Can You Plant The Seeds From a Sunflower Head?

If you love the look of sunflowers or their seeds and want to get more, you can grow as many of these plants as possible.

If you ask, “can you plant the seeds from a sunflower head?” you’d be happy to know that you can. The difficult part of this process is harvesting the seeds; after this process, the rest becomes a breeze.

This article has explained how to harvest and plant sunflower seeds properly. We have also covered the appropriate storage method for this plant.

How To Harvest Sunflower Seeds

Before harvesting sunflower seeds, you should be aware of the variety and what you should be expecting. There are two main varieties of sunflowers; the tall ones and the short ones. Tall sunflowers produce many small seeds in their head and grow as tall as 16 feet.

Some species under this category include the Mammoth sunflower, Mongolian giant sunflower, Skyscraper sunflower, and American giant sunflower.

The short or dwarf species of sunflower frows between 0.5 and 4 feet in height, and some popular varieties include the Super snack mix sunflower, Royal hybrid sunflower, and snack seed sunflower.

Short sunflowers are known to produce fewer larger seeds. Follow the steps below to harvest sunflower seeds the right way.

1. Cut The Flower Heads

For this step, you will need sharp and clean pruners and scissors. Using one of these equipment, cut off this plant just one foot (or 6 inches) below the bloom or flower head and place them all in a large container.

Some seeds may fall off during cutting, so you must use an enclosed container, and if you have a problem with birds picking up your sunflower seeds before harvesting, you can enclose the seed heads with paper bags.

2. Dry Them

The next step for harvesting the seeds of this plant is to dry the sunflower heads. This can be done by hanging the flower heads upturned in a dry room for about 4 to 5 days; this is best done indoors to prevent birds from picking out the seeds. You can skip this step if your seeds are already dried upon cutting.

3. Remove The Seeds

There are various ways to remove the seeds from this plant, but you can rub the seed head over your hand or a bucket, and the seeds should fall out along with other dried parts of the flower.

4. Get Rid Of The Remains

You must have included some debris in your attempt to remove the seeds from the flower head. You can get rid of them by handpicking them. However, this will be convenient if they are large fragments. You can eliminate smaller debris by rinsing the seeds in a colander.

5. Dry

The final process will require you to dry the previously rinsed seeds. Take a big cardboard box, line it with some newspaper, spread the seeds out on it, and allow it to bask under sunlight for some hours. After this is done, you can proceed to store them.

When To Harvest Sunflower Seeds

Knowing when to harvest sunflower seeds is important to get the best. Harvesting before time can give you seeds without kernels, and harvesting too late gives you seeds with kernels that are too dried or have been picked out for birds. When it’s close to harvesting, you should watch your sunflowers closely.

The right time to harvest is when the seeds become plump, the petals dry out and start to fall, when the rear of the flower changes from green to yellow or when it’s brown. The foliage around the sunflower should turn yellow, and the seeds should be hard with a hint of white stripes on them.

Can You Plant The Seeds From A Sunflower Head?

Yes, you can plant the seeds from a sunflower plant. This method is the ideal method of planting compared to transplanting. After the seeds in a sunflower head have been harvested, it is then ready to be planted.

How To Plant The Seeds From A Sunflower Head

The first thing you need to know about planting sunflower seeds is that they are not picky regarding soil type; this makes them easy to grow in almost any region.

If you consider growing this plant indoors before transplanting them, it should be done quickly, as sunflowers can easily become root bound. Follow the steps provided below to plant your sunflower seeds.

The depth of planting the seeds of sunflower seeds is 1½ inches, and each stand should be spaced 6 inches apart from the other.
Because this plant needs enough room to grow, the rows should be spaced at least 30 inches away from each other.
While these seeds can grow on almost any soil, rich and properly fertilized soil will yield bigger sunflowers with established roots.
Sunflowers are best planted during mid-March or early April and in a slightly acidic or neutral soil
You will need to wait for about 80-95 days for your sunflowers to start blooming

How To Store Sunflower Seeds

The way you store your sunflower seeds depends on how you want to use them. If they are used for pastries and other cooking activities immediately, then there may be no use in drying them immediately after harvest.

However, if you wish to keep these seeds until the next planting season, you need to ensure that they are properly dried. The more dried they are, the longer they last; these kinds of seeds should be stored in an airtight container.

Conclusion

Sunflowers are easy to plant and grow; however, you will need to harvest these seeds for the next planting season. This article has covered every important detail about choosing the right variety of sunflowers, harvesting, and planting seeds.

Five major steps are involved in harvesting the seeds, and a few are involved in planting the seeds. These steps provide the ideal conditions for carrying out this task and how to store these seeds properly before planting them.

Helpful Links:

We trust this article helped you understand if you can plant seeds from a sunflower head. You may also want to check out if you Can Plant a Head of Lettuce.

Thanks for taking the time to read our article, and we hope you find it helpful. Would you mind leaving a comment below if you have any suggestions?

Kindly reach out to people by sharing this post on social media.

If you liked this article, then please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.