I planted some sunflowers this year and they have grown really well. My plan was to grow the sunflowers, then use the seeds as bird food in the winter. Right now several of the flowers are going to seed.

My question is: If I leave the flower heads on the plant after they've formed seeds, will the seeds eventually fall out onto the ground. I wanted to save these for winter. Should I cut off the heads and let them dry out somewhere else?



Thanks!

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“The state cannot get a cent for any man without taking it from some other man, and this latter must be a man who has produced and saved it. This latter is the Forgotten Man.”
-- William Graham Sumner

If you leave them, the birds will take care of them long before the seeds fall

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I was thinking the same thing about the birds. My DD wanted to try her green hand at sunflower seeds this year also and she does have a green thumb, it is growing just hasn't flowered yet. She also planted some field corn to feed the birds and squirrels and I have to laugh because it did grown and now it tasseled and has little ears on the stalks.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

With mine from last year, the birds ate most of them BUT a few replanted themselves from the birds scattering them. I was planning on letting them do the same thing this year!

What I do is get the cheapo mesh bags for washing socks, undies, etc. in at the $1 store ~ Place it over the bloom ~ and secure it on the bottom with a velcro strip or the like. This will helps to keep the birds away while you are waiting for them to become ready for harvest. Also ~ since the bags are cinched on the bottom, any seeds that fall off early are caught in the bag.

Downfall ~ your sunflowers look rather silly but hey! it works

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