Sunflower harvesting time

In the last week or so, as the sunflowers were nearing their time, the cockatoos decided to get in early and started feasting on our long awaited crop.  I covered the heads, but they managed to chew through many of those covers as well, so we just had to harvest and hope for the best.  We managed to salvage 12 heads, with a few more going straight to the chickens as there was so little left.  Luckily we have a large kitchen bench to hold the bounty...

We ended up harvesting a huge bucket full of seeds, which we primarily grew to top up the chook feed.  And here is what we got from just one head, which was half eaten already.

Not too bad for a little side crop on the edge of the patch.  They were beautiful to look at too.  So we have lined the new patch with sunflowers as well and they are coming along at a rate of knots.  We've interplanted with a few marigolds as well and they all seem to be getting along nicely.

And we've left the stalks of the spent sunflowers in as we have beans growing up them, so they are still serving a purpose (a good permaculture principle).  They do look a bit sad without their heads though, as I'm sure I would too...