So far, they are living. I found fresh bore-holes on the ones that have developed and are presently doing well several weeks ago. At that time I gave the bore-holes some big squirts of neem oil, and that seems to have controlled them in those plants. I did not discover the problem soon enough for the these others, however, and I’ll just keep tending them to see what happens, as they are yet living.
Several weeks ago, when Darlin decapitated one of the smaller sunflowers, it actually grew another seed head. I’m wondering if it might do it again. It’s pretty late, but what do I know?
The neem really seemed to drive off the squash bugs. The squashes haven’t been producing, but I have not seen any squash bugs on them! It is REALLY nasty stuff!
I’ll be interested in what you find out about how the sun choke tuber flowers thrive in your garden.
“At that time I gave the bore-holes some big squirts of neem oil, and that seems to have controlled them in those plants.”
I have two spray bottles with the Neem oil combined with two other organic compounds for other nasty stuff, and it stopped something from making holes in my sweet potato leaves in the ten gallon grow bag. Those holes appeared at least a month ago, and I doused the leaves over and under and the plant, too, for three days and that stopped whatever it was.