Hang-drying Mammoth sunflowers (multiple blooms)
Spectacular plants, big flowers... but only these i get!!
4/5 of the seeds are hollow and empty!
This head is from single bloom Mammoth.
Unlike those from multiple blooms, the seeds are fat and have great big stripes on them.
I will let the heads dry on the stems this time...
Do you think the kernels will fill up if i keep them on the plants longer?
12 comments:
Oh.. that's a lot of sunflowers! Must have been very cheery in your garden then.. :) Pity they die after flowering ya?
Yes I think you'll get good seeds if you leave them on there until they dry up. Good luck.
Cher Sunray Gardens
Yes I think you should leave them to dry up on the stem just like any other vegetables to get good seeds, so that the flower will become matang and tua naturally..
It is good you have them protected, you never know what little birdies will come snack!
Interesting, I was just playing SMS with my mother and out of blue she told me the sunflower seeds that she brought back (same batch as yours) were growing very well and pretty blooms. But hers are empty seeds as well. She said it might be because of lack of bees to pollinate them. I was kind of surprise when she said that because she was around here in Adelaide when all the sunflower seeds were being collected. My mother observe there were many bees buzzing around my sunflowers all the time compare with the ones she grow. Comparing notes with you dear, did you always see bees buzzing?
For the many days blooming, at last have to dry them up. What would you do with the seeds? For next year or for eating?
Oh my, those are some BIG flowers. I had a couple of small sunflowers pop up under my bird-feeder,but they are nothing like that.
Open Kitchen Concept: Pity to see them die just after blooming but i always have another batch waiting to flower, hehe.
Sunray Gardening: Finger crossed!!
p3chandan: Hopefully just like you said. But i tested a few they are empty :(
Rosey: There are many birds eyeing on the plants already!
Diana: Yes i noticed that your sunflowers have more bees buzzing around. So far i didn't notice any around mine. I think the flowers did not pollinated and that's why?
Terrie: I will give them away to flower lovers, and keep some for my own planting. I hope i'm getting more seeds from the 2 heads left..
Nannipannie: For the first time i grow such huge sunflowers too. The seeds are from the courtesy of Diana sent far from Australia :))
I think we may really need the bees help for pollination. I wonder if Malar has many bees buzzing around her sunflower or not. Glad that mama noticed about that since she was around from the start of bloom until seeds collecting.
Hi, stumbled onto your website when i googled 'kai lan plant'. Scrolling through i saw your recent entry with the sunflowers. Can you tell me where you got them (we live in PJ)? My husband loves them, and i want to surprise him. Thanks a bunch. You have a pretty garden.
Hi S.O.Z, if you read this, pls email to me at sching_su@hotmail.com
Thank you.
How did your seeds come out trying this? I know my huge sun flowers from years ago made a bushel full of seeds!
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