Expert: Long Island Gardener - 9/28/2009

Question
should you dead head sunflowers before or after a frost
if you want to use the seeds for growing??

Thanks in advance

Answer
Sunflowers are   Burpee posts harvesting tips on its website:

www.burpee.com/contentarticle.do?itemID=794

So does Renee's Garden:

www.reneesgarden.com/articles/grow-sunflower.html

Note (and I can tell you this is a definite problem for anyone who wants to keep the seeds -- birds and squirrels will eat them ALL if you let them) the seedheads must be proteted from wildlife if your intention is to share and not donate your entire crop of Sunflower seeds.

If you've never done this before, you may be wondering how you can tell if the seeds are ripe enough to take.  Helianthus Sunflowers -- the ones we typically think of -- lose their petals and practically beg to be nibbled.  Renee's suggests covering the de-petalled bloom with a paper bag.  I've also heard of using pantyhose and plastic bags.  Then wait for the shell to harden.  They won't be ready to eat until they've reached this stage.

Burpee's disagrees.  Their website says that deadheading is the preferred way to do this.  Under the Burpee method, you cut the spent flower with a 12 inch stalk and hang it -- I imagine they would want you to do this upside down, but they don't actually say that -- in a very dry, protected area.  The ripe seeds can be removed by rubbing two Sunflower heads together, or scouring them out with a brush or your hand.  You would continue to dry the harvested seeds 'a few more days', they say, and store them in the fridge.

If you want to GROW them, rather than eat them or use as birdfood, there is no change in procedures.  It sounds to me like you are concerned about damage from frost exposure.  Would frost damage or destroy Sunflower seeds?

No.

Sunflowers will often self-sow in some of the colder regions of the country.  The deep freeze actually helps them sprout.  Those tough shells that protect them all Winter are split from freeze/thaw activity.  The damaged shell becomes easy to sprout from once spring is in the air.

Deadheading these too early interferes with the ripening process.  Although many weed seeds continue to ripen, successfully, once plucked from the lawn and tossed in the compost, Helianthus and other Sunflowers are less resilient.  Ripening on the stalk is the best way to ensure success with this task.

Gorgeous, aren't they?

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER