Planting the Seed.

The sunflower returns with new growth the following summer. These sun-loving blooms can brighten your home as fresh or dried cut flowers or you can harvest delicious sunflower seeds. Spread 1/2-to-1 inch of silica gel on the base of a container and place the sunflower sunny side up on the gel. The flower heads are ready for harvesting once the back of the flower head changes from green to brown. Jenny Harrington has been a freelance writer since 2006.

Sunflower seeds are nutritious and delicious, but if you aren't careful, birds will eat them before you know it. Roast or boil them for eating, or save the seeds in an airtight container until you are ready to use them. Drying the seeds in a well-ventilated area for an additional week makes the seeds easier to separate from the flower head.

University of Minnesota Extension; Sunflowers; Jill MacKenzie; December 1999, Washington State University Extension: Perennial Sunflower. Sunflower seeds do most of their drying on the plant. Flowering. Silica gel is a fast, effective drying agent. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Perennial sunflowers don't produce the large edible seeds like most annual types, but they also provide a longer blooming period in summer.

To feed birds with homegrown sunflower seeds requires little effort.

To enjoy as many vibrant, lively blooms as long as possible indoors, cut the main flower stalks below the side shoots just as the main, central buds are about to open. Previously, she owned her own business, selling handmade items online, wholesale and at crafts fairs. The yellow faces of sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) When the seeds are ripe 30 to 45 days later, they're ready for hanging outdoors as bird feed, but you can also wait until winter to put dried seed heads outside for hungry birds. How to Harvest Wheat for Dried Arrangements, University of Minnesota Extension: Sunflowers, Missouri Botanical Garden: Helianthus Annuus, University of Illinois Extension: Drying Flowers in a Desiccant, U.S. Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: Sunflower, Washington State University Extension: Perennial Sunflower, University of California, Berkeley: CalPhotos: Thin Leaf Sunflowers. Sunflower seeds are a great source of protein and are beloved by many species of birds and small rodents. Birds will soon find the seeds as they ripen. Cover the container with its lid and put it in a cool, dark, dry cupboard or another similar location. The flower heads are ready for harvesting once the back of the flower head changes from green to brown.

Different types of the sun-loving, thirsty flowers grow in both annual and perennial gardens. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are too gorgeous and useful to let them go to waste after their large flower buds open. The seedling, leaf and plant development. Rub the seeds with your palm or rub two seed heads together to dislodge them. 1. Protect the developing seeds as soon as the flowers begin to fade to stop animals from reaching them. Deadheading the old flowers stops seed production and encourages perennial sunflowers to send out a second set of flower buds. Harrington's specialties include small business information, crafting, decorating and gardening. Continue to deadhead the sunflower plant until it stops sending up new blooms, usually in fall. Cut the sunflower stem 1 inch below the head and push a 2-inch-long piece of florist's wire into the cut end of the stem, sufficiently deep that it's firmly secure and won't fall out. Sunflower seeds do most of their drying on the plant. To keep sunflower seeds for you and your family to enjoy, cover the heads with paper or cheesecloth bags as soon as the petals fall. Slipping an old nylon stocking over the flower head prevents birds from reaching the seeds but allows the seeds to dry properly on the plant.