BOSS too expensive? Grow your OWN!

Hannah90 · #1 12/07/12, 07:51 PM

Hey guys,

Before I knew what "BOSS" was, I remember seeing this online. I was wracking my brain trying to remember where I saw it. Not sure how many seeds one flower head would produce, but hey, it's worth a shot. I mean, it could at least off set the cost, right?

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prod...3#.UMKbq4M73ns

Donna1982 · #2 12/07/12, 08:02 PM

I plan on growing them next year. Thanks for posting the link I am book marking it now.

Bearfootfarm · #3 12/07/12, 08:36 PM

They are fairly easy to grow, but EVERYTHING likes to eat them so be prepared for pests of all kinds

FunnyRiverFarm · #4 12/07/12, 10:39 PM

mine never made it to harvest...couldn't keep the birds away. You will need some kind of netting for sure.

The Tin Mom · #5 12/07/12, 10:44 PM

Drought got ours this year - in spite of watering like crazy.... They are like Johnson grass - don't feed the green parts during drought due to nitrogen poisoning....

Jan in CO · #6 12/07/12, 11:13 PM

I plan on cutting large net potato or onion bags in half, sewing them into bags to cover the heads and hopefully keep the birds off them this next year.

Bearfootfarm · #7 12/07/12, 11:20 PM

Caterpillars of some sort killed most of mine, and the chickens ate all the flowers before they produced any seeds
Next time I'll use some BT for the bugs, and fence out the chickens

southerngurl · #8 12/08/12, 06:48 PM

I grew them one year, easy peasy! They grew great and I had a decent little harvest. I put them in a wheelbarrow for a few days. They molded! So, don't pile up your sunflower seeds I learned.

Last year I planted a much bigger patch, big enough the back of my neck was killing me from being bent over planting them. Rabbits ate them, replanted, rabbits ate them again. Oh and we had a drought come on 115 degrees day after day and no rain in sight. The handful that made it I let the birds have.

So this year I just didn't plant the darn things at all.

Bearfootfarm · #9 12/08/12, 07:12 PM

Quote:

So, don't pile up your sunflower seeds I learned.

You have to hang them by the stems in a dry place and let the seeds dry on the heads, or spread them on window screens

Hannah90 · #10 12/08/12, 09:43 PM

Any idea how much X amount of plants would produce? I think they would make a great northern border for my garden. Good idea to have bags ready to put over the heads!

Forlane · #11 12/09/12, 12:59 AM

I bought a 18 lb bag of BOSS from my work at Ace Hardware and just broadcast them and scuffled dirt over, the bag did over 840sq/ft of sunflowers packed too close to walk through. Think my total cost was less than $20

"SPIKE" · #12 12/09/12, 06:31 AM

Around here the finches get most of the seeds, so it really is not worth growing for me. If you start loosing a lot, pull the plant and give it to the goats. They love the flowers even while green/young.

SPIKE

sammyd · #13 12/09/12, 07:15 AM

We had good luck with sunflowers, the birds left ours alone, but we had grey stripes maybe they aren't as tempting.
Cut the heads off with a foot or so of stem, tied a bunch together and hung them over the rafters in the garage. Tied off the ends of the twine holding the bunches to nails in the posts. Hung our beans like this as well.
Only problem was, the mice became adept at shimmying down the twine and getting at the treats.
We would bust the heads into pieces since they were so big and throw them to the goats and chickens like that. Always greatly appreciated by both animals....

**mygoat** · #14 12/09/12, 03:11 PM

Supposedly you can make little socks for the ripening seed heads out of cheesecloth. Not sure how effective it is at keeping the pests away.

However, as mentioned, drying is VERY VERY VERY important. These things mould very easily. I know many people who don't feed commercial stuff even, because of the risk of mould.

Personally, I don't feed them because they're lots of work to get a harvest out of them, require really great drying, and they're too expensive to buy.

Hoffman · #15 12/14/12, 08:22 PM

Hello. I would love for you guys who are familiar with growing sunflowers to continue this discussion and give me some tips.
I first heard about black oil sunflower seeds on another forum (I think permaculture). I tried to do some research here and there and found out the black sunflower seeds have a thinner shell than the grey striped so it's easier for the birds to eat them and they also have the higher oil content. People on the forum were using them as a supplement or treat for their chickens.
We finally bought a house out in the country a year and a half ago (yeah!) and I finally have my chickens (YEAH!!!).
I plan on growing as much as I can for them instead of just buying chicken feed.
I'm trying to find out if there is a black sunflower seed on a shorter plant, maybe around 4 feet tall? I plan on trying to cover the patch with some kind of bird netting so I get to harvest them instead of all the wild birds.
Are any of you familiar with the different seed names and where to buy them?
Thanks a bunch, Susie

Hannah90 · #16 12/14/12, 08:28 PM

Susie, note the link in my very first post. This is the only place I have been able to find seeds so far, though I am sure there are other places. I trust this seed provider, so I will buy through them. I do not know if you can find a smaller version. You may just try wrapping each individual head in some kind of prtective cloth when the heads begin to turn down. That is the sign the heads are beginning to riped. I have heard of some folks just putting a paper bag over the heads, but I have never tried that myself.

silverseeds · #17 12/14/12, 10:52 PM

bountiful gardens is one of my favorite seed companies. Small but good.

I dont have the trouble with sunflowers here some of you do. Even so, Im breeding sunflowers and jerusalem artichokes (a sunflower relative) also some wild oil seeds types... goats love them ALL. So some of you might consider the wilder types or jerusalem artichokes as well. Still need dried but they are less likely to be attacked, being less desirable. Still good though, and very easy to grow. I fed them as dried flower heads. There were not the large type heads of course, but bite sized smaller ones. Goats loved them in that state. Actually by the end I was cutting entire plants, drying them and stacking like it was hay or something. Feeding the entire plant. Super easy!!! The wild types live well most anywhere non irrigated, although youll want to get them going well first. I live in a very dry place and my wild collected types were not irrigated past the first few weeks and technically I didnt NEED to do that.

Growing hundreds of pounds of seeds that many of you presumably use of larger seeded type can definitely be a chore and is much more work, needing better soil then the wilder types. (by the way the black seeded wild types are ALSO "oilseed") Growing the equivalent in wilder types would need more land, but lower quality and less inputs, although if you want to separate the seeds out by themselves would be harder on the smaller seeded ones. thought Id throw it out there though, because there is more then one way to go...

What are the nutritional reasons for BOSS though>?

I ask because though I will be growing them and some other things for my goats, Im thinking squash seeds of various types and squash themselves actually would be a great thing to grow
some are very seedy. It should help with worms as well as providing a plant based oil and other nutrients. I know BOSS is used in part for the oil, and if that is the main reason then the squash seed should be just as good with the added benefit of lowering worm issues.

copperpennykids · #18 12/15/12, 03:09 AM

Quote:

What are the nutritional reasons for BOSS though>?

Excellent source of fat, good protein, very good for the goats' rumen (even highly recommended by Dr. Parrish, small ruminant specialist at WSU).

silverseeds · #19 12/15/12, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copperpennykids

Excellent source of fat, good protein, very good for the goats' rumen (even highly recommended by Dr. Parrish, small ruminant specialist at WSU).

interesting. I cant speak for squash seed in regards to the rumen of a goat, but it certainly meets the first two. It would also help with worms and such as well. Also rather unlikely for it to be recommended as BOSS is, since you cant buy it in bulk like BOSS that Im aware of.

Not trying to derail the thread, just offering thoughts on alternatives if growing oilseed sunflowers is hard in someones area. Im going to be growing lots of both of them myself.

andabigmac · #20 12/15/12, 08:58 AM

You can put panty hose over them. They stretch as the heads grow. Just cut the legs to 1 foot lengths and tie a knot in one end. This works well unless you have a bunch to do. I use this for broccoli and cauliflower heads too. Put some DE on the baby heads before you put the pantyhose on in case there's eggs already there.

I used a bag of feed store seed too. They grew great.