[gweny]

Hey everyone, I've brought in the early blooms from my sunflower crop. I hung them in garage on a clothes line just as I have for the last 3 years with great success. However one of the sunflower heads is being eaten alive by black mold, turning the whole area to mush except the seeds. Can I stop it and save the rest of the head? It has effected approx. an eighth of a mammoth sunflower over a ft in diameter.
It was a weird blemish 2 days ago so it is moving fast! should I trash it to keep it from effecting the others? Is there some way to 'inoculate' the rest so they don't grow it? I was thinking maybe vinegar?
Your expertise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[jwal10]

Bleach solution?. I think mold would live on vinegar, to get enough on would leave it wetter. Leaving them out in the sun to dry might have been better....James

 

[gweny]

If I leave them outside the squirrels, birds, bunnies, etc. get them. I've put a fan on them and repurposed the chickens heat lamp. It's been wet and coldish recently (probably the central issue). It's much drier in the garage these days and the concrete slab offers a modicum of temperature fluctuation control.
I don't want to use bleach since my husband and chickens will be munching on them. DH likes to suck on the salted shells. I was referring to distilled vinegar. Misting my apple tree with apple cider vinegar stops certain molds... Was thinking something like that which is safe to eat?

 

[gweny]

What about lemon juice? Would a little citric acid mist stop mold?

 

[PrettyPaisley]

Thieves oil ! You can buy it or make your own and dilute it with water. It will kill mold and you could drink it if you were so inclined. I use bottles of the TO cleaner from Young Living but I know many are turned off by direct sales so if you prefer you can do a search and see what else comes up. I know several who make their own TO but lord knows I don't have time for that.