What is happening to my....Sunflowers?

Cropper2 6/3/2010, 8:29 pm

I just started noticing the holes the day before yesterday. I sprayed with Neem oil yesterday evening.

What is happening to my....Sunflowers? 100_0921

What is happening to my....Sunflowers? 100_0922

Then there is this newer one that isn't looking at all well.

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What is happening to my....Sunflowers? 100_0923

**camprn** 6/3/2010, 8:52 pm

The top photo plant looks good but for some suspected slug damage. the bottom I would say, pull it and plant 2 more.

chocolatepop 6/3/2010, 9:15 pm

I was thinking slugs also

Mom2Four 6/3/2010, 9:23 pm

My large leaves look just like yours and I've been wondering too! This morning as I knelt by my SFG bed tying a tomato to the trillis I discovered the answer: A Lesser Goldfinch! I have never seen this bird here before. It is BEAUTIFUL bright yellow on the breast and black on the back. Anyway, it sat on the large leaves and ate them right in front of me (2 feet away).

Turns out goldfinches not only love sunflower seeds they love the leaves!

Yours may not be the same bird but since the damage looks identical it may be some species of sunflower leaf-loving bird.

I decided to share. The bird was gorgeous.

Ellen

**camprn** 6/3/2010, 9:46 pm

WOW Ellen, Thats pretty cool! guess you need some bird netting.

I love goldfinches. Very Happy

Cropper2 6/4/2010, 7:54 am

Aha!

On the porch just above this SFG is a FINCH FEEDER heavily populated by Gold Finches. Sheesh! I created the problem. I suppose I could put netting over them like I do the blueberry bushes. Do you know if the birds attacking the leaves affects the flower's ability to grow?

Retired Member 1 6/4/2010, 9:23 am

Cropper2 wrote:Aha!

On the porch just above this SFG is a FINCH FEEDER heavily populated by Gold Finches. Sheesh! I created the problem. I suppose I could put netting over them like I do the blueberry bushes. Do you know if the birds attacking the leaves affects the flower's ability to grow?

Only if they eat too much. I have 7 sunflowers in a narrow bed along a wall and something attacked them -- I thought grasshoppers, but is probably birds as I've seen some finches around. One was stripped down to the stem. It is coming back from the base, but I doubt it will ever get as large as the others and probably won't flower. All the others look pretty much like yours -- only a few holes in several leaves on each plant, so I'm letting them be. Interestingly, the finches don't seem interested in the myrial of wild sunflower growing all over this place, just the specially planted mammoth ones. Go figure!

Cropper2 6/4/2010, 10:14 am

Yeah! They only want the ones that cost you money! Smart birds.

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