mandolls, IME and as you have read sunflowers started in pots don't do as well as those directed seeded. The tap root grows very, very fast and unless you have a huge pot it will be out of the bottom in days. Last year I had 150 sunflowers in 60 varieties and every plant I started indoors was considerably smaller than ones direct sowed. As an example the 'Russian Giants' I started indoors grew to ~10' and those direct sowed beside them grew to ~14'. It was less noticeable in smaller varieties but the other interesting thing I noticed was that the ones started inside didn't flower any faster either. IMHO it just isn't worth starting them inside for any reason other than boredom. Have a great day. SCG

Good morning! I probably planted 15-20. At least 10 sprouted over an area of 14'x 3ish'.

i find peppers are best to start in early spring by seed if you have them in plastic sandwich bages with a bit of tissue an a 1/2 a teaspoon of earth first place in tp 2 place in soil from your yard be sure it is free of all stone an is well sifted an 3 your seed can be set on the surfice freely 4 useign an atimizer spray some water lightly gust enuf to wet them but not soak them 5 close up bag just enuff so that it acts as a baloon tell it foofs up from there close it the rest of the way up an set in a that gets good light to top of your frig is a good spot when seeds show roots take them out useing the tip of a sishcabob stick or chop stick an wet the tip doin this will allow the seed to stick to the tip of the stick an from there place the growing seeds in a small egg cartin prepared prior be sure you poke holes in it befor you place in dirt and place in dirt an poke a hole with yer stick then set in seed an water lightly but eniff to wet it an place the carten in a tray of water longe enuff to show its got plent of water but not sopin wet the seed will right its felf as it grow an when roots show growin out side of the tray there ready to go inthe yard or for aney outher chosin spot / i find gowing sunflowers with them help to act as ground cover insteed since usein a tarp or plastic since it can incurage mold to grow on them an kill them both the sap of the sunflowers help to kill molds an detur pests n remove aney nutriants out of the soil that may be to strong for em an will help hold down water in there roots for both plants be sure you keep your peppers at least 3-1/2 fet a way from the sunflowers so that if thay get big they dont over croud your peppers if this occures nip the first 5 leafs off the sunflowers off the the baseof the plant leaveing only the steem of the leaf this sends surgar back to the sunflowers givein them mor food to grow on angive them more sunlight/yer sunflowers will grow deeper and not less surfice root the peppers love them here in colorado and helps to protect them fom erly frost winds in spring as well as fall when leafs look dry to tuch just crumple them in your hands a bit an leave them onthe ground it will act as a compost for your pepers by mid to late october you chould have at least 3-4 good bushels of peppers pending how many you are growung i go 5 sunflowers for ever 10 peppers about 4feet apart an in the middle of the sunflowers is where i place the peppers from there let them grow on there own / to trans plant them the size you have growing can deturmin the size of pot need i find for ladyfingers liek peppers i pick the one that grew the best in the summer an i place it in a 1 gallon icecream bucket be sure you pop holes init an place it in a soap bucket an from ther water as you would outside some peppers need to be acclamated if you bring them in if its to cold bring um in an place them in the basement or in a spot that is the same temp as out side if you can its best to set them next to a dryer vent for a day or t2 befor bringin them in the heat from the dryer will help to acclamate them to the condishion that may accure inside / only thing i find thya dont liek the vapor of bleach an house hold cleaners and aneything airasole based if you have to clean a kitchen or use them be spareing with it move them to the bathroom an put them in the tub an close it up an then use it so that the chems dont killthem tobbaco smoke dont harm them tomuch co2andcm2 are nitrates to them like a lot but alittle is ok to them its food thay take in threw leaf growth be sure that when you transplant them you get as much as you can of the root dont wash of aney soil from there just put them in a good sized pot an place that in a bucket that can hold the water you give it if you have to wash them first cheek to see if dust as formed on leafs groth if so take some wet tp an lightly pap the it on the leaf then use a old pup hairspray bottle an spray it down just a tit to get it off bust be sure you clean the bottel good befor you use it from there yur pepper plant will last right up tell march 20th the longest ive had them last for me doin it this way /if you like to try them out have fun if you need help of any kind give me an im at cale2145@aol.c allways around to help a fellow gardener out with tips i know that work for me getin used to them can be a bit but you will love them / you can also use an old fish tank as long as it not busted or leekey just be sure you suport the bottum of it from the wight of the earth you putin it an line with small tank stonesame as you youd use for fish an a few large stones to help water get to the botum so it acts as a water table init 2-3 '' deep worth of stone is good as long as it is evin befor the dirt goes in it thanks forlet in me place this im an may you all have a safe samhain

Is that it now or when purchased? It looks pretty good in the pic. But, if you've left it in that pot as photographed then I think the roots are frying - if you have had hot weather then a small pot like that won't protect it from temp rises esp sitting on paving that reflects and retains heat.