Do Dwarf Sunflowers Produce Seeds?
Dwarf sunflowers do produce seeds that can be enjoyed by animals and humans. A dwarf sunflower is quite similar to a regular sunflower in many ways, as they are the direct result of breeding a basic sunflower plant.
Learning to grow dwarf sunflower seeds is the best way to produce dwarf sunflowers that will blossom to produce more seeds.
What Are Dwarf Sunflowers?
A dwarf sunflower is a version of a sunflower that grows a lot smaller than the typical plant, which can become enormous.
Typically speaking, the dwarf sunflower will not grow any larger than 24 inches.
The flower portion of a sunflower still blossoms to be quite large, making for a peculiar but still gorgeous-looking sunflower. It’s ideal to plant dwarf sunflowers at the beginning of spring, and they will continue to grow until the end of summer.
What Makes The Dwarf Sunflower Different Than A Regular Sunflower?
There are a few variations of the dwarf sunflower. You can plant different colors of dwarf sunflowers, including:
- Yellow
- Orange
- Pink
- Red
Where Can I Plant Dwarf Sunflowers?
Because dwarf sunflowers are smaller than their counterparts, they can be grown indoors. They make a great houseplant, so long as you follow the proper procedures for growing and caring for the dwarf sunflower.
Dwarf sunflowers are not pollinators, so you can rest assured that having a dwarf sunflower in your home will not aggravate any allergies or shed any pollen residue throughout your home.
They can also be grown outside, and make a beautiful and vibrant addition to any garden.
How Do I Plant A Dwarf Sunflower Inside?
One crucial thing to keep in mind when deciding to plant dwarf sunflowers is, regardless of if you want to grow them inside or outside, they need a lot of direct sunlight. If you’re planting one indoors, you shouldn’t put it right inside a window, but close enough that it gets sunshine.
You can plant your dwarf sunflower seeds in a container or a pot. Some things to keep in mind in order to grow a perfect dwarf sunflower are:
- Make sure the pot or container you use has at least 8 inches of room
- Use fertile soil that is drained well to plant your dwarf sunflower seeds in
- Once your seeds are in, they should be covered with one to two inches of soil
- Water the seeds generously and make sure that you keep the soil very wet until the seeds germinate
- You can let the soil get dry after germination, but only between waterings
If your dwarf sunflower is in an area that gets really warm, you might have to consider watering it every day to make sure the seeds and soil don’t dry out too much.
How Do I Plant A Dwarf Sunflower Outside?
In order to have the most success planting dwarf sunflowers outside in your garden or in a flower bed, you’ll want to keep the following tips in mind.
- Use light soil that is capable of draining really well, and is full of nutrients
- Plant the seeds in an area that you know gets sun for the majority of the day
- When planting your seeds, place them a half inch into the soil, and spread them out somewhat generously
- When planting the seeds, be sure to keep the soil as wet as possible until the flowers start to germinate
- Add a small amount of fertilizer every so often to make sure your flowers are getting enough food
Are Dwarf Sunflower Seeds Edible?
Just like regular sunflower seeds, the seeds that grow within the center of a dwarf sunflower are also edible. If you don’t want to leave them all for the birds, you can simply just pick them out of the flower once they have fully matured.
That being said, sunflower seeds that grow on different variations of sunflowers will vary in size and taste. It’s best to try to eat your sunflower seeds as soon as possible so they don’t go bad.
You might also be surprised to know that the rest of the sunflower is also edible. Many people will also eat the petals of the sunflowers, which are said to taste similar to artichoke hearts.
How Do I Harvest The Dwarf Sunflower Seeds To Eat Them?
There are some steps you will want to follow to get as many seeds as possible from your dwarf sunflowers.
- You’ll notice the seeds are ready to harvest when the green covers on the seed heads have fallen, and the sunflower heads start to droop
- Cut the flower off of the stem, leaving a small portion of the stem on
- Hang the flower upside down from the stem, having something underneath it to catch any seeds that start to fall
- Let the flowers hang, for a couple of weeks at the most, until they dry out
- Scrape off any seeds that haven’t fallen off on their own
How Do I Prepare Dwarf Sunflower Seeds For Eating?
You can simply crack open the sunflower seed that you harvest and eat them. You can also roast them in the oven and sprinkle them with salt or flavorings to make them something completely different. Roasting the seeds will have them pop out of their shell quite easily.
You can also break them open and use the sunflower seeds inside the shell to decorate salads or other dishes. Sunflower seeds offer a lot of great health benefits and important nutrients.
Breaking the sunflower seed shells open in your mouth is common, and there’s no issue with this. Eating the shell is not very pleasant, as it can be sharp when broken. It’s best to dispose of them and only eat the seed inside.
Are Dwarf Sunflowers Toxic To Household Pets?
Dwarf sunflowers are not toxic for your common household pets, such as cats and dogs. If your pet happens to start chewing on any part of the plant, you don’t have to be concerned that they will get sick.
That being said, you don’t want to allow your pet to freely eat the dwarf sunflower or its seeds, as the foreign food might end up upsetting their stomach.
