Questions About Sunflower and Jasmine Blooms

[a0c8c]

I figured one post would be better than a bunch of posts. All are on my flowering plants. Sorry if its kinda long.

First I'll let you know where I live. I live in Gonzales, TX, which is in zone 8A according to the USDa Plant Hardiness Zone map. It has been really hot and is getting kind of dry, but not too bad this year. Misquitos are god awful, 20-30 bites in a couple minutes.

First is about my sunflowers, which although are doing quite well, have one issue I don't like. The two packages called them Skyscrapers and Autumn Sunflowers. I want to know why the flower only lasts 2-3 days, as the middle one blooms first and then the others follow, and the middle bloom dies before the others bloom. The pedals also droop really fast(most likely the heat) and so I don't get a nice full fence of sunflowers, I get one at time. My goal was to get them all blooming (or atleast most of them) and take pictures with my niece, which so far isn't happening. I fed them with what I had(Rose and Flower Care from Bayer) and kept them well watered. They've reached a great height(some hit 8ft), but none of the flowers are lasting long enough to seed. I kinda hoped to have the seeds drop, or save the seeds to reseed next year.

My second plant I want to ask about is my Jasmine. It's planted in a pot on my deck, climbing a poll and gets a real good amount of sun. I believe its a Confederate Jasmine, but I'm not all too sure. It only had two blooms and hasn't bloomed since. My main question is abotu what seems to be growing on it. It's growing in different spots, and is light brown and kinds spiky looking. Pictures are bwlow. I couldn't find any info on the internet about it so I was hoping yall could help. I hope it's not a disease or anything, there isn't alot of it, but its all over so I'd pretty much have to kill off the plant

[url=https://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v355/OakHillCars/?action=view&current=DSCF5286.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/OakHillCars/th_DSCF5286.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v355/OakHillCars/?action=view&current=DSCF5287.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/OakHillCars/th_DSCF5287.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v355/OakHillCars/?action=view&current=DSCF5288.jpg][img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/OakHillCars/th_DSCF5288.jpg[/img][/url]
Click them to enlarge

I forgot my third question, hopefully I'll remember it soon.

[rainbowgardener]

You said you were feeding it Rose & Flower Care. I looked that up and it is ratio 12-10-8 N-P-K. Sunflowers don't want that much nitrogen (the N). Recommended ratio for sunflowers is something like 1-2-3, in other words three times as much potassium (K) as nitrogen. And they don't need all that much fertilization. So all that excess N is encouraging the plant to grow like crazy, instead of maturing seeds.

Not sure what's on the jasmine, but looks like something an insect might leave behind...

[a0c8c]

Well, in that case I hope since I've had to water them daily I've been rinsing out all that nitrogen. But, that would make sense. The package said they'd reach 10-12ft but the tallest is around 8ft and is about to bloom, maybe they're getting there too early because of the ferttilization. Now I know better for next year.

Still wonder whats on my Jasmine

[The Helpful Gardener]

It could be a fungal fruuiting body or a mass of eggs, but I think it is likely air roots with all the wet we have been having. Any chance that particular area was up against a wall or other structure? Thay might stimulate a rooting response...

Careful with that one as it can climb trees and buildings with a little too much ease...

HG

[a0c8c]

I hope its just air roots. Insect eggs or a fungus wouldn't be good.

As for it growing, the heats pretty much slowed that down to a crawl.

[a0c8c]

Also, and sorry for the double post, but are the ants crawlingon my sunflowers good? Can't find any info as to whether or not they harm them. Doesn't seem like it, but not too sure. They're tiny little sugar ants.