Sunflower Stem Weevil, Cylindrocopturus adspersus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). It could be sunflower beatles or grasshoppers eating your sunflower leaves. If you do decide . Two generations occur in the northern Plains. They are the kind of ants that keep aphids or scale bugs and "milk" them like little cows. Larvae tunnel into the stalk, leaf petiole, or receptacle to feed on the pith. Remove weeds, dead plant debris and webs from around your flowers. Blister beetles are 3/8 inch (1 cm.) But they also love sunflower leaves. Here are a few websites that will help: If you do decide. The plants grow easily from seeds that need to be planted in later spring or early summer. Many insect pests will eat holes in sunflower foliage. If you find that your favorite pot doesn’t have a hole … Other than the appearance of the plants, holes in leaves rarely are a concern that needs treatment. Only a couple of leaves of a very large plant have been affected so far. Several species of soil-dwelling insects attack seeds and seedlings of sunflowers, causing thinning or complete destruction of plant stands. As I looked around I saw a grasshopper type bug eating away and its wings looked like leaves. Mating pair of stem weevil adults. The seedlings and leaves can be used in salads, the stalk is a crunchy celery like snack too. The plants are all about 4 foot high, and the leaves on some of them are being eaten in quarter size patches. In more serious cases, try a few natural or cultural strategies before resorting to chemicals. Mysterious holes in my sunflower leaves! The aphids or scale bugs will damage and eat little holes and such in the leaves. We like them very much. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/treat-holes-leaves-flowers-62544.html Sunflowers are most sensitive to palestriped flea beetle injury from seedling emergence (VE) through the four-leaf stage (V4). Identify the problem. The damage usually starts at the stem end and progresses toward the tip, affecting only the part of the leaf between the veins. 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. Is the culprit a snail? Some varieties of sunflowers shells can be used to make natural vibrant purple dyes for paints, soaps and their petals used as decoration. My wife and I have large batches of Sunflowers on our property. jm167 London, ON(Zone 6b) Jun 23, 2015. I leave the holey kale leaves for the birds to munch on and harvest the leaves they haven’t bothered for myself. They chew holes in leaves causing foliar death. Water regularly. In most cases, insects feed for a few weeks on plants and then move on. 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. Sunflower Beetles – These feed on the leaf foliage and in small numbers or older plants may seldom hurt the Sunflower plants. Sun: Sunflowers love sunlight, try to position your plants where they will receive plenty of direct sunlight, although they will still grow in shaded areas.. Wind: The most lethal danger to sunflowers from the weather is the wind.Try to position your tall varieties of sunflowers in areas which are more sheltered from the wind and try and keep them staked as mentioned above. If you have smaller, bouquet-sized blooms, plant the seeds 6 inches apart from each other. Predatory insects, such as lacewings, ladybirds and … By removing shelter for bothersome insects, they'll often leave on their own. Sunflowers are attacked by a number of insect pests at various stages of crop development. Julie Christensen is a food writer, caterer, and mom-chef. Leaf holes can be used to identify common garden pests and diseases. Nyjer (thistle) seeds provide protein and fatty oils in the birds’ diet. The plant flowers through the summer and even autumn. It was pretty and all, but not in my garden. All the parts of a sunflower have a further use. The leaves have large holes and the petals have tiny holes. 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. Sharing is caring . I had them on my sunflowers last year. And holes at the edges of leaves as insect or larvae, since that's a common starting point for a meal. Sunflowers are attacked by a number of insect pests at various stages of crop development. Holes are caused by insects with chewing mouthparts, such as caterpillars and beetles. Spores are spread via irrigation, wind and possibly insects. It was pretty and all, but not in my garden. Adult sunflower beetles eat only the margins of the leaves, while the larva eat buckshot holes throughout the leaves. A few days ago I found big leaf holes in my sunflower leaves. European Earwig. You can plant your sunflowers starting in late spring, once the last frost is passed. Callous tissue formed around oviposition punctures at base of stalk. The damage usually starts at the stem end and progresses toward the tip, affecting only the part of the leaf between the veins. Most experts say no—gardeners shouldn’t even attempt to grow plants in a pot without drainage holes because it is simply not worth the hassle. Sunflower leaves are phototropic and will follow the sun's rays with a lag of 120 behind the sun's azimuth. Wilting and irregular holes on the sunflower leaves can indicate a beetle infestation. On your sunflowers, it could be earwigs or Oriental beetles that are causing the holes. Holes in sunflower leaves? Weather. But there’s no slime trail. The plant has large, broad lower leaves which are oval and arranged alternately on the stem and smaller, narrower upper leaves which are attached individually to the stem. Keeping your garden clean and free of weeds and debris, however, is your best line of defense in preventing these sunflower problems from occurring. See more ideas about sunflower, sunflowers and daisies, sunflower fields. They grow quickly from seed and bloom prolifically for several months. Dealing with cutworms is easy as they usually feed at night and burrow into the soil during the day. And if they droop leaves, then you may be under watering the plant. Wilting and irregular holes on the sunflower leaves can indicate a beetle infestation. Thanks very much! 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. Keep flowers healthy by planting them in the right conditions. Though, on younger Sunflower plants, the first true leaves can be severely damaged or completely consumed. 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. Decide when to plant the sunflowers.