Plant Gardens 101

There’s more to harvesting and drying sunflowers than many professional growers realize. How soon you decide to harvest them will depend largely on energy costs, temperatures, and whether you prefer them to dry naturally. Ideally, your sunflowers won’t be exposed to insects and diseases, and the temperature will be warm enough to allow them to dry on the stem. However, those circumstances are rare. In reality, most crops will be vulnerable to some level of pests and diseases. And depending upon where you live, the temperature can cause your sunflowers to freeze.

In this article, I’ll explain some of the benefits of harvesting your sunflowers early. I’ll also describe how they’re dried and why the moisture in the air can affect your crops.

Benefits Of Harvesting Early

With energy expenses escalating, you might think that allowing your sunflowers to dry naturally is a good idea. But, there are plenty of reasons why you should consider harvesting them early. First, if the temperature is close to freezing during the evenings, your sunflower crops are not actually drying. The moisture is being sealed inside. But, even if you’re not growing your sunflowers in freezing temperatures, there are still many advantages to an early harvest. (more…)

Your drying strategy will depend on whether you’re growing sunflowers for crop yield or in a personal garden. Today, we’ll focus on a large harvest. The time required to dry the crop is going to be influenced by the moisture content, temperature of the drying room, and the humidity to which your harvest is exposed. Variances in any of these factors will change the dry rate. For example, raising the temperature a few degrees will cause the moisture level of your sunflowers to decline, thereby shortening the time needed to dry them. Below, I’ll provide a few helpful tips that you can use when drying your next crop.

#1 – Use A Moisture Meter

You’ll need to invest in a reliable moisture meter. If you’re a hobby grower, you won’t need one. But, assuming you’re harvesting a large crop, a meter is essential for measuring the level of moisture contained in the seeds. It’s only by taking this measurement that you’ll be able to accurately judge the approximate drying period. If you’re already an experienced grower, you’ll probably already own one. If not, plan on spending $200 or more.

#2 – Don’t Overcompensate

If you grow other crops that need to be dried (for example, corn and grain varieties), take care not to over-dry your sunflowers. Compared with a lot of other crops, lower quantities of moisture need to be removed from them. At any given temperature, it’s easy to overdo it. If you’ve harvested your crop early to prevent bird and disease damage, they’re going to have a higher moisture content and require more time to dry. Even so, keep a close eye on the dryer and take several moisture measurements with the meter. (more…)