Mariah Henry, our Director of Urban Agriculture at Carolina Farm Trust, was featured in Martha Stewart as an expert source on how to harvest sunflower seeds.
She advises the following steps:
Step 1: Scout for Mature Flower Heads
First, you will need to identify flower heads that are mature and ready to harvest. “Mature flower heads will have desiccated [dried] petals that are crispy and fall off easily,” says Mariah Henry, director of urban agriculture at the Carolina Farm Trust. To determine the maturity of a flower head, look on the backside for yellowish-brown spots. A flowerhead drooping from the weight of its seeds is another sure sign that it is ready for harvesting.
Step 2: Evaluate the Seeds
Check to see how dense the seeds are packed, says Henry. Loose seeds might fall out too easily and need additional attention. To check the seeds, remove any disk flowers that sit on top of the sunflower seeds. According to Henry, disk flowers look like mini flower heads and house both male and female reproductive parts on the plant. “These can be easily brushed off with your hand,” she says.
Step 3: Remove the Sunflower Head
Remove the mature sunflower head from the stem with a pair of garden shears. Do this by cutting 4 to 6 inches from the mature sunflower head. Place these in your bucket to take indoors.
Step 4: Harvest the Seeds
Take a breathable cloth or piece of parchment paper that you can use to collect the seeds. Gently pick out the seeds with your fingers. “The seeds should fall out effortlessly unless they are packed tighter,” she says. “Most sunflower seeds will be stripped with black and white depending on the variety.”
To read more, visit: https://www.marthastewart.com/how-to-harvest-sunflower-seeds-8670486
