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Things to Know if You Grow Sunseed Sunflower for Edible Snack Seeds

October 23, 2012 by Laura Blodgett 6 Comments

Sunseed sunflowers heavy with seed in Idaho
Sunseed sunflowers heavy with seed in Idaho

My husband eats a lot of sunflower seeds, so this year I tried growing Sunseed sunflowers from seed.  I liked the description of 4-5 foot plants and tasty seed.  I grew Mammoth Gray Stripe last year and thought maybe I was ready for something shorter that might be easier to manage in a more typical raised bed.

full size Sunseed sunflower plants
full size Sunseed sunflower plants

True to it’s package info, the plants were not quite my height.  This didn’t keep most of them from leaning across the garden walkway when the flower head was heavy with seed.  That made the path basically unusable for 3 months.  But, only a couple of them went as far as going face down in the dirt.  With the Mammoth Gray, I had had several plants laying horizontal.  Obviously, for either variety, I need to problem solve some support.

Sunseed sunflower seed ready to harvest
Sunseed sunflower seed ready to harvest

The real test came when I asked my husband to give me a taste test report.  He says the seed tastes good, but it is too small to be cracking with the fingers before putting in the mouth.  I guess he alternates methods of eating, and is fine with just cracking them in his mouth, so the seed will be used.

Sunseed and Mammoth Gray Stripe sunflower seeds size comparison
Sunseed and Mammoth Gray Stripe sunflower seeds size comparison

The hardest part, for me, is getting the seed out of the flower head.  I read somewhere that it might just fall out.  I waited.  That only happened to the seeds that ended up left in the garden.  …or if the birds help….   The flower head makes the perfect platform for the birds to sit on while they reach down and under to get their lunch.  Fortunately, my husband has no objection to adding loosening-sunflower-seeds-from-the-flower to things that are done while sitting on the couch watching TV.

those pokey sunflower seeds in the flower still
those pokey sunflower seeds in the flower still

If I want to have some of either kind of seed for my salads or bread making, I’ll have to come up with a way to get those shells off.   It sounds like a rolling pin might be something to try.  Whichever variety I decide to plant next year, I think I will tie them up to the outside of my wooden trellis:

plan to use one side of this trellis for sunflowers next year
plan to use one side of this trellis for sunflowers next year

It will be interesting to see how that affects them turning their heads toward the sun!

 

Filed Under: Cooking and Food, Gardening in Southwest Idaho, Inside the Homestead Tagged With: southwest Idaho gardening

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