Um, don't hang your birdfeeders over soil? It's a problem for all of us (and the reason I never by Niger seed, don't fancy a garden full of nettles, thanks) and the only answer is either to remove the seedlings as soon as they appear, or to place the feeders over a hard surface.

Or over the lawn where the rubbish can be raked up. We don't have much of a problem with this as there seem to be millions of chaffinches on the ground beneath the feeders 'vacuuming' up the fallen seed. The ground is trampled down hard!

Not to mention the pheasant that visits for his breakfast/lunch every day...

Just dish up hulled sunflower seeds if over soil, as I do. The selection of birds we have slung anything else all over the place until I changed over to this feed. The doves and pigeons hoover up all the ones dropped on the soil and my hoe sees off any strays. Other feeds I use are raisins or currants. Tesco cheapest. Cut up grapes, dried mealies from Wilko, fat balls too. None of these mentioned grow when they hit the ground!

Actually, Dorjac, I was amazed to find hulled sunflowers growing in our garden a year or two ago. Something that I never expected!

Some of the better bird seeds are rosted to prevent sprouting.

But are they as good for the birds?

I'd be surprised if they were, Mg.
Surely that reduces the protein and fat content too much and they need high levels to survive.
(The highest yield coming from sunflower hearts)

That was my thought too Louise... birds do not normally eat roasted nuts. I know in mid winter we all give them table scraps as well but I firmly believe that they need raw nuts and seeds. I have also never seen roasted nuts for birds in the UK.

I often have corn growing underneath the feeders !! it pulls out easily though and a fork around the soil always removes anything else! I wish the perenial weeds were as easy to remove.

Hear, hear !

Unfortunately, the seed gets into my tall, narrow pot with a Phormium in it on the balcony - its the very devil trying to weed out the germinated ones. I often don't notice them for months and then wonder why I've got a cereal crop in there as well.

Move pot or feeder?

Nice idea, but its not a very big balcony, lol! I do move the pot further over, as far as possible, but the starlings tend to fight on the bird table and it gets sprayed all over the place, so I'd guess that's how it gets in there. Never mind, worth it to see all the bird visitors.