Harvest Your Sunflower Seeds For Next Year, in 5 Easy Steps!!!

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HARVESTING YOUR OWN SUNFLOWER SEEDS VERY EASILY

Sunflower are Annuals...However, two years in a row, I had countless of Sunflowers grow from dropped seeds the following Year. However, Why bother buying a pack of Sunflower seeds next year, when you can supply them yourself. Here are 5 VERY EASY STEPS TO HARVEST YOUR OWN from your Sunflowers this year!

(1). Once your Sunflower has faded, don't cut it right away, wait a touch more than usual than any other faded flowers... than not to much longer after, dead head the sunflower head.

(2) Quickly with your hand Brush off the Orange/Yellow baby petals & your seeds will be reveiled & then place the sunflower head in a dry spot for a couple days to allow the flower seeds time to fully dry. Don't wait to long, I've found they become too moldy and brittle after a longer period of time. ...»

(3) Once fully Dried & Ready, Slightly Bend Flower Head and/or you can even split flower head with your hands & with just your fingers, simply push the sunflower seeds right out. They come out very easily. You will be surpised how many seeds you will get from one Sunflower head.

(4) Once done removing all your seeds, place on dish or flat surface of any sort and allow them time to completely dry out, leaving no moisture whats-so-ever.

(5) Once seeds are completely dried out, Simply store them in something for the following year. Most gardnerers say to store them in paper sandwhich bags & They could very well be right because I still have much to learn, I'm only a 3rd Year Gardener. However, for the last 2 years in a row, I stored my seeds the first year in mini tupperwares & this passed year I stored them in mason jars & 2 years in a row, I not only filled my garden with my sunflowers but because I had so many seeds, I shared countless with my neighbors & filled their gardens with them as well! The Neighbors loved them!!!

(P.S. If you don't want to harvest them, You can follow the same exact process and instead of storing them, You can eat them. They are edible! (ONLY the 10-13ft) Sunflowers. After picking the seeds out of the flower head, bring them into wash, allow them to dry on a paper towel, as well as tapping them dry with a paper towel as you flip and turn them. Once are all fully dry......place them on a cookie sheet, with a dash of salt over them, put them in the oven at about 375 degrees for about 15-18 min.... less or more depending on your oven and wa'lah....you made your own Sunflower seeds to eat!)

(P.S. Have A Toddler, Include them by helping you pull out the seeds. That's how easy it is to do. You can not only occupy them for quite some time but your also teaching them about flowers and how they grow by seeds, etc. They love it. When my 4 yr old see's me cut a faded sunflower head, he gets so excited because he knows he's going to pull the seeds out!)

Something Simple & Fun as well as Very Rewarding!!!

Hope U Enjoyed The Pic Collage As Well as The Little Tips!

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Harvest Your Sun Flower Seeds Very Easily! In 5 EASY STEPS

8 Comments

Dee W Rock Creek, OH

What a wonderfun way to involve your child and teach them about plants. I have also found mason jars to be a great way to keep seeds dry and from getting misplaced. Thank-you for sharing what you have learned.

on Jul 29, 2012 · Like 0
Ellen A Golden Valley, AZ

where is picture 2?

on Jul 30, 2012 · Like 1
Monique Stapley Manti, UT

You can also use them during the winter months to make tasty sunflower greens. My kids love to dip them in fry sauce with home made french fries. To do you use a tray of shallow dirt, place soaked sunflower seeds on, keep moist and within a week or two you have fresh greens.

on Jul 30, 2012 · Like 1
Rosa Bood Beverly Hills, FL

I'm growing sunflower plants in a wire cage I made. My last 6 plants were destroyed by squirrels chewing on them. The squirrels chewed the stems before their was any blooms. I'm guessing the stems must have a scent like sunflower seeds. However, squirrels don't like the taste of the stems...therefore they chew your plants once and leave them to die! I'm determined to grow sunflower plants that squirrels can't destroy on me!

on Jul 30, 2012 · Like 1
LeslieAnn M Kansas City, MO

Just make sure you do it as soon as they are ripe or the birds will eat them clean. I only harvested a handful last year. The flowers were planted at work. Friday they weren't ready on Monday they were gone.

on Jul 30, 2012 · Like 0
Kate N La Porte City, IA

If you have problems cuz the birds get them but you still want seeds, try pumpkin seeds, after cleaning off the goo and string from the pumpkin seeds, boil them in salty water or what I like even better is garlic salted water till they aren't so white ish then drain them and bake in oven tillcrispy. Sorry my birds get to them before I do.

on Jul 30, 2012 · Like 1
Ann S Albany, GA

also to keep birds from eating seeds tie a cheese cloth around flower

on Jul 31, 2012 · Like 3
Tanya P Canada

You have inspired me to plant sunflowers. We have quite a good sized veg garden this year...next year I'm going to include a row of sunflowers!! So fun! Thank you for sharing.

on Aug 01, 2012 · Like 1

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Harvest Your Sunflower Seeds For Next Year, in 5 Easy Steps!!!

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