Advice needed on protecting miniature Sunflowers....

[Herbsandveg]

Veg being more 'my thing', it's very rare I ever ask anyone a flower related question either on here or in the world at large, but I could do with a bit of help with a petty pressing and pretty urgent problem.

The problems centres around a few 'miniature' Sunflowers - i.e. the shorter 18" or so sized varieties - that I took delivery of yesterday.

After planting out these pretty excellent looking plugs just yesterday afternoon, I wandered out to look at them this morning and found that at least one of them had been subjected to a pretty ferocious predator attack within the first day of being planted, with one being left with a huge hole in the particular leaf that had been attacked.

I'm enclosing a photograph of the most heavily eaten plant, and would be very grateful if anyone could identify the likely culprit (not that there's very chance of me pressing charges over this) and/or suggest what actions I might take in reducing the likely incidence of further molestation. I have some of those Nematode characters on the way to me at the moment, but this looks far more like an insect attack to me rather than being the work of a hungry slug.

[Baldy]

Slug.
Almost 100% certain. That's what gets most of my young SFs. Your picture looks like the work of slugs to me.
Slugs are amazing
Why we should love slugs | Discover Wildlife

[Herbsandveg]

Slug.
Almost 100% certain. That's what gets most of my young SFs. Your picture looks like the work of slugs to me.
Slugs are amazing
Why we should love slugs | Discover Wildlife

Oh heck, cue instant bout of self loathing and condemnation! I say that because it was only yesterday that I finally gave in to trying to combat slug damage by simply putting up notices and asking them ever so politely not to eat my cabbages and things if I ever saw them, and by sending off for some of those little Nematode characters.

I have to say I was hoping this would turn out to have been done by some kind of wandering flea type thing that eats what it did last night and then leaves the rest alone for the rest of the year, but slugs are another thing! I can imagine them waiting until my bedroom light goes off, and then sneaking out from under the soil like a giant Polaris submarine and torpedoing my plants with the loss of all hands...or leaves, to be exact. I sincerely hope they don't come back tonight, and hope I don't have to call up the reserve stock I have in hand in the event that this happened, but I've just got a sneaky feeling that there could several more incursions and a few more casualties before the battle is finally won and the bridgehead is finally secured! Who ever said that gardening was a peaceful, gentle pastime hadn't allowed for such hostilities as these!

[veggiechicken]

^^^^ Still Nutty, H&V

[Containergardener]

Slug /snail. Mine a still in sowing pots yet on 4th shelf up of blowaway with tent .
Snail was found resting having munched through a few.
I leave mine as long as possible before planting and I plant into pots not the ground.
It's been so dry here even for my heavy clay but the slugs still come. What itl be like with rain I dread to think. I may top with sharp gravel/sand or such like.

[Herbsandveg]

^^^^ Still Nutty, H&V

Hellloooo VeggieChicken!

Lovely to hear from you again...xxx

Watch out for tomorrow's evening update on the Slug v Sunflower front!

[veggiechicken]

I can hardly wait! Probably won't sleep tonight with the excitement

[Baldy]

Guess I don't get the joke. Ah well. I'll not bother trying to help ... count the posts anyone over 200 can look after themselves.

[Baldy]

Many people don't get my jokes so its not a 'biggy'

[Herbsandveg]

Slug /snail. Mine a still in sowing pots yet on 4th shelf up of blowaway with tent .
Snail was found resting having munched through a few.
I leave mine as long as possible before planting and I plant into pots not the ground.
It's been so dry here even for my heavy clay but the slugs still come. What itl be like with rain I dread to think. I may top with sharp gravel/sand or such like.

Oh heck, I'm even more worried now than I was before! I'm fully expecting to see just a sad little row of green stumps when I go out there in the morning...

I'm seriously thinking now about going out and bringing all the pots in for the night, but I've hardly got any more room in the kitchen for plants. The All Bran and the tea caddy are already in the washer, and the window sill hasn't been visible for months!

[Baldy]

Oh heck, I'm even more worried now than I was before! I'm fully expecting to see just a sad little row of green stumps when I go out there in the morning...

I'm seriously thinking now about going out and bringing all the pots in for the night, but I've hardly got any more room in the kitchen for plants. The All Bran and the tea caddy are already in the washer, and the window sill hasn't been visible for months!

https://youtu.be/rR17Z5TvMtc

[Containergardener]

They may decide weeds are tastier tonight Hv

[Herbsandveg]

Guess I don't get the joke. Ah well. I'll not bother trying to help ... count the posts anyone over 200 can look after themselves.

Baldy, please don't take offence. This is a real situation here with a real problem at the base of it. I'm not in any way taking the mickey in any way, and I apologise if you in any way felt that. I do have "over 200 posts" to my name, but such is the nature of gardening that I reckon if I had 2000 I'd still be needing to post on here for help...

[Herbsandveg]

Further attacks last night!

Sad to report that there were further attacks on the Sunflowers last night whilst we slept...

An evacuation is thus planned for this evening, and will take place on a nightly basis until the plants are more firmly established, and guarded by the trusty Nematodes. Amazon have told me that these have been despatched today, so they'll be into action ASAP just as soon as they arrive in an effort to swing the battle in the Sunflower's favour. I'll be embedded with them throughout the critical, initial stages of their mission, and wil report back here each evening on their progress.

[SusieG]

https://youtu.be/rR17Z5TvMtc

Random, Baldy, or what...!!!!!!???