sunflower deadheads

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bettymb Florence, SC Oct 03, 2007

I planted and rejoiced over some smaller flowered,fall colored "sunflowers" (or some derivation therof) but now their blooms are gone. I have collected the deadheads but is there any way I can use them as seed next year? They were so perfect and everytime I brought one in I smiled each time I looked at it. That's what flowers are all about for me!

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Oct 03, 2007

It all depends on how quickly you pulled the spent flowers off--if you deadheaded them right after the flowers faded, they wouldn't have formed seeds yet. You need to leave the flowers on the plant after they fade in order to get seeds, once you remove the flowers from the plant that process stops.

Post #4044071
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bettymb Florence, SC Oct 03, 2007

Thanks-fear I may have moved too soon. They are not dried out, just kind of soggy. I'll put them in a paper bag for the winter and see what happens. Thanks so much! bmb

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Oct 03, 2007

I just reread your original post--are the flowers that you're hoping to get seeds from ones that you cut off while they were still blooming and brought in the house to enjoy as cut flowers? If that's the case then you definitely won't have seeds so you might as well toss them out. But if they're ones that you left on the plant for a little while after they stopped blooming then you may have a chance

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WeeNel Ayrshire Scotland, United Kingdom Oct 03, 2007

For future seed collection, you can cut the faded flower off the plant with some stem, take them indoors and hung them upside down in a coldish but not too cold area till all the sap has dried out from the stems and seed heads, then shake the flowers into a paper bag and the seeds should fall from the flowers, write the name/colour and any other info you need to remember what, how and when you planted the seeds, store in a dark cool place till sowing time, check every now and again to make sure they have not went mouldy in storage, sunflower seeds are large seeds and some have a tuff or hair on them so dont wash the seeds, if you get a lot of petal debris with your seeds, when they are really dry, just give a gentle blow by mouth onto the seeds and the chaff as it is called will blow away from the seeds. Good luck. WeeNel.

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