Daughter's sunflower disaster

[Palefire]

Hello folks - long time, no post, I know, but................

Sarah, my daughter, has had a most personal disaster at school - her Sunflower has BROKEN!!!!

It has broken just at the top of the cotyledons and has left one true leaf and the cotyledons on the stem, which was growing beautifully...........!

I have left the bottom part in its pot in a saucer in the vague hope that a growing tip was somehow left behind. The top bit - I have cut to about 5cm, leaving the end two pairs of leaves at the growing point and I have placed it in a bit of cutting compost with a plastic bottle over the top.

I have done all this with a teary 6 year old hanging onto my secateur tips asking "will it be alright, Mummy?". So, my question is: have I done the right thing and will it be alright, or shall I sneakily buy a sunflower seddling from my local garden centre and substitute at the weekend/while she's not looking???!!!

Purleeeeeease reply, oh knowledgable ones!

Cheers,

Palefire

[Palefire]

[rosebud]

Hi Palefire, i think your best bet would be to turn into secret squirrel over night would be fun  ;D. seriously the top may shoot again but it will take time and i don`t suppose you have that, that is  of course if it did grow  ???. Do a sneaky
save lots of tears, and you will be forever the best garden Mummy there is :D :D
Nice to see you back again .  Good luck whatever you decide. ;D ;D.  Rosebud.

[Palefire]

Hi Rose bud - thanks for replying. I haven't replied earlier because I thought an email was sent if someone replied to your post!
I am happy to report that the top shoot that was broken off has indeed produced a most healthy root system in the last few weeks and is now about a foot tall. The bottom part has also exceeded all expectations, by producing new top growth and it is now catching up at around six inches tall.
Time for potting on and feeding like mad I would say, in order for them both to achieve flowering after the stress they endured so early on in life.

Just shows you, doesn't it - we should be all better off as plants??!!

Cheers

Palefire

[ALAN HOWELL]

Ahhhh who says there is no God !


Alan

[Rosa_Mundi]

I don't know if this would have worked here, but I had the same thing happen once, except that the sunflower remained in one piece, just bent it half. I straightened it up with the aid of a bamboo and ties and applied a "bandage" of paper masking tape. It continued to grow and flower very successfully until killed by frosts. 8)
I didn't know the top would re-root - that's worth knowing for next time... ;D

[flowerlady]

Delighted to read that the rescued portion now has a healthy root sytem.  ;)

If had had done a sneaky doubtless my daughter would have found me out!  I would probably have used the bird seed sunflowers - they are black and look VERY different!!!  :-[