I have the most amazing readers, and most of the time, it is me learning from you, but every once in awhile, someone sends in a question that I think, “Hey, I bet lots of people would love to know the answer to that.” So, I am going to try to feature some of your questions and answer them, the best I can.
Mavis,
Do you have a preferred or recommended way to dry the sunflower heads to gather seeds? I have tried several times and mine always seem to mold before seeds are ready to harvest. I have tried a few ways with no luck! We decided to try again and the seeds went in the ground today ……would appreciate any tips! Thanks! On another note…your garden inspires! Thanks for rocking and growing!
First off, thank you! Second, good question. To dry sunflower seeds, it is best to leave the sunflower in the ground. You will know you are ready to start drying your seeds when the flower has lost its petals and the head begins to droop. As it starts to die back {you may need to provide some support to the stalk as it is dying} cover the head of the flower with cheese cloth or a paper bag and rubber band or tie around the base of the flower head.
The cheese cloth/bag will keep the birds from attacking your seeds, and catch any seeds that may fall off during the drying process. If you live in a wet climate, which you may, since you mentioned mold is an issue, you may have to cut the head off of the stalk {leave about 12” of the stalk} and dry it in a covered area {i.e. garage, shed, etc.}. If you do bring it inside, make sure to still cover the head with the cheese cloth or bag, and hang the plant upside down to dry.
Allowing the seeds to dry ON the head of the flower gives the seeds enough time to harden up. When the seeds are completely dry, keep the head of the flower in the paper bag {or put a paper bag over the head now if you used cheese cloth, and gently brush the head, causing the seeds to naturally fall off into the bag. If the seeds are giving you trouble, they are not dry enough yet.
I hope that helps. Thanks again for the question!
Happy Gardening,
Mavis
queen of string says
Is there a way to shell these more than one at a time? I recently moved from the UK where they’re not as popular. I grow lots of them, but end up feeding them to the birds as no one here will eat them unless they’re “shelled”.
qeen of string says
To answer my own question, apparently you pulse them in an electric mixer and then immerse them in water. The shells float and can be removed before draining the seeds. I will be trying this soon!
Em says
Neat! Thanks for this post! I will have to try this.
Tammy says
We dried ours in our basement last year. It would have been too cold/wet to leave them outside. My husband just hung them from the rafters and we had no problem with mold, as our basement is fairly dry.
Chad says
We were so excited about doing this this year. My 7 year old son grew gigantic sunflowers. We were so proud. When it came time to harvest, we discovered they were the small black seeds for the birds. Oh well, it was a beginner’s lesson!
Ellen in Clackamas says
Mavis,
I would like to save some of my tomato seeds and try starting indoors next, especially the green Zebras and Indigo Rose varieties. Have you posted this information before?
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Ellen! Yes, here is the link. How to Save Tomato Seeds. I think I’ll repost this tomorrow as I am sure there are other people wanting to know how to do this as well. 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/how-to-save-tomato-seeds/
Katherine says
Any suggestions for if a downpour had just soaked your sunflowers. Can you still dry them or without mold?