Press Sunflowers and Put in a Photo Frame
Once your sunflower has gotten its use, you can press the sunflower and flatten it over the course of a few days
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Try using a heavy book or item that will apply pressure and lay flat.
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Once it is flat enough, you can place in a photo frame. Think about options such as goodwill or old frames you no longer use.
Image from here.
Recycle as Bird Seed
Give back to nature with the best type of seed for feeding birds, a sunflower seed!
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Option 1:
Leave sunflower to lay out in an open area for the birds to fly down and grab. Can also hang by stalk upside-down for birds to pick the seeds out themselves
Option 2:
Leave sunflower to dry out, pick seeds and put into the bird feeder
Larger seeds make for the best bird seed, but any sunflower will do. Black oil seeds are the best for birds to swallow (not striped).
Image from here.
Harvest Seeds to Enjoy Yourself
All sunflower seeds are edible, but some seeds are better than others.
All of the below are best for eating
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Mammoth grey stripe
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Mammoth Russian
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Titan
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Hopi black dye
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Paul bunyan
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Sunzilla
Short sunflowers with good edible seeds
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Royal
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Super Snack
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How to Harvest
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Seeds are normally ready for harvest 30-45 days after the flower opens
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Seeds are ripe when the flower head turns from green to yellow
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Seed head should be brown
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Cut the sunflower stem, leave seeds out to dry (a place protected from the birds)
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Can hang upside-down and seeds will fall out on their own as they dry out
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Roasting Your Seeds
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Remove the seeds (4 cups)
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Place in a bowl with water & 1/3 cup salt. Soak for 8 hours (or overnight)
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Drain, dry on a paper towel
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Spread on the baking sheet with lined parchment paper
Image from here.
Self Care Goodies with Sunflower Petals
Make your own sunflower salve, oil, soap, lip balm, lotion bars, and more!
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Find the recipes and instructions at thenerdyfarmwife.com
Image from here.
Dried Sunflower Crafts
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Use dried petals to make your initials in photo frame
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Dream catcher, use dried stems of sunflowers
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Dried flower shadow box
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Terrarium, incorporate dried sunflowers
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Door wreath, incorporate dried sunflowers
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Use petal in canvas painting
Image from here.
References & Further Reading
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https://practicalselfreliance.com/growing-sunflowers-for-seeds/
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https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=28650
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https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/types-of-bird-seed-a-quick-guide/
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https://www.hunker.com/12270792/what-to-do-with-sunflower-stalks
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https://www.survivopedia.com/7-ways-to-use-a-sunflower-for-survival/
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https://allusesof.com/plant/50-important-uses-of-sunflower-leaves/