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Novice gardener

sarahelizabeth1780sarahelizabeth1780 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Hi all.
I'm a bit of a novice so am finding this forum really useful so thanku in advance.
Two questions please!
Sunflowers. Bought the ones in the pic and potted them up the other week. What do i do with the one that's dead? Just chop off? Where abouts?
Also the peoneys I planted last year.....the flowers died weeks ago, what so I do with those please? Thanku xx

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I cut the sunflower head off down to the V bit so as to leave the good ones.
    the peonies, I cut the flower stalks off as low as I can get it. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    Definitely follow the advice above ; one small point though , don't remove too much peony foliage as it often colours nicely in the autumn .
  • sarahelizabeth1780sarahelizabeth1780 Posts: 4
    Thanku both :-) do peonys just flower the once? X
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    edited August 2018
    I'm afraid so , only once per year ; and the best of luck with the gardening !
  • sarahelizabeth1780sarahelizabeth1780 Posts: 4
    Thanku paul x
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I leave the dead flowers on the sunflowers so the birds can get the seeds ... lots of goldfinches and bluetits hopping about all over them to get their favourite  lunch ... sunflower seeds

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    I left the heads on the plants last year for the first time ever............I had 3 self seeded plants this year!  
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Just take the spent flower heads off the peonies and then give a feed to help them grow bigger and better for next year's show.

    I too leave sunflower heads on for the birds.  The seeds grow in fantastic organised patterns - Fibonacci and all that - and then I take off the ripe heads and lay them on the ground for the birds so I can remove the spent plants in autumn and mulch the soil to replace energy and increase beneficial micro-organisms.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    Obelixx

    You like to 'recycle' then ? :) Good practice though . I don't grow sunflowers , but I like the idea of the self-grown bird feeders .
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