad there!" It's in the middle of our front beds, and, without a big pretty flower it does look kind of out of place.
OK, I have two really healthy, beautiful volunteer sunflowers in my front yard. One is about 3.5 feet tall, the other maybe 2.5 ft. Gorgeous. The shorter one has a lovely fat bud on it, should be blooming soon. The taller one had a bud, but it's now gone. Just a stump, looks like something bit it off. The rest of the plant looks fine, so I don't think it's slugs....Not sure what would do that, but that's not my question. (Of course if anyone has an idea how that could happen, please speak up!)
My question is, will another bud possibly grow anywhere else on this plant? Or should I just give up on it? It's a shame, such a beautiful plant. Hubby says "Pull it up, it looks bad there!" It's in the middle of our front beds, and, without a big pretty flower it does look kind of out of place.
Funny, I was wondering the same thing about one of my sunflowers. This is the first year I've grown them. One snapped off, I think from a storm last month, and I don't know whether to just pull it up or not. The others are going to bloom in the next week or so, I believe.
First and best guess was deer. Are you sure there aren't any around? It isn't their favorite plant but that is exactly what they do when they eat it. It sounds too tall for rabbits and too thin for a squirrel perch but I have seen woodchucks bend plants over to get at the top, but most often they will have chomped on a leaf or two first. I hope you figure out who did it before the second one is gone.
No deer, and I don't think it's quite big enough to support a squirrel. The bud is just clean gone, with a raw edge where it was attached.
I'll let it stay, and hope something comes out of the sides.
I know nothing about nutria – but you do have them in your area. I also thought they stayed close to the swamps. They are heavy enough to bend over any sunflower. I don't know if they would eat one?
I have ruled out crocodiles. You ruled out deer (although I still have a suspicion).
OK, I have two really healthy, beautiful volunteer sunflowers in my front yard. One is about 3.5 feet tall, the other maybe 2.5 ft. Gorgeous. The shorter one has a lovely fat bud on it, should be blooming soon. The taller one had a bud, but it's now gone. Just a stump, looks like something bit it off. The rest of the plant looks fine, so I don't think it's slugs....Not sure what would do that, but that's not my question. (Of course if anyone has an idea how that could happen, please speak up!)
My question is, will another bud possibly grow anywhere else on this plant? Or should I just give up on it? It's a shame, such a beautiful plant. Hubby says "Pull it up, it looks bad there!" It's in the middle of our front beds, and, without a big pretty flower it does look kind of out of place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by J&Em
First and best guess was deer. Are you sure there aren't any around? It isn't their favorite plant but that is exactly what they do when they eat it. It sounds too tall for rabbits and too thin for a squirrel perch but I have seen woodchucks bend plants over to get at the top, but most often they will have chomped on a leaf or two first. I hope you figure out who did it before the second one is gone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fisheye
I know nothing about nutria – but you do have them in your area. I also thought they stayed close to the swamps. They are heavy enough to bend over any sunflower. I don't know if they would eat one?
I have ruled out crocodiles. You ruled out deer (although I still have a suspicion).
Fisheye, you are correct Nutria and Woodchucks are two different species.
==
Do you have rabbits? Is the stem bent like a critter pulled it down?
Okay - what critters do you have around your place? That will help narrow it down quickly.
Well, too late. This is all that's left of the remaining one. It was a gorgeous bud, too.
I had been going to post that the first one, the initial one lost, has what appear to be nodes (?) coming from the side, maybe it is going to sprout a second stalk....but the top leaves of that one seem to have been chomped a bit more, too, and the "nodes" seem to have been damaged some.
Critters....we have squirrels, probably rabbits although I've never seen any, possibly nutria, since there's a coolee down the street a little ways. Again, never seen any. Opossum, probably raccoons. Pretty definitly not deer. Maybe woodchuck. ETA: we do have regular old rats that run along the back fence at dusk....do they eat flower buds?
I'm so darn disappointed. I was very excited about my little sunflowers.
Last edited by puginabug; 07-01-2013 at 06:05 PM..
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Just a stump, looks like something bit it off. The rest of the plant looks fine, so I don't think it's slugs....Not sure what would do that, but that's not my question. (Of course if anyone has an idea how that could happen, please speak up!)
. You ruled out deer (although I still have a suspicion
).
