How does one extract the sunflower seeds from a sunflower?

Question

to plant?...or can this even be done?...my sunflowers are coming to seed but I can't find any info on what to do if I want to plant them for next year..if that is even possible.

These sunflowers grew from bird seed!...the seeds I paid for and planted with soil didn't take...nature will do as she pleases.

I live in Maine, which I believe is zone 5?...I am new to all this stuff and any help you can give would be greatly appreciated, I tried looking it up and lost patience!...thanks.

Answer 1

sun dried the flower. let it sit for a while and then the seed can be easily picked from the flower.

Answer 2

While many of the folks here suggest that you cut the heads off, this is not always the best method.  The problem is that certain species will not necessarily have developed enough endosperm to feed the embryo during germination the next year.

For my job I do this annually.  Once our sunflowers have bloomed (which, in our case, we have hand pollinated them) we drape each composite flowerhead in a cloth bag.  (Note: by composite head, I mean the entire flowerhead, as sunflower heads are really a collection of disc and ray flowers.)  The material of the bag is kind of a cross between cheesecloth and the material that is used for interfacing when you sew (which is kind of a loosely woven mess).  No matter what kind of material you use, make sure that it is lightweight and is loose woven so dew and precipitation is able to quickly dry.

The top of the bag is tied around the stem.  As the seeds mature, those that finish first drop into the bag.  We go along daily and collect these seeds just to make sure that they don't get infected by some kind of bug or get damp when it is dewy the next morning.

The method works very well -- we always have at least 97% germination, whereas cutting the heads off gives about 60% germination.

Store them in a cool, dry place, and they will be ready for next spring!

Answer 3

Once the head starts to droop and dry out you can take the seeds out, or sometimes they'll just fall if you shake the flower.

What you can do is a few weeks before your season starts plant the seeds indoors in a seed tray and once it's warm outside you can plant them that way they'll be in flower for longer before your season ends. Although if they're going into seed your season is still long enough for them. It's all a matter of preference really.

Answer 4

I would wait till the bloom dies and dries and then break it apart and remove the seeds. I only grow the Mammoth variety. One flower has a lot of seeds in it.

Answer 5

I have no idea, I try that but it didn't grow

Answer 6

what you need to do with the sunflowers is after they start to wilt and fall over cut them and hang them upside down in a shed or garage untill they are dried out, after that you can juse shake the flower or scrape the seeds out, before planting the seeds i would try doing the 5th grade experiment where you put a seed in a bag with a wet napkin and let it sit for a few days to germinate if it sprouts you have good seeds and can plant the rest

Answer 7

Eventually, the sunflower will droop, and then the seeds will be hard and you'll have to get them before the birds. All you do is A.) shake them out, or B.) Pull them out. It's simple, really.  :)

Answer 8

When the seeds get ripe they will start loosening from the flower head. Clip the whole heads off and leave some stem for hanging, Make sure to pull any leaves and flower petals off that you can. It will help prevent mold if you put a small fan in the drying area. Put it in a paper bag with the stem pointing up or in a dark closet with plastic on the floor to collect the seeds as they fall out.

Answer 9

First when the petals start to die back cover the head or you won't get any before the birds find them.  But leave them on the stalk for as long as you can the stem will turn brown and the head will start hanging.  Then you can bring it inside where it can dry.  Put it in something that will allow a lot of air circulation but protected from mice.  When the heads are dry just rub your hand across the face of the flower the seeds should pop out.  Put a sheet down on the floor and let them fall on that.  Also you may want to use a glove if you plan on doing more than a couple.  When they are on the sheet you can take them outside on a windy day and carefully toss them so the little pieces of flower fly away and leave you with seed.  Put them in glass seal-able jars and keep them for next year.  

If you like eating them then you need to roast them put 'roasted sunflower seed' in the search box and you'll get some recipes.