Planting sunflower seeds is an easy thing to do in the warmer days of spring, and with so many sunflower varieties to choose from it's no wonder gardeners love to grow these flowers. Come fall, however, when the blooms begin to fade and seeds begin to form, gardeners might wonder what to do.
When to Try Harvesting Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds begin to ripen on the outer edges of the seedhead first, but may not be ripe in the center for another week or two. Gardeners will generally want to let the sunflower petals fade, dry and even begin to fall off before cutting the seedhead. Sometimes, though, the birds will begin harvesting the sunflower seeds before you get a chance to, which is a sure sign they are ripe and ready to be harvested. Sometimes seeds will begin to fall from the outer rows and this is another sign it is time to cut the sunflowers.
How to Cut Sunflowers for Drying Seeds
Cut the entire sunflower head off the plant with about three or four inches of stalk. Many gardeners will just tie a large square of cheesecloth around the sunflower head and then hang the entire flower upside down in a dry place to let the seeds finish ripening. The cheesecloth will catch any seeds that might fall and otherwise be lost. The stalk left on the sunflower allows gardeners an easy place to tie the string to so hanging is easier.
Drying the Sunflower Before Harvesting Seeds
Gardeners will want to allow the sunflower to dry completely, a process which can take several weeks to complete. A well-ventilated, dry area is a necessity to keep the sunflower seeds from being ruined. Hang the sunflowers separate from each other so they do not touch as this can cause mold to grow on them.
Collecting the Sunflower Seeds After Drying
When harvested sunflowers are completely dry it is easy to collect the seeds from them. Many, especially from the outside edges of the seedhead, will have fallen out into the cheesecloth. But most will probably still be in the large sunflowers and will need to be removed. Use two sunflower heads and rub them against each other to loosen the seeds. Sunflower seeds will fall out easily and can be caught in a large bowl or cookie sheet. Any remaining seeds can be rubbed out with a towel or plucked out by hand.
Now the sunflower seeds are dried, harvested and ready to be used for birdseed, eating raw or roasting!
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