Sunflower harvest

Anonymous-0 · Sep 9, 2013

Every year i plant sunflowers and just let the birds eat away. This year i planted more than normal and i was thinking i could harvest some seed for next year. Typically i have purchased big strip seeds and taken black seeds out of the boughten bird seed bag and planted. So i end up with a mix. I have never harvested the seeds. Question is when do you harvest? How do you keep them? I know my sister took some heads last year and they molded in no time at all. I only assume this will work as half my planting comes out of a bird seed bag.

Bob · Sep 9, 2013

Here's how I harvested them back in the 80's...

<img src = "http://www.gondtc.com/~blweltin/Bob/Massey760.jpg">

Probably a little bigger scale than you had in mind, though. Basic advice would be to hack off heads when mature, before the birds get the seeds, and hang them up with twine to dry/cure in an airy area protected from birds or rodents.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 9, 2013

Yea thats big time. I have about two acres. An acre at two locations. Most the little black ones are already are up by the birds. But the bigger ones they have only touched a few. Just an assumption is their ready when the birds start eating them? I actually have some that are twelve feet tall. Hows that pick pick them? The stalk is two inches in diameter. Is that your crop?

DaveK(IN) · Sep 9, 2013

I have grown 10 footers and harvested them just like Bob suggests. They will get so dry that you can just scrape the seeds off into a container and use for bird seed. The variety I grew were called Mammoth Russian Grey or something like that. Like cherries, when the birds decide they are ready you better get them in.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 9, 2013

Can I pick the heads too soon? Thier still green and some still have the flowers on them. some the outter flower is dryed up. None are dry as in dead looking, but the birds have picked at a few.

Bob · Sep 9, 2013

Yes, that was my combine and my field/sunflowers back in the 80's. I was raising 600 to 800 acres of them every year. The link below will show how the sunflower "pans" work. We had the Lucke pans that the link is about with a special type of finger reel added to make them feed in better in marginal conditions. (Damp, late fall.)
Sunflower pans

Dick2 · Sep 9, 2013

The small black ones are probably the oil variety; chew up a handful of those seeds and you won't need any ExLax.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 10, 2013

Bob and all; Thank you for your input. Some neat stuff. I see where Bob was harvesting in the snow. Very cool but if I wait that long the birds will have everything I have grown. I only plant these for the birds as I love to watch the cycle. Gold finches and doves first, then the hawks. Oh and the cats and mice too. I really don't need them. I also get a raft of people wanting to stop and take a picture, which I love to have them stop. I do wonder how your picker would work with the ones that are as tall as mine. I would think they would fall forward on the ground and you would miss the head. I actual have 12 footers.

Jerry

Jeff B. · Sep 10, 2013

I, too have some 12 footers. I planted two rows down one side of my garden. I measured one at 11' as it was just starting to form a head. The stalks are massive.

Sunflower harvest

Anonymous-0

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Bob

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Anonymous-0

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DaveK(IN)

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Anonymous-0

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Bob

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Dick2

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Anonymous-0

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Jeff B.

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