Monday, May 17, 2010

What to do with Sunflower plants in Autumn?

Not sure what to do with very tall 5-6 foot now dying sunflower plants in my garden - do I cut them back, dig them up?

What to do with Sunflower plants in Autumn?
You can harvest the seeds if you like, leave the seeds for the birds, if you like, if you leave the seeds for the birds, some will probably fall to the ground and reseed. The stalk and the roots will not grow back, they are annual plants. Cut them up and use them for mulch or toss them into the compost pile.


If you harvest them for your own use, put the seeds in a pie pan with salt and leave it in the sun to have "naturally" roasted, they taste better that way than using the oven.
Reply:Sunflowers are annuals; they won't come back in the spring. I suggest cutting them down and composting them.
Reply:Leave them for the birds!
Reply:i've seen people leave them - they will drop seeds for next year and the birds will have something to feed off of or cut them back and dry the heads and save the seeds for planting, roasting, bird seed...
Reply:It is your call,if the heads look good leave them up and you will have lots of birds and maybe squirrels. If it looks terrible chop it down. If they have huge stems you might have to "chop " them down. They are not easy to dig up either , waiting for Spring doesn't make it easier.
Reply:You can do either or leave them there for food for a great variety of birds for the winter. If you choose to cut them down save the seeds.


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