thatguy
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 7:26 am

harvest sunflower ?

hello, beguinning this summer I planted soem sunflowers

but how do I know when I can harvest them for their seeds ?

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

After the heads are hanging over, all of the head of the sunflower and petals are brown and dry, and the seeds are dark and firm and come out readily. In my experience though, the birds will eat them well before this, unless you bag/ cover the head so they can't get to it.

thatguy
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 7:26 am

rainbowgardener wrote:After the heads are hanging over, all of the head of the sunflower and petals are brown and dry, and the seeds are dark and firm and come out readily. In my experience though, the birds will eat them well before this, unless you bag/ cover the head so they can't get to it.
thanks you for your fast answer
sry for my late response because my pc died on me ...

well the head is hanging, the petals are yellow but are falling off
the seeds are still white though :(

so got any advice ?

ty for takeing your time reading this

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Keep taking care of the plant and leave it alone until the seeds darken up. Put a bag over it the head to keep birds from getting the seeds.

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I found that some of the seeds will fail to fill and the shells will be empty.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I remember posting a detailed description of how I harvested sunflower seeds one year, but cursory search hasn't turned it up. :?

...here's a different post I made that is less detailed:
:arrow: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 99#p153299
...here's another one:
:arrow: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 524#p84524

(I'm referring you to these posts since I wrote them when the details were fresher in my mind than now. This year's sunflower seeds are not ready to harvest yet. :wink:)



Return to “Flower Gardening & Garden Design”