Hello. I have grown several mamouth sunflowers (many grew to about 10ft tall) I also had a lot of smaller ones. I would like to keep the seeds for next year, how do I go about getting the seeds out of the plant? do I dry the head out? let it sit all winter? I can see the seeds but they are a soft white seed right now.
Growing Sunflowers from Ohio State Univ Extension What I'm not sure about, though, is whether the sunflowers from successive seed generations will grow true to the original parent.
I was wondering the same thing! Last year I left them out and they got moldy. My plan was to leave them out for the birds. Maybe this year I'll dry them in the basement first.
The problem with sunflowers is if you leave them out they either go mouldy, or the birds eat them all. When the flower is spent, cut the head and hang it somewhere dry, till the seeds harden.
Yes genetics are somewhat of a "crapshoot"...no real way of telling what you'll end up with. However if you are planning on planting a great multitude of them there is no harm. I would cut off the stalk about 4' from the head and cover it in cheesecloth to avoid most of the insects and hang them in the basement.....well ventilated, cool, and dry dry dry. Good Luck!
