If you harvested white sunflower seeds, you’re doing something wrong during the growing, harvesting, or drying process. A bad harvest can be devastating; you’ve spent so much time growing the plant and end up with a useless product.
1. The Sunflower Heads Are Immature - You’re in for white seeds if you harvest your sunflower heads before they’ve matured.2. You Didn’t Protect The Plant - Mature sunflower seeds are food of preference for birds and squirrels. 3. Drying Inside Dark And Moist Places - Harvesting immature sunflowers and then storing them to dry in a bunch is a big mistake.
Turn the sunflower head around and look at the calyx. When the sunflower is mature, the calyx has a soft yellow color, and there might be some brown spots. If it’s still green, it’s still not ready.
The harvest time depends on what you plan to do with your sunflower seeds. If you’re going to feed your birds with them, you can let them dry on the plant and harvest later.
Planting White Sunflower Seeds - Store your seeds in an airtight container if you plan to replant some the following season. The sunflowers are annuals, so you need to sow the seeds each spring after the last frost has passed and the temperatures are above 50℉.
Sunflowers are one of the most striking plants you can grow. They’re low maintenance and yield a great harvest from a single plant. But as with any plant, it’s easy to make mistakes and end up with white sunflower seeds that are tasteless.
Bottom Line: What Color Should Your Sunflower Seeds Be?
Make sure to protect the sunflower heads and harvest them when they turn yellow. Always let the seeds dry in a place with good air circulation, covered with a paper bag or cheesecloth.
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White Sunflower Seeds? Stop Doing These 3 Mistakes