By Amsterdam
Shropshire,
United Kingdom 
Spent sunflowers. I’d like to keep the flower heads and dry them out to feed the birds. My question is can I cut them down as they’re a bit unsightly and let flowerheads dry out in sun or do they need to stay on plant to ensure seeds will be formed? Not sure?
31 Jul, 2020
Answers
Thought so! Think I have to wait a little while longer.....
31 Jul, 2020
need to wait for them to ripen ie turn black.
31 Jul, 2020
If you have grey squirrels around they eat big chunks out of them ( just thought I'd mention it) :-(
1 Aug, 2020
I found that the heads will mold and go mushy if once you cut them they don't really dry out. For fun, I would pick the seeds out with tweezers and make patterns in the heads, but then the high humidity would get to them.
1 Aug, 2020
Thanks for your comments. Will keep them going as long as I can as they look so unsightly.
1 Aug, 2020
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Well the seeds won't form if you cut the heads off before they have done so... once they've formed, then you can cut them off.
31 Jul, 2020