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Black Russian Sunflowers produce oil-rich seeds that feed both humans and birds. Harvested seeds are used for growing microgreens and producing sunflower oil. These giants grow up to 10 tall and have 12-15″ yellow blooms. Mammoth Sunflowers stand out from the rest of the garden; they grow to be 12 feet tall and have a single 10–12-inch bloom with a yellow center and petals. These sunflowers can be planted to make a wonderful screen or border.
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Sunflowers are beloved for their towering stems capped with cheerful sunny faces. But did you know their seeds are also edible and make a tasty snack? While all sunflowers produce seeds that can be eaten, some varieties have been specially bred for seed production, flavor, and ease of harvesting. Keep reading to discover the best sunflower types for harvesting and enjoying the seeds from your garden.
An Overview of Edible Sunflower Seeds
The seeds of all sunflower varieties are technically edible, but they are not all created equal when it comes to flavor and seed size The sunflowers primarily grown for their seeds fall into two main categories
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Oilseed sunflowers – These have small, black seeds that are pressed into sunflower oil. They have thick hulls and smaller kernels.
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Snacking/confection sunflowers – These produce the big, meaty striped seeds we associate with eating The seeds have thinner hulls and large, tasty kernels.
In general, the black oilseed varieties don’t make great snacks. Their seeds are smaller and take more effort to hull. The striped gray or black seeds with visible white kernels are best for eating fresh or roasted.
When researching sunflower varieties, look for ones described as “snacking,” “confection,” or “conoil” sunflowers. Names like mammoth, giant, or jumbo can also signal a good seed producing variety.
The Best Sunflower Varieties for Seeds
Now let’s look at some of the top sunflower types chock-full of big, delicious seeds perfect for harvesting.
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Mammoth Grey Stripe – This sunflower lives up to its name, producing seed heads up to 12 inches across packed with plump gray seeds. It can grow up to 12 feet tall.
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Mr. Snackman – A favored variety for edible seeds, it has 14 inch heads and large striped seeds. It matures early.
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Snackman – Another excellent choice developed especially for seed production rather than oil. It has large seeds and good disease resistance.
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Super Snack Mix – Produces 16 inch heads chock full of extra-large striped seeds. It has a medium height of 5-7 feet.
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Jumbo Joker – A super tall sunflower growing 14-16 feet with 12 inch seed heads. It’s known for early maturity and high seed yields.
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Kong – A mammoth bloomer that can produce seed heads over 1 foot wide. The seeds are large and meaty.
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Titan – Grows up to 16 feet tall and produces 14 inch heads with large gray and white seeds. Highly productive.
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Royal Hybrid – A shorter sunflower at 5-6 feet tall. It produces loads of large seeds on 10 inch heads.
Growing Sunflowers for Seed Harvesting
Sunflowers are easy to grow as long as they get full sun. Here are some tips for a successful crop:
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Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last spring frost date, or sow directly in the garden after danger of frost.
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Space plants 18-24 inches apart in well-draining soil. Sunflowers have long taproots and need room.
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Water young plants regularly until they become established. Then water only occasionally during drought.
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Stake taller varieties or grow shorter sunflowers to avoid drooping heavy seed heads.
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Apply a general purpose fertilizer when planting and again halfway through the season.
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Monitor for pests like birds, squirrels, or insects. Use netting to protect ripening seeds.
When and How to Harvest Sunflower Seeds
You’ll know seeds are nearly ripe for picking when the back of the flower head turns yellow and brown. Follow these steps for harvesting:
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Allow seed heads to fully dry and mature on the stem before cutting.
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When fully dry, remove heads by cutting the stem a few inches below the flower.
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Place seed heads in a breathable bag and let cure for 1-2 weeks in a warm, dry spot.
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To remove seeds, rub the flower head gently over a bucket. The ripe seeds will fall out.
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Pick out any debris and store seeds in an airtight container in the fridge.
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For easier shelling, dry seeds overnight in a warm oven or lightly roast before eating.
Enjoying Your Harvest of Roasted Sunflower Seeds
Once you’ve harvested and shelled your homegrown sunflower seeds, the real fun begins – eating them! Here are some tasty ways to use your sunflower bounty:
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Toss seeds with olive oil and salt, then roast on a baking sheet in a 275°F oven for 15-20 minutes for DIY roasted sunflower seeds.
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Sprinkle seeds on salads, oatmeal, yogurt, or trail mix for added nutrition.
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Make your own sunflower seed butter by pulsing shelled seeds in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
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Use seeds in wholesome homemade granola bars, energy bites, muffins, or bread.
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Mix into a hearty homemade multigrain bread or baguette for crunch.
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Coat with chocolate or your favorite spices for unique flavored sunflower seeds.
With so many excellent seed producing sunflower varieties, growing your own edible seeds can be fun and rewarding. Get yourself a handful of striped seed sunflower seeds and enjoy summer blooms followed by a tasty seed harvest.
Self-Reliance For The Future
- Sustainable Living—Gardening is an important part of living a more self-sufficient life. Most of the time, fruits, vegetables, and herbs grown at home taste better and are better for you than store-bought ones. Putting flowering plants in your garden is good for the ecosystem and makes the garden healthier.
- Easy to Grow: The seeds come in a pretty paper packet with instructions on how to grow and germinate them in your own garden. Each package also has instructions for saving seeds after harvest. Getting started is simple for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
- Quality seeds that you can plant now or save for later. If you keep these seeds in a cool, dry place for years, they will still grow. Our safe, non-hybrid, non-GMO heirloom seeds are always grown naturally, without any chemicals, and hand-picked to have the best germination rates.
Sunflowers Have Multiple Benefits
- Sunflowers are lovely and can make any garden or outdoors space look bright and happy. They come in a variety of colors.
- Animals like birds, squirrels, and other small mammals eat sunflower seeds, which are considered a valuable food source.
- Sunflowers have deep roots that help the soil by letting more air into it, making it drain better, and adding more nutrients.
- Ladybugs and other good bugs can be drawn to sunflowers and help keep harmful bugs out of the garden.
- Sunflower seeds can also be picked and roasted for a tasty and healthy snack.
Sunflower seeds should be planted in the spring, when the ground is warm and there is no chance of frost. In most regions, this is typically around mid-April to early May.
It’s possible to plant the seeds directly in the ground, or you can start them indoors in small pots and move them outside when they grow into seedlings.
Once you’re ready to plant sunflower seeds, make the soil at least 6 inches loose. Sow seeds about 1 inch deep and 6-12 inches apart, and place one seed in each hole. Cover the seeds with soil and water thoroughly.
You can start seeds indoors in containers. Keep the containers in a warm, sunny location and water regularly. Once the seedlings have developed true leaves, they can be transplanted outdoors.
Sunflowers like full sun and soil that doesn’t stay soggy, so pick a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight every day and stay away from spots that don’t drain well.
Ranking Every Sunflower Seed Flavor
FAQ
What are the best sunflowers to grow for eating seeds?
What type of sunflower seeds are best?
What are the best sunflower seeds for roasting?
Which sunflowers produce the best seeds?
The taller sunflowers are, generally, the best ones for producing lots of edible seeds – however, every sunflower produces seeds that can be eaten. There are a few sunflowers which produce the best seeds for eating, so without further ado, here is a list of them so you know which ones to plant:
Which sunflower produces the most edible seeds?
There are different kinds of sunflowers for height, blooms, seeds – the ones that produce the most edible seeds are the ones that we are looking at here. Any sunflower will produce sunflower seeds, and you can eat the seeds from any one of them.
What can you eat with sunflower seeds?
Sunflower seeds can be enjoyed like many other seeds and nuts. Baked in granola: The flavor and texture of sunflower seeds will be right at home in homemade granola. As a topping for oatmeal and other breakfast cereals: Toasted salted sunflower seeds are delicious on oatmeal, muesli, or cereal, especially when paired with fresh or dried fruits.
Are Bigs Sunflower seeds good?
They meet all of our categories but are also the smaller seed of all the seed brands. BiGS Sunflower Seeds are huge seeds and good flavor. They are known for having unique and distinct flavors. Such as Sizzlin’ Bacon, Buffalo Wing, and Cheeseburger for example. Overall, all the seeds are really good and each have their own winners.