How to Harvest and Dry Homegrown Sunflower Seeds

Homegrown sunflowers produce hundreds of edible seeds on each flower head. When their growing cycle is over, harvest the heads and finish drying the seeds for shelling or roasting in the shell to enjoy later, or for storing to feed backyard birds in the winter.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mature homegrown sunflowers
• Heavy duty scissors or lawn clipper
• Nylon net
• String

1. 
   Sunflower in bloom

   A sunflower seed grows behind each of the many small yellow flowers on a sunflower's large head (click on photo). When the seeds reach full growth, the little flowers dry and eventually fall or blow off the head. The back of the head and stalk become more yellow in color.
   
   If left on the stalk, the seeds in the head will dry out naturally and fall. This is a good and easy way to provide seeds for birds if desired.

2. 
   Harvested sunflower head

   To dry sunflower seeds for later use, cut stalk about 12 inches below the head. The stalk will serve as a base to tie on string for hanging the heads as they finish drying, if hanging is possible. Place or hang in a dry, airy location until the seeds remove easily when pressed.

3. 
   Nylon net in place

   As sunflower seeds become looser in the head as drying progresses, they may begin falling out. To catch seeds as the head dries, wrap seed head with a square or circle of nylon net (click on photo). Tie securely around stalk in back. Hang as described in Step 2.

4. When sunflower seeds are dried and removed from head, store in airtight containers until ready to use. Sunflower seeds freeze well.

[survivoryea]

on 9/29/2009 Good, clear directions for harvesting sunflower seeds - thanks 5*

[kittycooks]

on 9/29/2009 I love giant sunflowers. I have had to put the netting on before they are ripe as the finches eat them all before harvest day. Great article!