Do you grow sunflowers? Can I dry the seeds?

[Paper Roses]

A friend gave me about 10 seeds from a package she bought. She told me they were tall, about 8 feet.

Five of mine grew, one of then is about 15 feet tall and dropping seeds all over. The others seems to be about 8 feet or so.

I'd love to keep the monster seeds and try them again next year. I know seeds are inexpensive but this huge one is either a fluke or somehow was mixed with the regular ones. I have a huge wall and would love to run the plants along it.

Think it would work?

Thanks
PR

[beac]

1. Our neighbor saved and planted sunflowers from his crop last year. They came up fine but

alas, the groundhogs ate the tops off of every last one long before they could make a single flower. :(

This site had some goos suggestions about how to save sunflower seeds (AND how to make sure YOU get the seeds and not your local birdies.) Also dicusses hybridization (i.e. will next year's sunflower look exactly like this year's?):

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-garden/2009/07/harvesting-sunflower-seed-heads.html

[Paper Roses]

2. Thanks for the link. Think I'll have to make a catch-all.

I just went out to collect some seeds on the ground and they are all opened and hollow.

Squirrel maybe? Hope I have some old pantyhose around, I'll never get any seeds unless I find some way to catch them as they pop from this huge flower. Do you think I should get a ladder and go up to pop them out?

[beac]

3. Do they seem dry enough to "pop"? If so, do BE CAREFUL climbing that ladder!

:)

If you end up having to buy pantyhose, I'd just get knee highs-- they should be long enough to cover the flower face and cost less. :)

[Paper Roses]

4. Knee highs? I forgot to mention, these flowers are about 12" in diameter.

I think I'll make some kind of a cozy with a piece of cheesecloth and wrap it around and tie lightly with string. I have yet to see a bird or squirrel on the flower yet the shells are all over the ground.
The seeds are unlike others in the neighborhood. Most around here seem to have black seeds, these are white. I have a real strange sunflower, at least for my area.

[beac]

5. WOW-- that's one big flower! Cheesecloth sounds like a good idea.

Please post a picture, if you can. I'd love to see this mutant. :)

[Paper Roses]

6. Update: Since about half the seeds are on the ground and open,

I thought I'd wrap cheesecloth around the blossom to catch ant seeds that are left. Could not find the cheesecloth but what I used is a lot easier.

I have several of the mesh bags that you use for delicate things in the washer. One if them is large enough for the head of this monster. Got out the ladder and climbed up, placed the mesh bag over the head, shifted it around a bit so I could zip it up to the end.

Bet whatever is eating the seeds cannot get through this.

Maybe the flower is just popping seeds instead of birds or squirrels. Either way, I'll have a nice, clean bag of them to dry and store.

Do not have a working digital camera at the moment. Need a new one but that will have to wait.

I measured the height this AM. 14'7". Really drooping with the weight of the flower. I'd say that was record size for my neck of the woods.

The bad news!! Something or someone snapped the tops off the other two that grew in the same area. They were nowhere near as tall but had a beautiful flower.

[TuxedoKat]

8. Too bad!

I wouldn't be surprised if someone helped themselves to your plants. I had a few sunflowers come up this year and I got the chance to eat some of the seeds and they were delicious -- really moist and tasty. Next year I plan to plant many more for both me and the birds to enjoy.

[Inchworm]

7. Ptah is the sunflower man!

:rofl:

I bet he knows

;)

PS: posts in lounge a lot that I know of.. I'm skeert of GD

[Gormy Cuss]

9. When the head starts dropping seeds, I clip it and let it dry for a bit.

I let the head dry for a few weeks then harvest the seeds. I keep only the plump, hard shelled ones with no sign of insect damage or discoloration. With a giant seed head that means that I still get dozens of viable seeds. Your approach is easier for that initial gleaning.

The main reason that your saved seeds wouldn't produce more giants is that this year's seed was a hybrid. However, another reason for the difference in size is that one plenty was in a happier location than the others, that is it had better light and/or more water and space to put down good roots.