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I'm an experienced grower of plants from seeds. Yet, this year I've had a new problem.

A handful of plants I've grown this year have started to twist and bend at odd angles. I don't mean etiolated or phototropism.....they just are bending and spiralling. Mostly, it is my sunflowers and a module tray of wildflowers.

As I say, I'm experienced and treat all my plants the same (i.e. amount of watering, location, etc).

What is causing this?

I'm sure the sunflowers will be fine, but.... ???

Usually distortion on plants means that either the plants have had dose of unfavourable chemical..through the compost, water or spray. Virus or damage to the growing points that is caused/transmitted by insects (aphids)can have similar effect but if you had lot of plants affected I don't believe that would be the case..it would just odd plant then.
Or..the plant dna could have damage to it..but that would have happen in motherplant before seeds are harvested.
Could you have bit of weedkiller remnats left it watering can?...or have any neighbours been spraying and drift from their spray contaminated your water source?

What medium are they growing in?  My first thought is hormone weedkiller from contaminated manure that's got into the growing medium.  Can you germinate some broud beans in the medium and see what they look like?

Thanks for the replies.

I keep them in a well-ventilated greenhouse so should be reasonably protected from drift of chemicals, etc. The growing medium is a (supposedly) sterilised MP compost.

I have grown broad beans in compost from the same bag and they were fine.

Hmm.

Very odd!

Here are some examples:


Swan River Daisy


Sunflowers


Osteospermum


Godetia


Creeping Thyme

It is ruining them all. :(

They're just light-starved.

Quote from: Unwashed on May 21, 2011, 18:36:30
They're just light-starved.

They are in exactly the same place as the other trays of plants which are not affected. Plus, the sunflowers were sown in the trays outdoors and left their to grow 'hard'.

We find that sunflowers and godetia and other seeds such as candytuft clarkia and larkspur e.t.c. are best sown where they are to flower otherwise they do tend to grow straggly