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Sunflowers

Florida, United States Us

I would like to know exactly how to save the seeds from my spent sunflowers. I have them hanging upside down to dry, but don't see any seeds there yet, just little tiny things and these were very big sunflowers! Thanks. A pic of my largest sunflower is by my name.




Answers

 

I would have thought the seed would form inside the flower head and will drop out when ripe, but I don't know. Please leave a couple of heads out for the birds in the winter!

10 Jul, 2009

 

Oh I will! My second love after gardening is bird watching. But I wanted to save some of the seeds to plant next spring as these were so beautiful. I was just told to remove the flower head after the yellow was gone and hang it upside down.

10 Jul, 2009

 

It is odd that all you can see are tiny things - sunflower seeds are pretty big. Guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens.

10 Jul, 2009

 

leave the head on the plant and when it turns black/brown and dry cut the head off and leave face down on a tray and the seed should drop out. failing that when dry rub the seed with your thumb and it should pop out. a couple of years i left mine in the green house and found a wood mouse having a feast :o)

10 Jul, 2009

 

OK! Thanks

10 Jul, 2009

 

Hi Paticiamb......yes I would do what Seaburngirl suggests and wait for it to dry. I had some the other year and dried them then snapped them in half and the seeds sprinkled out. A good tip if you want to have lots of flowers....nip the top of the stem out when growing and you'll get lots of flowers growing off the side shoots, keep dead heading and it'll flower for ages. Makes an interesting change to just the one stem....:o)

11 Jul, 2009

 

Hi! I was actually surprised to have some that did have more than one flower! They grew out of spots where leaves touched the stalk. But my favorite was a single flower, and it was 12" across! I didn't think about deadheading, will do so next year and just keep a couple with one single flower.

11 Jul, 2009

How do I say thanks?

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