How tall a plant do black oil sunflower seeds like we buy at the feed store make? I assume they are a multi head varity. Thanks

-- sherry in Arkansas (chickadee259@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002

Answers

From what I see the farmers growing here in Kansas I would say that they get from 4 to 6 feet tall.

Each stalk produces one head, not multiple. The oil seed sunflowers also produce smaller heads than the larger confectionary sunflowers.

Commercially lots of insecticides are sprayed on to prevent moth damage.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), April 21, 2002.

We plant several acres each year! They only get around 5' tall and the single head is around four to six inches in dia. We don't harvest ours--just leave what's left after the deer eat the young tender heads-for the birds and my honey bees. We have all kinds of bird come in to the field. Wild turkeys found them last year--and cleaned up the ground like "vaccum cleaners"! I cut some every other day for floral arrangements for my house, porch and give them to my daughters to put on their desks at work!!!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), April 21, 2002.