I think we grew our tallest sunflowers yet this year, probably around 10-12 feet tall! It seemed like we grew a lot, but after removing the seeds from the heads, it looks like we will need to grow a whole field to have enough to feed to the animals through the winter!
We also discovered that we need to let them dry fully next time, otherwise they mold. We harvested quite a few heads a while ago and left them all together in the harvest basket, well, when we finally got to removing the seeds from them today, I think there was mold on all of them.
We were still able to save some of the seeds since most of them only had mold in some places. In this blog I will share how to properly harvest, dry, and store sunflower seeds.
Harvesting
You can leave the heads on the plant until they are fully dry and ripe, but you run a very high risk of animals getting to them. You can put things over the heads to keep birds away, but bugs will still be able to get to them.
It is usually better to harvest them when they aren't quite dry and let them dry the rest of the way indoors. Sunflower heads are ready to harvest (if you are going to dry them inside) when they begin to face the ground, and the back of the head has turned from green to yellow.
You will probably need some sort of hand pruners or loppers to cut the heads off. When you cut the heads off be sure to leave about 6"-12" of the stem on if you are planning on hanging them to dry.
Drying
You can either hang the heads to dry or you can put them on a screen. If you put them on a screen you will need to prop it up on something off the ground so air can flow around the heads.
If they have enough air flow, the seeds should be ready for harvest in 3-4 weeks. They are ready when the seeds fall easily from the heads.
Storage
Sunflower seeds can be stored in the fridge or freezer for up to a year, or in a pantry or cabinet for about 2-3 months.
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