Volunteer Plant - Never seen them in our yard before. Growing fast

[sparkles2307]

LOL well you could take some from a bird feeder, those are pretty good for birds seed. Black oil is the heaviest producer but the seeds are on the smallish side (say, 1/3 of a confection seed) if you could get ur hands on some confection and oils and try for a cross thats what I would do, good production with a slightly larger kernel than straight oil.

 

[Reinbeau]

Rob, they yank easy. Really, they will only take over if you let every single one remain!

 

[Nifty]

DARN... those wild birds are stealing the bounty from my wild plants and robbing from my poor chickens (that can only simply watch from behind the chain link fence as their wonderful seeds disappear).

I guess I need to go out and chop off the heads of the birds... er... um... sunflowers to give to my chickens before they are all gone.

 

[shelleyd2008]

You can cover the heads with some nylon (or other breathable material). It won't hurt the flowers, and the birds won't be able to get the seeds

 

[Nifty]

ooohh... that's a good idea.

Just earlier I cut off the largest flower head. I figured if all the wild birds thought the seeds were ready my chooks would too.