What's eating my sunflower leaves? The sunflower moth (Homoeosoma electellum) is one such insect that lays its eggs on sunflower plants. Sunflower, Helianthus annuus, is an herbaceous annual plant in the family Asteraceae, grown for its seeds.The plant has a thick, hairy, erect stem which gives rise to a large flower head. Damage: Palestriped flea beetles chew on the cotyledons, leaves and hypocotyls of sunflower seedlings, which cause the plants to wilt and die. The upper surface of the leaves is dull green and covered with short stiff hairs, giving it a sandpaper-like feel. They’re primarily seed eaters – you may have a bird feeder with nyjer seeds for goldfinches and house finches, which are common in this area. The oil sees further uses as a lubricant, and in soaps and paints. The ants will actually carry them to the plants and defend them from other bugs! Mating pair of stem weevil adults. The best way to water your sunflower is twice a day. holes in the leaves. It can also lead to loss of vigor and stunted growth. Sunflower leaves are phototropic and will follow the sun's rays with a lag of 120 behind the sun's azimuth. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are annual garden plants that bloom during the summer and fall. The leaves have large holes and the petals have tiny holes. In Pesticides class, the rule of thumb was holes "in" the leaves as fungus and bacteria which grow in water droplets. Predatory insects, such as lacewings, ladybirds and stink bugs destroy both the eggs and larva. Some varieties of sunflowers shells can be used to make natural vibrant purple dyes for paints, soaps and their petals used as decoration. ", How to Keep Bugs Away Without Hurting Your Plant, How to Grow & Care for Sweet William Flowers, University of Missouri Extension: Insects, How to Get Rid of Bugs & Fungus on Camellias. 3. Sunflowers are most sensitive to palestriped flea beetle injury from seedling emergence (VE) through the four-leaf stage (V4). When bumble bee queens emerge from hibernation, they … Disperse and integrate: Rather than plant your sunflowers in one clump, scatter them throughout your garden. Experiment With Different Plants . Prepare a small hole in the center, and plop 3 or 4 sunflower seeds in the center. Pesticides will control the moths. Growing a diversity of plants also encourages beneficial insects and predatory animals, such as ladybugs, praying mantises, birds, frogs and snakes. Planting zinnias (Zinnia elegans) is a simple way to add a burst of color to your garden. Pesticides will control the moths. Holes in flower leaves usually indicate insect pests rather than disease, which tends to cause spots on the leaves or dropping leaves. Keeping your garden clean and free of weeds and debris, however, is your best line of defense in preventing these sunflower problems from occurring. The seedlings and leaves can be used in salads, the stalk is a crunchy celery like snack too. On your sunflowers, it could be earwigs or Oriental beetles that are causing the holes. Spores are spread via irrigation, wind and possibly insects. Ellena × If you take a wait and see approach, the problem might resolve itself. Other than the appearance of the plants, holes in leaves rarely are a concern that needs treatment. From The Garden Forum: i was wondering if anyone knew of any pests that munch on giant sunflower leaves, mine are almost 8 feet tall, but the upper leaves recently have holes in them...not sure what pest could crawl up ther This process keeps water from pooling at the base of the pot, which can cause bacteria, fungus and root rot. They are the kind of ants that keep aphids or scale bugs and "milk" them like little cows. The sunflower stem weevil is a pale, speckled weevil 4-5 mm (3/16 inches) long with a short, curved snout that is held downwards beneath the head. Weevils vary in size and color, deposit eggs in the walk of the plant and feed on the stems and leaf tissues of the sunflowers. As it happens, sunflowers are in the same plant family (Asteraceae) as nyjer, so it’s not surprising that when goldfinches seek greens in their diet, they’re attracted to sunflower leaves. The plant flowers through the summer and even autumn. They are a holey mess! On one small branch all the leaves were "eaten" and the whole thing shriveled up. As adults, sunflower seed maggots are yellow-brown in color and have wings. Are the holes round? Most insects prefer certain flowers to others. Wild sunflower leaves have a rough, scratchy texture and are lance-ovate, egg-shaped, or heart-shaped, and can measure up to 30 cm long. From summer to fall, Earwigs like to have a share of the juicy Zinnias. Weevils vary in size and colour, deposit eggs in the walk of the plant and feed on the stems and leaf tissues of the sunflowers. Actually, all parts of the sunflower plants have many uses ranging from seeds, petals, stumps, stems to roots. Sunflowers are most sensitive to palestriped flea beetle injury from seedling emergence (VE) through the four-leaf stage (V4). For identifing the "pest", watch for your plants patiently and minutely. If you have smaller, bouquet-sized blooms, plant the seeds 6 inches apart from each other. But there’s no slime trail. Health Benefits of sunflower leaves will be explained specifically, in general almost the same as the properties of other parts, but there are unique properties possessed by sunflower leaves are as follows: 1. My Zinnias Have Holes: What Is Wrong?. As adults, sunflower seed maggots are yellow-brown in color and have wings. While sunflower problems are few, you may encounter them on occasion. Treat slugs and snails with a commercial product containing iron phosphate or handpick them at night. How you plant your seeds will depend on how large the flower is. 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