What's eating my sunflower leaves? - Ask Extension
This year we're trying to grow sunflowers. We love the blooms, but the plants themselves look awful because something is eating the leaves.
We have i...
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What's eating my sunflower leaves? #843752
Asked August 01, 2023, 10:05 PM EDT
This year we're trying to grow sunflowers. We love the blooms, but the plants themselves look awful because something is eating the leaves.
We have inspected for slugs, bugs and other critters and found no evidence.
However, we have lots of lesser goldfinches visiting our feeder and birdbath. Could birds be the culprits?
The plants look terrible.
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question, Vince. Unfortunately, there are so many insects that "appreciate" sunflowers that is impossible to tell without photos of the pest. This article lists them: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FLOWERS/sunflower.html
Beetles and caterpillars would be the most probable villains. Perhaps you can get a motion-detector camera to photograph them at night when many feed, to see what is there. Good luck!
Beetles and caterpillars would be the most probable villains. Perhaps you can get a motion-detector camera to photograph them at night when many feed, to see what is there. Good luck!
