My Sunflower Has Wilted Petals

Cultivation

• Sunflowers can grow in many soil types, from light sand to heavy clay. Above all, however, plant the sunflowers in well-drained soil; in overly moist conditions, foliage and petals may wilt. Sunflowers are not drought-tolerant, so they require regular watering. In dry conditions, the petals of sunflowers may turn brown and wilt. Check the soil to determine whether plants are too dry or too wet. If soil is hard to dry to the touch, moisten it. If soil is so wet that it's possible to squeeze drainage from it, you may need to amend the soil to improve drainage.

Disease

• Downy mildew looks like tiny bits of cotton on the undersides of leaves. When the fungus is present on sunflowers, it may discolor foliage and stunt growth. Flower petals may become distorted and look wilted. Verticillium wilt also creates wilting of the plant, both on the blossom and the foliage. Schlerotinia is a particularly devastating disease, which causes flowers to wilt from root to petals. Head rot is another type of fungus that attacks the blossoms of sunflower plants. Often, black spots that look like patches of wilt develop.

Moths

• Sunflower moths lay their eggs when sunflowers begin to flower. The eggs hatch after a single week, release larvae that begin feeding on the blossoms. The moths create tunnels in seeds and weaken the plant, often causing petals to wilt and drop. Sunflower moths will feed voraciously on flowers, and may cause the plants to die if they are not managed.

Treatment

• Keep sunflower foliage dry to prevent fungal diseases that cause petals and other parts of the plant to wilt. Water plants in the early morning so the sun will dry the flowers through the day. Treat plants with fungicide to prevent and manage problems when they appear. Use pesticides to protect sunflowers from damaging insects.