Is birdseed viable or has it been treated in some way so that it won't germinate?
I'd like to make my yard as bee friendly as possible. Costco birdseed is cheap and consists of sunflowers and other seeds that should produce flowers that bees will like assume that they will germinate. If I plant some of the bird food will it grow?
The black oil sunflower seeds are viable.
I think they are all viable. There's always a plant menagerie under the feeder each spring.
There was a flap a few years ago because a birdseed mix contained hemp, which was supposed to be heat treated to kill it, but treated incompletely, so lots of little old ladies had a pot farm under their bird feeders the next summer. (At least, that's what they told the narcs). But yes, oilseed sunflower and millet certainly germinates.
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G
I would not bother as the seeds will sprout in a very tight proximity to each other that is overwhelmingly high in N2. Great for compost additions. I Feed Niger, Black Sunflower and suet. The Niger is irradiated I believe.
Andy answers:
No. Birds come from eggs and not from seed. There are no known instances of birdseed that has actually produced birds. Other things come up, which can be harvested and smoked at parties... But birds.???? No....
Andy in Eureka, Texas
Bill, I'm sure what we had was NOT irradiated. We had thistles popping up all over the yard when we fed thistle. Have not fed it in 2 years, and voila, no thistle. But it doesn't make up for the lack of the goldfinches that are just now turning to their summer colors. I miss them, must get thistle seeds. And this is just over the creek in DE!! Nan
Nan have the tried the upside down Niger tube feeder? It forces the finches to flip upside down to feed. Neat as only finches can do it. We have finches all year round. House and golden only the golden feed this way.
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and the occasional Chickadee. I had 1 the first year & now there are at least 2. It is funny that other chickadees will sit on the other perches and seem to be thinking 'How in hell are you doing that?'.
Jim
I've had flax sprout and bloom and was delighted to see it. The finches showed up when I started growing sunflowers. There's a family of 5 chickadee's fussing at each other each morning as I broadcast the birdseed, bread and peanuts. And grackles have returned this year! Oh frabjuous day!
I'm so glad spring is finally here. The grape hyacinths bloomed today, along with one of the flowering crab apple trees. The hawthornes are in full bloom, as well as the flowering quince, which is quite late this year.
Onions in ground and planted sugar snap peas, romaine, kale and spinach yeaterday. Better late than never.
Kate Middle TN
Late!?
My ground is still snow covered. Indoor kit kits for peppers, coleus and petunias going for now.
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add to all that- the first morels were spotted in Knoxville-
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