Has your sunflower flowered yet?
They will be growing at different rates, be sure to send us a photo when it unfurls or why not try a time lapse as the bud will begin to follow the sun around? See everyone’s latest photos in the sunflower grower gallery.
Danny and Lisa are back with a final guide on what to do when your sunflower has flowered and is beginning to droop. Your sunflower won’t be ready for a good few weeks, but prepare yourself in advance.
When you notice the head of your sunflower drooping, it means the seeds are weighing it down as they mature and they will begin to fall out ready for harvesting.
Grab a bag/jar/container for the seeds and carefully scrape away the seeds from the sunflower head.
You can also leave the bag on the head of the sunflower and wait for the seeds to drop out into the bag.
What to do with the collected sunflower seeds?
- 1. Collect them for a bird feeder and use Field Studies Council’s visual British bird guide to spot the birds that visit.
- 2. Save the seeds for next year! Make little seed gift packets for your friends and family.
- 3. Evenly spread them on a baking tray, toast them in the oven for 10-15 mins at 180C, let them cool and then shell them to make a tasty healthy snack. You can also make your own sunflower seed butter if you have enough shelled seeds. Check out Hubbub’s video guide on how to roast and blend it.
We’ll be back next week with some final aftercare tips and a farewell.
For now, tick off week 11 and carry on with the great work; keep that sunflower well watered and safe from pests.
Are you giving your garden a makeover this summer? Take a peek into Britain's Best Back Gardens with Alan Titchmarsh or uncover The Secret History of the British Garden with Monty Don on Together TV's channel. Check our TV guide for timings.
