Sunflower seeds

[snohare]

I noticed in Lidl's today that they have a dwarf sunflower. "Just right for my plot!" says I, thinking of wall heights and winds. But then another thought gave me pause, and this is my question.
"Are all sunflower seeds edible to humans ? Because I only want to grow them for the seeds, and really I want a nice high yielding one to help me save on baking ingredients..."

[Jenegade]

I had a google and I couldn't find anything saying that any weren't edible. So I'm pretty sure it's ok to eat any of them - if the birds don't get there first!

[snohare]

Thank you Jenegade. I think we can safely assume that I would arrange for there to be a net gain for me, and a net loss to the birdies !
What kind of soil/growing regime do sunflowers like ? And even more to the point, is a dwarf sunflower really a dwarf, or "only" 12 feet tall ?
I know I can google, but you get all sorts of invaluable tips and techniques from asking people rather than search engines.

[Demeter]

Thank you Jenegade. I think we can safely assume that I would arrange for there to be a net gain for me, and a net loss to the birdies !
What kind of soil/growing regime do sunflowers like ? And even more to the point, is a dwarf sunflower really a dwarf, or "only" 12 feet tall ?
I know I can google, but you get all sorts of invaluable tips and techniques from asking people rather than search engines.

They likes to be in the sun!
Seriously, I think sunflowers will grow anywhere, they are very easy to grow. You might like to stake it although this may not be necessary with a dwarf or even with a big one if the site isn't that windy.

Did you know that sunflowers are very good at removing heavy metals and other nasties from contaminated land? I was listening to a radio programme a while ago where this chap had actually used sunflowers to clean some contaminated land in a city slum somewhere in Africa (I think it might have been Kenya but wouldn't swear to it) and started up an organic farm there, on land that used to be a dump for all kinds of stuff. When they tested the soil after growing sunflowers the bad stuff had gone.
Cool, huh?

[Growem]

Not sure it would be a good idea to eat the seeds from the sunflowers used to clear contaminated land, but your garden should be just fine.

My only concern for the seeds would be if they are noticeably smaller than culinary sunflower seeds, you might find them a bit fiddly to shell and use.

[Two_Sheds]

I grow sunflowers every year to attract the bees.
I have found (to my annoyance) that the self-sown ones are much taller and stronger (and don't even need staking) than the ones I lovingly nurture and transplant.

Trouble is, they always grow in the wrong place if they're self-sown.

[norazina]

Word of advice - if you got any dogs/cats around, give your seedling some protection, they absolutely love to munch on those. I've sown some sunflowers last year, transplanted them outside when they were about 1' tall, and they only lasted overnight, my pups & a cat munched them down to the ground!

I will be growing sf this year again, but this time they're going to go into my fenced veggie garden, secured from my beasties.

[coreopsis]

I heard that sunflowers are very hungry plants-they will "eat" the most of nutrients from the soil so nothing will grow well close beside them.As for seeds protection(birds)-once the petals are gone and the seeds start forming,put an old stocking over sunflower's head.This will keep the birds away from the seeds.The seeds are ripe if the base of sunflower's head turns yellow.

[Two_Sheds]

I heard that sunflowers are very hungry plants-they will "eat" the most of nutrients from the soil so nothing will grow well close beside them.

Nobody told mine then!
Last year one grew in the middle of an onion bed (got loads of onions); and others in a broad bean bed (got loads of beans)

[BarleySugar]

I just sprouted some of the hulled sunflowers, and after reading about sunflower greens, have planted 2 trays full in the unheated greenhouse. The website I found the info on said they take around 7-10 days until ready to cut, but as it's still a bit cold I think it might be longer. I don't know if it will work, but if you don't try ......
The heads of my ones in the garden rotted last year, I suppose it was very wet

[Demeter]

Our flower heads rotted last year too
didn't harvest them in time though so only 80% the fault of the rain lol

Ours didn't seem to inhibit the growth of our plants, they grew right on the edge of the brassica patch and were surrounded by brassicas and weeds!

Interesting TS about not staking the self sown ones. We sowed a few in situ and they did not need staking either (until a storm blew up one day and knocked a couple over that is). The ones we transplanted only got staked with short canes and did not fall over even though they were well over twice the height of the canes.

[savva0122]

I'm going to sow a few, reading previous posts might well try from seed with these...

[Rocketron]

I noticed in Lidl's today that they have a dwarf sunflower. "Just right for my plot!" says I, thinking of wall heights and winds. But then another thought gave me pause, and this is my question.
"Are all sunflower seeds edible to humans ? Because I only want to grow them for the seeds, and really I want a nice high yielding one to help me save on baking ingredients..."

As someone who doesn't do much baking, what do sunflower seeds replace ?

[Demeter]

As someone who doesn't do much baking, what do sunflower seeds replace ?

Shop-bought sunflower seeds?
They are yummy on / in bread.

[snohare]

Thanks for that tip Coreopsis, I will go buy some ladies stockings immediately. I'm sure the counter assistants at Boots are used to men shopping for those... Well, it will make the day more exciting ! (I do need to get out more, don't I ?)
You're perfectly right Demeter, I use them in my bread, and also in my porridge. I think I would need a couple of acres to supply my annual needs though !
Barley Sugar, you mention sunflower greens, can you eat the chards ? As I am on a dairy free diet I am always looking for new ways to get Essential Fatty Acids into my diet, the GLA and such like in sunflower plants' foliage might be just the thing as I can't digest the oils in liquid form.