Content
- Harvest sunflowers for consumption or for sowing
- When will sunflower seeds be harvested?
- Ripening sunflower blossoms outdoors
- This is how you harvest the seeds
- After harvesting
- Roast or squeeze seeds
- Tips & Tricks
If the sunflowers are not protected at harvest time, they will be harvested by our feathered friends
Harvest sunflowers for consumption or for sowing
Sunflower seeds are delicious and healthy - not only for humans, but also for pets and garden birds. In addition, new sunflowers can be grown from the kernels. It is therefore worthwhile to harvest the seeds in autumn.
Early Articles Sunflowers need a lot of fertilizer Next article Sunflower drying - how it works!When will sunflower seeds be harvested?
Sunflower seeds are ripe when they are easily detached from the head of the sunflower blossom.
The seeds then have a very hard shell, which is colored brown or black and white depending on the variety.
Ripening sunflower blossoms outdoors
It is best to let the sunflower seeds ripen outside on the plant. If you harvest them before, there is a risk that they are rotten or unsuitable for seed.
Birds and squirrels, however, like to pick the seeds from the flowers before they are fully ripe. You therefore have to protect the sunflower heads.
Tie a translucent cloth or paper bag over the flower head to keep birds and squirrels away from the seeds. However, paper has the disadvantage that you have to renew the cover after every downpour.
This is how you harvest the seeds
The flower heads remain on the stalk until the seeds are completely ripe. You can tell by the fact that the back of the flower head is very brown and feels dry.
Now cut the flower heads together with the wrapping and bring them into the house.
Many of the seeds are already shaking out. The rest are loosened with a brush from the head.
After harvesting
Then prepare the cores for storage or consumption:
Roast or squeeze seeds
The kernels can be roasted in the oven and consumed as a snack. Also for baking they are well suited.
If you have your own oil mill, the cores can also be squeezed out to extract oil. This is only worthwhile with larger quantities of sunflower seeds.
Tips & Tricks
Sunflower seeds are very rich in protein. Only 100 grams of released kernels contain more protein than, say, a steak.