How to Grow and Harvest Sunflower Birdseed
You don't have to keep buying bags of sunflower birdseed for your Cardinals, Blue Jays, Finches and other fine-feathered backyard friends. You can grow your own sunflowers and harvest a bountiful supply to feed your birds all year-round. Here's how to plant and harvest sunflowers for the birdies. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Sunflower seeds
- Paper towel
- Container pots or garden space
- Rich soil
- Water supply
Instructions
-
-
1
Save some sunflower seeds from the last birdseed bag you purchased. There will usually be two types of seeds--the black and white striped big seeds of the "confectionery" sunflowers and the all-black smaller seeds of the "oil" sunflower. The black-oil seeds are the favorite of a good number of wild birds.
-
2
Place several sunflower seeds between two sheets of moist paper towels to germinate. The seeds will sprout in about 10 days.
-
-
3
Prepare the container pots or the garden plot with compost-rich, well-drained soil. Choose a location that will let the sunflowers receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.
-
4
Transplant the seedlings to the pots or the garden. Space the seedlings about 6 to 10 inches apart.
-
5
Water the sunflowers adequately--not too soggy, not too dry.
-
6
Let the sunflower blooms mature, drop their petals and turn brown in the back.
-
7
Cut the spent flower heads with about half a foot of stem and hang them upside down in a shaded, well-ventilated location.
-
8
Place a box or hang a sack under the flower heads to catch the seeds that could fall as the flower heads dry out.
-
9
Harvest the seeds by rubbing the dried flower heads together or rubbing the flower heads with your thumb or a dishtowel.
-
10
Gather the sunflower seeds and store them until they're needed to refill your birdfeeders.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Germinate the seeds in early spring. You will have bright blooms by summer.
If you want to grow sunflowers over a big patch of land, you can enrich the soil, till it, scatter several pounds of sunflower seeds, drag a harrow to cover the seeds and irrigate as needed.
If birds beat you to the sunflower seeds, consider wrapping the flower heads with fine netting that will not only keep the seeds safe from the birds, but also prevent them from falling to the ground.
Consider snacking on the sunflower seeds too. Why pass up a healthy snack?
