When and How to Harvest Sunflower Seed Heads

[@reenajones8257]

I don’t understand why people put thumbs down on you you do Great job thank you for having this video very helpful hugs

[@courtneymyers8044]

I think they disliked it because they didn't show how to get the seeds out to roast them

[@supremetaco2399]

Just jealousy

[@843andyville.5]

Thumbs down just for your troll comment.

[@sherylparkin5778]

I'm growing sunflowers for the first time this summer. Thank you for this informative and well filmed video!

[@ajplays7241]

This is my first time growing them too

[@enkaiscott]

My sunflowers started to droop last week, and I wasn’t sure what that meant. I gave them more water, thinking I might be a bad caretaker. Then I noticed that the bees stopped buzzing around the drooping plants whose leaves were becoming dry. Two days ago, I saw bites on my sunflowers and initially thought someone was mistreating them. However, this morning I caught a cardinal eating my harvest. I don’t mind sharing with the bees, as I planted the sunflowers for them in the first place. But seeing that my seeds were becoming bird food made me realize it must be time for harvest. I appreciate the video you provided-it empowered me to know my green thumb wasn’t defective. I was relieved to see how easily a pair of scissors could cut the sunflower heads, and I collected them in a bag. Tonight, my children and I will clean off the flower buds and hang the heads to dry. Thanks to your video, the kids will have their own sunflower seeds in time for school, just as planned.

[@Thealmightybyron]

Very helpful and one of the best videos I’ve found. I grow sunflowers every year, mammoths, autumn beauty, sunspot etc. You had suggested wrapping them if you’re keeping them outdoors to dry, and that’s one thing a lot of videos don’t explain. I bought a roll of aluminum screen (what you would use to replace screen on a screen door) and I wrap the heads in a crimp style and zip tie them to the flower. It’s very effective. Finches doves etc can’t stretch it out so that’s my two cents on that.

[@WonderfulWino]

I grew some 9-10 foot mammoths this summer and was wondering when to harvest. Thank you.

[@mankori_nakoto]

that was such a lovely video thanks so much! not just informative but also satisfying to watch and listen to. :-) ❤

[@timothyschwartz2028]

I also found that harvesting at this stage reduces,not just larger animals but there will be less worms and less seeds with worm holes in them..great,video

[@SonShine007]

Say favorite flowers are sunflowers 🌻 & we have them all over in the back of our garden! Thanks so much for such great tutorials! I usually stalk your sourdough bread tutorials, but now I will binge watch all of your vids! 😍

[@lanarivera7521]

Hello everyone, because of this video i harvested all of my sunflower seeds way too early. What she fails to mention in this video is the rest of the signs that the seeds are ready for harvest. Its not just the petals being dried out theres more. Maybe you should reshoot this video and include all the signs so us newbies dont make this mistake and ruin our harvest. A few things to look for when determining when to harvest are: - Harvest when seeds are plump and developed. - Harvest when flower petals begin to dry out and fall off. - Harvest when the back of flower turns from green to yellow (if you are cutting the stem off to dry). - Harvest when the back of the flower is brown (if you are letting seeds dry with the stem intact).

[@monicacordova3933]

Should I keep watering them daily?

[@helnyson4694]

Fully value your further info.. that'll save a lot from ruining their harvest. Myself included. In humility and gratitude 😄✌🏽

[@darryldessa6444]

Hello there. Beautiful sunflowers you have there. I grew abt a 100 sunflowers this summer of all sizes & one of them had two heads on one of them just like in this video

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Thanks for sharing! I’m imagining all those sunflowers reaching up to the sun! 🌻

[@darryldessa6444]

@@DesertHavaGarden I purchased Mangolian SunFlower Seeds from Amazon for next summers grow. You should try growing them yourself. They grow between 10 to 14 ft tall w/ a unique appearance.

[@womper7122]

When yah boi starts to droop and da leaves get the croop you should do the choop

[@MatisCCCC]

woop woop

[@funkdaflow5009]

and thats the scoop boop boop bee doo!!

[@toronto070]

I just harvested (cut the head off) of one of my sunflowers. They are more mature than these in the video. They are mostly black with white lines through them (like the kind you'd buy at the store). Not as white as these. They were as white as they are in this video a couple of weeks ago. I was on a conference call and looked out to see a squirrel sitting on the head of one of the sunflowers having a feast - he got about 15% of the head. Also a good way to know it's time to cut the head off and bring it inside! :) If any of the seeds survive my girlfriend, I plan to hang the head.

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Excellent!

[@neuronoc.7343]

I don't even know why I'm here, but my community garden has a few sunflowers, good info.

[@eddieramos9126]

Thanks and that view was perfect even from your chin! Fixing to try this with some I Ickes 3 days ago

[@kimberlypesotski47]

Thank you God bless you 🌻

[@jonathantiu8969]

After cutting one of my sunflower heads, I hung it up to dry for a week. When I harvested the seeds, there was very little meat /seed in the seeds. Does that mean I cut if off too early? Better to leave the head on the plant longer and just cover it with cheesecloth? (Wondering if the seeds get meatier the longer the sunflower stays on the plant?)

[@DesertHavaGarden]

The seeds develop more and get meatier when you leave them on the plant longer. A good way to tell is if the seeds have developed the black stripe alone each shell; that is when they are ready.

[@benjaminellis6237]

The people who disliked are the birds who didn't get her seeds.

[@katiecannon8186]

Birds are people too.

[@DesertHavaGarden]

🤣

[@mikedoingmikethings702]

Birds Lives Matter!!! 😅

[@cath3091]

😂😂😂

[@sandbags2411]

I have one plant with one dry head and two new heads can I cut off the dry without damaging the rest of the plant

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Yes!

[@azzurro_23]

Thanku! Nice chin hold 👌👏👏👏

[@topangasunrise]

How long do you hang them to dry? Some commenters felt you picked them too soon, but because I waited thinking the backs should turn brown first, the cockatoos got the best ones! So I'll cut the rest but not sure how long to hang them. Thanks.

[@DesertHavaGarden]

It really depends on the humidity where you are. In AZ they would be fully dry in less than a week. Here in MO I let them dry about a month. If you roast them, you can just do that to dry them.

[@thespeedy2485]

thank you, for this video. it really helped. im in australia right now and there is a cockatoo eating the sunflower seeds. do i just keep harvesting them or do i just let it eat them

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Depends on what you wanted to do with the seeds. If you didn’t plan on sharing them all, I’d harvest them and allow to dry where they aren’t going to get pecked by the local nature critters. Good luck!

[@geneva1999]

What do you do with stems/trunks after you cut off the flower heads? Do you leave them and continue to give water so they bloom flowers again or do you have to remove and plant the seeds again?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

I remove and have to plant again the next season.

[@Barsabus]

Throw everything into a compost bin and make new garden soil.

[@artscience84]

Great video! Thanks for the info. What time of year will you plant the new seeds?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

In our climate, I plant in February. My spring garden is already going!

[@gabsalot4386]

I tried this, some were accidentally too early, I put them in a paper back and they molded. I think next time I'll try the Amish method of hanging them to dry.

[@chanelprincess6061]

You can still roast the entire head early, with butter in the oven. Alot of people do this now, or Grill it...

[@DesertHavaGarden]

I really want to try this!

[@UnstoppableTramp]

Thank you for the video 👏😀

[@leslieburleson1550]

Mine are full of bugs ! How do you get rid of bugs ?

[@tammymanuel9158]

How long after you cut the head off the plant do you let dry before harvesting the seeds?

[@tinkscause8503]

Do the seeds have to be black on the plant before u harvest? Mine are all white still in September 12

[@joanies6778]

Wow! So glad I watched your video before picking sunflowers. I just picked 3 and found a worm in one, a spider on another, and multiple ear wigs were hiding inside each one! Gross. 😵 I never would have seen them if I had not dunked them in water! One drowned, but the rest got booted into my stinky bug-be-gone jar. Those things gross me out. I still need to dunk them in the soapy water, but that was an eye opener. THANK YOU!!! 🌻🌻🌻

[@helnyson4694]

Wait.. what? You kill bugs!!! Wth?

[@Bean_TheBeautifulシ]

Is the 2 heads a mutation? Also mine isn’t as big as yours, is that ok?

[@jizelleweatherholt4785]

So do we pull up the stalks or will they rebloom next year?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

They are annuals so they won’t rebloom, you have to plant them each year.

[@jizelleweatherholt4785]

Desert Hava Garden thank you!

[@janetbrown1951]

Do they have to be washed and dried before roasting and how long to roast at what oven temperature

[@DesertHavaGarden]

If you want them salted, boil in salt water for about 20 minutes and then drain. If you don’t want them salted, just rinse them off. Put them on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, but begin checking at 15 minutes.

[@janetbrown1951]

@@DesertHavaGarden thank you I will use the unsalted version

[@markrodgers1965]

What variety are ones with 1-3 black stripes ?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

I’m sorry, but I’m not sure 😬

[@DG-rv2iz]

I cut my sunflower down hung them up and some are starting to mold. What am I doing wrong?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

I had some of the same issue in Missouri. I think they need good ventilation, maybe a fan to move the air around. I also remove them from the head to reduce moisture.

[@mereoxendine193]

Is there a reason why these seeds are white? I have a sunflower with white seeds and I'm kinda letting them dry a little bit. I just wondered if I can take the seeds out of the flower. Thanks for the info 😊 . Meredith

[@DesertHavaGarden]

The shells are white with a black stripe, the black stripe indicates they are getting mature. There are come varieties of black shell sunflowers, but they are used for oil rather than eating the seeds. You want to make sure the shells are looking nice and plump before you harvest them or the seeds may be tiny.

[@mereoxendine193]

@@DesertHavaGarden thanks for the info.

[@unapologeticallyme8513]

Thank you for sharing with us ♡

[@misscandicern]

How do you prevent sunflower bugs from laying eggs in and the maggot eating the seed

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Other than using awful chemicals, the best way is the roast them immediately.

[@misscandicern]

@@DesertHavaGarden you mean cut the head off while in full bloom?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

No, I still wait until the shells have the black stripe and hope for the best.

[@misscandicern]

@@DesertHavaGarden ok. I have just been checking for holes.

[@AdrianBigyes]

Aren't the seeds underdeveloped on that stage?

[@henpeckedlizard9873]

Most of them

[@amandadebara8612]

Yes. You'll want to wait until it is dryer than what she has picked. You'll want to wait until all the petals are off and the back of the sunflower is brown looking, and the flower part isn't green inside. You'll also see the seeds will start getting the black stripes on them.

[@henpeckedlizard9873]

@@amandadebara8612 yes i tend to wait until the whole plant has died out. They taste better.

[@dualsportdiary1150]

Yep. Those were picked too early

[@foreverkenzie2397]

Mine are still white but it has snowed and broke the stem. Can I still use the seeds for something? there is a seed inside them

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Forever Kenzie If there is a seed you can definitely use them. When they are white and immature, the seeds are usually small and not fully developed. Because of the frost, just harvest now and see if they are big enough to eat.

[@siphilipe]

Looks like you do not have any bird over there since no single grain is missing?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

I think the birds here prefer pollen nectar and fruit. We have lots of humming birds, quail, roadrunners, and some sparrows.

[@effendi7041]

LOVE SUNFLOWER

[@DJKruckenberg]

Thank you for your help

[@Gray8YT]

This video was great!

[@scottjones4888]

my seeds r still white no stripes how long do i wait till ready

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Just keep waiting…

[@a.michelleridley-franklin2005]

What kind of sunflowers do you have there harvesting?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Gray giant

[@jermaineknight]

Which type of sunflower in that 9 foot tall one? I would like to plant one that will get tall like that

[@DesertHavaGarden]

It is Grey Giant Sunflower, I purchased the seeds at rareseeds.com

[@jermaineknight]

@@DesertHavaGarden Ah ok thanks a lot. In general though would sunflowers get around 6 feet or so?

[@perfectperspectives]

We put the tiny little flowers in salads

[@DesertHavaGarden]

That sounds amazing! I’ve seen that you can also roast the flowers, I need to try that.

[@frankmcgourty2526]

Excellent video

[@sikaBaon]

I have,sunflowers too in my garden but my problem is. Why the good seeds i got are few,i thought all inside the flower head are all seeds.I hope you help me to answer my question,tthank you

[@DesertHavaGarden]

The head should be filled with seeds. It could be that it was picked too soon. Try allowing more time for the seeds to develop. You can check by rubbing off the flowers to expose the seeds under to see if they are developing stripes down the shell, that is when they are ready.

[@sikaBaon]

Thank you for your time Sir to answering my question,now i know what im gonna do

[@carlthacker570]

The bees are not present to pollinate. Fondle them all when they open.

[@carolfort225]

Thank you

[@mint6726]

I think I harvested mine way too early since I checked the inside some of the seeds and some are small and some have fully mature seeds inside!

[@joanaAnez]

how long do you wait to let them dry?

[@DesertHavaGarden]

In our climate they are dry in about a week. Depending on your humidity, it may take longer.

[@bubblingbubztheklown5902]

Very helpful thank you!

[@lucylou4335]

Hi guys what's the difference between white and black seeds please???

[@DesertHavaGarden]

The black seeds are typically smaller and are used for oil. The larger striped shell type are used for eating.

[@aliabdelaziz905]

Mine are empty and have no seeds

[@iemo666]

cool

[@Liz-zg7vs]

I had trouble getting the volume turned up so I put it on the TV v

[@DesertHavaGarden]

Sorry about that 😞

[@cameronweidert8784]

I used a hacksaw to cut mine

[@khuff8331]

My container sunflower petals fell off before becoming dry.

[@DesertHavaGarden]

K Huff If pests aren’t a concern, you can leave the flower head on a little longer before harvesting.

[@liannecanazzi9311]

I wanted you to scratch this so bad

[@jem112576]

Not enough information!

[@danielhenderson88]

thath is on him soooo

[@sequoialocklear7780]

No! No No No No. Do not do this you guys! The seeds are not fully developed. The stuff that she was peeling off was the coating to protect the seeds so they could continue to develop... Yes they’re dying, but they still look good! No offense, but you ruined those poor sunflowers 😔 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@sorettetog2688]

When do you cut them? I have two mammoths flowers going into October that are not quite ready yet?

[@dcall7830]

the people who disliked smis smliked

[@arpitchaudhary1883]

Asmr

[@danielhenderson88]

and i late my bad bro

[@DesertHavaGarden]

🤣

[@leonardhpls6]

Those seeds are not fully developed, a couple more week would be perfect.

[@danielhenderson88]

idk what to tell him