Repairing Broken Plant Stalk–Sunflower Repair Operation
I decided to take on the task of repairing broken plant stalk after a small injury occurred to one of my largest sunflower plants. If you check my last post you will find out how my beautiful sunflower stalk was broken by squirrels eating sunflower plant! I had some long wooden stakes that I had bought. Thinking I would try to put up some kind of deer fence, but I never managed to do that. So I pounded that into the ground right next to the almost broken sunflower stalk.
I used this really cool velcro plant tie to tie the stalk to the wooden stake. I just bought this velcro plant tie this year. There have been several opportunities to use it and I find it very quick and effective at holding the plants to their stakes. If you would like to order some see the picture link at the end of this post. Clear packing tape was next in my repair operation. I wrapped the stalk where it had cracked starting above the crack and going below the crack.
Sunflower Repair Operation Successful
After a few days I could see that my operation had been successful. The leaves and flowers looked normal, not wilted or drooping. My first solution to squirrels eating sunflower plants has worked! So far, I haven’t seen the squirrel cavorting in the sunflowers. Though I am sure he will be back. I am putting out some bird food suet which the squirrels like. Maybe that will keep the squirrels away from the sunflowers. One solution on the internet for keeping squirrels away, is to put out other food for them.
Other Sunflowers Damaged by Wind in Rain Storm
We had a bad, windy rainstorm the other night. I found some more damage to a younger sunflower plant. Two side branches were almost completely ripped off. They were barely hanging by much stalk so I decided to just cut them off. I don’t think there was enough plant material there for water and nutrients to travel up the stalk to nourish those flowers. So if you decide to work on repairing broken plant stalk, make a personal judgement. Try to determine if there is enough plant material there for a successful operation. And if it doesn’t work, you will probably learn something from the experience. That is why I don’t mind trying these things because I always learn something new!
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