# Help, I need sunflower seeds in bulk.



## crafty2002

I have searched and searched and the only sunflower seeds I can find on the net is for bird feed.

Does anyone know where I could order enough seeds, the black oil seeds for a couple of acres, how much it will take and what the price may be???
I am about ready to pull the plug on this computer. 

I'm going to start another thread but may as well ask the same question here while I am at it. I would like to go ahead and buy another sks rifle and maybe some more ammo but it seems like the $99 sks's are no more. Does any one know of a cheaper site for them??? I'm glad I got the 2 I have but I would like to add one more if I could find one fairly cheap. 

Thanks a lot. 
Dennis


----------



## chickenista

I just use the BOSS from the feed store... they come up great for me. I also plant oats, wheat etc.. from the feed store.


----------



## PutteringAround

I have wonder this for a while. I was looking at the big bag (30-50lbs ?) at walmart. They are for burd feed but they are whole not dehulled. The bag say that they are black oil seeds. I was wonder if they could be used for growth and oil? But I see that you said all you can find is ones for bird feed. So why can't these work? Are they not really oil sunflowers?


----------



## wolfwalkerpa

All i can tell you about sunflowers is they come up and grown any place the birds drop them and around the bird feeders .I buy untreated black oil from the feed store walmart has a coating of some kind don't know if it kills germination or not.


----------



## Bearfootfarm

Bird *SEED* is just what it says it is. Plant it and it will grow!


----------



## Rowena

But I ordered some seed from AAOOB Storable Foods (very few seeds, but in large quantities what they have) and Fedco has some too, but I ordered for dwarf cut flowers, not sure about what you are looking for.


----------



## luvrulz

check out mountain valley seeds, they probably have bulk quantities!!


----------



## Terri

My feed store sells them in 25 pound bags. You might ask at yours.


----------



## Sandhills

I buy 50lb bags from the feed store. A bag costs me $22 now. I planted some last year and they grew well.


----------



## prairiedog

Local coop sells boss I buy it for the goats and plant some


----------



## Bearfootfarm

> Sunflowers should be planted 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep. Row spacing studies have shown that sunflowers do not yield better in narrow rows, whereas wide rows are preferable to allow cultivating for weeds or use a row crop header. Sunflowers are not particularly sensitive to seeding rate, since head size (and seed number) per plant will increase in a thinner stand. Seeding rates can be from 15,000 to 25,000 plants per acre. *Sunflower seeds vary in size, so seeding rate based on weight must take into account seed size, but will be roughly 3 to 4 pounds per acre. * Number 2 sunflower seeds are largest, while number 5 are smallest. Most sunflower seed available is sized as a 3 or 4. Size of the seed can affect what type of planter modifications are necessary, such as buying new seed plates or finger pickups.
> 
> Planting sunflower can begin anytime after soils have warmed to 50 degrees F. (April) through mid-July. Itâs not a bad idea to plant sunflower on a couple of different dates to reduce risk and spread out labor load. Planting early can allow sunflower to be harvested before corn and soybeans, and will likely avoid any bird damage. Planting late can allow planting after other crops are done, and is less likely to have damage from sunflower moth. Double crop planting after wheat works well with sunflower, and can be done in the northern part of Missouri since sunflower is more frost tolerant than soybeans in the fall.


http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/sunflower.shtml

If you don't use a planter, you should probably double the seed rate


----------



## crafty2002

Thanks for all the replies I got. I found one store, and just happened to talk to a lady who's husband dove hunts and he plant several acres of sun flowers every year on there farm for the doves to eat while he hunts them, LOL. 
A bait shop so to speak. 

She said he plants a 50 lb. bag each year of the black oil seeds and it is enough for "5 acres or so". That's the best she could tell me but they are only $18.99. 

And she also said to plant them and then plant some regular bird see after the sunflowers were about 2 feet tall and I could turn the chickens loose in the and they would have a ball eating the the plants. 

Is there anything else anyone can tell me about planting them before I start??
Thanks for the help.
Dennis


----------



## Rocky Fields

Hey.

The germination rate might be lower for bird seed grade.

RF


----------



## Heidi Overbeek

I use the 50 lb bags for chicken feed and sprouting for the chickens and me. I don't know what the germination rate is but I get lots of sprouts! (Makes good salads.)
Heidi


----------



## Windy in Kansas

crafty2002--Dennis if you want I will check my local seed dealers to see if they have actual seed for growers, meaning what you would get would all be one specific variety for either oilseed or confectionery planting.

I would expect them to only be available in 50 pound bags which means shipping would be pretty high. Also as true seed sunflowers you would probably pay a premium but would get a premium product.

Send me a PM if you would like me to call some dealers to see what I can find out as to how many varieties they offer (if at all), etc. I am sure a dealer would have them as quite a few 160 acre fields of them are planted each year. Beautiful site when growing. 

You may find some useful information at this site: http://www.kssunflower.com/
The "Pricing" area is interesting as it compares going prices at the major reception terminals nationwide.


----------



## crafty2002

Windy In Kansas , that is very kind of you. I started to say it is very sweet of you but I am not sure if you are male or female. If you're a man I don't want to be telling you that you are sweet, LOL. Seems like every time I think I am talking to a woman on here it turns out to be a man and vice versa. :shrug: But anyway thanks for the offer and I still may take you up on it, but I bought a 50# bag of black oil seeds that are for bird feed Friday at Sourthern States. 
The woman there said her husband plants a few acres of them every year for dove hunting. I wish I could use a shoot gun out here.

I have already planted some in a pot of potting soil. Actually I planted 25 of them running a test. I planted 5 at 3/4" deep, 5 @ 1", 5 @ 1-1/4", 5 @ 1-1/2" and 5 @ 1-3/4" deep. 
I was as precise as I could be to see how/if they come up and how they compare to the planting depth and just see if they even come up if there is any difference in the rate for the different depth. 
I even mixed the soil with a few shovels of the red clay that most of them will be planted in. 

Heidi, how do you sprout your seeds for chicken feed and for the salads also. I am sure it's the same way, but I was just wondering how you do it. 
I put a small hand full in a bowl with water in it and set it up on the shelve I use for starting my plants for the garden. I keep them on top for the heat until they sprout and then put them under the lights. 

Thanks all.
Dennis


----------



## Windy in Kansas

Dennis, you were wise. I'm all male and always have been. Divorced and quite gender secure so do whatever needs done around the house. Expect you could call it the old homesteading independence and self sufficiency.

I expect the bird seeds ones will be just fine for your use. I toyed with the idea of buying a bag of seed and then offering smaller units so that we could all have a bargain of good seed. Expect we could do that with other bulk seed to save us all a lot of money of buying packets of seed. The only problem would be with agreeing on variety. Shipping might raise the price too high to give bulk buying advantage.


----------



## moucon

Bearfootfarm said:


> Bird *SEED* is just what it says it is. Plant it and it will grow!


I have found the opposite to be true. The junk seed sold as "bird seed" at Walmart is coated with something or treated in some way (heat, chemicals, who knows...) that practically eliminates germination - probably because they don't want it germinating while in storage or etc.... but in any case, I've tried planting it and wound up with maybe MAYBE 5% germination. You'd have better luck planting the sunflower seeds you get at the convenience store for a snack. This is just my experience - YMMV.


----------



## moucon

Bearfootfarm said:


> Bird *SEED* is just what it says it is. Plant it and it will grow!


I have found the opposite to be true. The junk seed sold as "bird seed" at Walmart is coated with something or treated in some way (heat, chemicals, who knows...) that practically eliminates germination - probably because they don't want it germinating while in storage or etc.... but in any case, I've tried planting it and wound up with maybe MAYBE 5% germination. You'd have better luck planting the sunflower seeds you get at the convenience store for a snack. This is just my experience - YMMV. 

EDIT: After some research - It is "Heat Treatment" that kills the germination, and most all commercially packaged bird seed is going to be heat-treated. So - if you want something you can plant, make sure it is not heat-treated. Hope this saves you frustration.


----------



## Itsroger

I plant sunflowers and bird seed from tractor supply, they have always come up good for me, sometimes too good, ha-ha get them too thick when broadcasting them. They have black oil and giant grey stripe at my local store.


----------

