What should I do with my Sunflower now that the petals are falling off??

Question

Do I just let it go to seed?? Or can I dead-head it to promote new growth and blooms???

Answer 1

Nothing, it is too soon to harvest the seeds. Leave it on the plant until all the leaves have turned brown or fallen off and no more blooms are evident. Sunflowers never need to be dead-headed. There are over 150 varieites and some are multi-headed, poly-headed or single headed. You cannot force more blooms that are in the DNA of the plant. If you have a multi-headed, the very first bloom will be the largest. The rest should all be about the same size.

In the fall, cut the flowers off with some stalk attached (like a handle) and hang them out of the sun to further dry. I used to dry mine until about November. Then I'd take pruners and cut the flower heads into quarters and pick out the seeds to store for next year. Some of the plants I'd hang from my maple trees in the backyard for the birds. They loved them!! You can also spread peanut butter over the face of the flower head and roll into wild bird seed for an extra delicious treat for the birds in your area.... We used to do this with pine cones when I was a small child...

Answer 2

I like to put the sunflower heads out on a table on the deck. It's neat watching the chickadees and nuthatchers having a feast no more than 6 feet away outside the patio door (got some great pictures too). The chickadees take one seed at a time, making many trips to store each seed; interesting to watch.

They're a seasonal flower - dead heading won't promote new flowers, but could help along a plant that has multiple flowers.

Answer 3

If you want to eat the seeds (which taste great toasted) you need to put a piece of netting over it or every bird and squirrel will think it is a buffet just for them. Let it dry and then cut if off. Pull out the seeds and toast lightly in the oven. Sprinkle on some salt and go for fresh taste of sunflower seeds.

If you want it just to attract birds skip all of those steps and just watch the birds eat there.

Answer 4

If it has petals on it then it already has the seeds. Just let the seeds ripen and the birds will eat them. Sunflowers are probably the only ones that are not to be deadheaded. Because OF the seeds.

Answer 5

depends on the type of sunflower.

We had the mammoth variety and got new blooms without even cutting the heads off. They sprouted, but were much smaller than the 2ft heads we had on the original blooms.

You can always cut the heads off, pull the seeds out and just plant them.... or roast them in the oven and eat them.

Like i said, depends on the variety and what YOU want to do with them.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

You can roast them with salt in the oven on foil. They are good for you. Animals like em' too. Roasted or not.

Answer 8

you must eat it.