Growing Sunflower Seeds

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Yolanda Vanveen, and in this segment, we're going to talk about growing sunflower seeds. There's many, many different types of sunflowers, and this particular sunflower right here is a beautiful variety, but yet, the seeds are not really used to eat. They're more...they're really small, and they're not like the sunflower seeds that we eat generally. But you can grow these sunflower varieties just as easily as the others. So the easiest way to start sunflower seeds is in the spring. So just put them in the ground whenever it quits freezing so April, May is the best time. And they will come up and grow. And I have found if you select sunflower seeds that haven't been baked, a lot of the ones that you can buy off the shelf will still grow for you, as long as they've not been cooked. And you can start them in the fall, too. A lot of times, you can just let the seeds fall into the ground and they'll come back on their own very easily. But I'll show you a couple of tricks with growing them from seed. So when I like...when I start seeds, the easy way I've found is just put them with the paper towel in a bag, and then just put the seeds right into the paper towel, and then just add some water. And you'll find, if you keep checking on them, within a week, they'll start sprouting. And as soon as they've got the sprouts on them, you turn around and put them in the ground. You can also start them right in the seed starter pack, and you just put any type of seed starter mix in it. It's really light. It's got a lot of vermiculite in it, just a very light soil. And you just plant them about an inch deep, keep them moist, and they'll start sprouting. And as soon as they've got a good growth on them, maybe only a couple of inches tall, turn around and plant them in the ground. That way, they'll come up in bloom that summer. And if you choose the large, large variety of sunflowers that are used for sunflower seeds, make sure and look on the package that you know the seeds are the right type. You'll find as soon as they're done blooming, they'll go to seed. So as soon as the seeds look just like the sunflower seeds that you buy at the store, turn around, cut the stems off, and save the seeds and dry them or bake them. And that way, you can enjoy them all winter long."