Hot take: Bleach in the water for sunflowers is a myth

I tried adding a splash of bleach to the bucket like the old-timers swear by, and my sunflowers wilted in two days instead of the usual five. Turns out the bleach just stressed the stems out faster. Anyone else find a better trick for keeping them upright?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant.jade27d ago

Wait, the bleach thing is actually more nuanced than that. It's not about keeping them upright, it's about fighting bacteria in the water. A tiny drop is supposed to work, like a half teaspoon per gallon. Sounds like you dumped too much in and basically cooked the stems from the inside out. Sunflowers are super thirsty and need clean water changes every day, not just bleach. Try snipping the stems at an angle under running water and swapping the water daily with just room temp tap water. No bleach, no aspirin, none of that folklore stuff.

anna_carter5326d ago

Half a teaspoon per gallon nearly killed mine too, so now I just do daily water swaps.