No good act escapes retribution. Plants sprouting from birdseed is a perfect illustration of how an act of kindness may backfire, although it may seem a little cynical. If you have had this issue in the past, you may be asking how to feed and attract birds without having a lot of weeds grow in the yard.
Growing Plants from Bird Seed
Bird seed varies greatly in quality. The most common seeds that producers incorporate in their blends are listed below:
- Sunflower – Various birds love black oil sunflower seeds; however, certain species find it more difficult to open the striped types because of their thicker shells. The whole sunflower seed will grow and sprout. It is solved by shelling, hulling, or chipping the seeds.
- Safflower – Among the native bird species that adore these tiny, white conical seeds are cardinals, blue jays, and tufted titmice. Safflower plants may reach 1 to 5 feet (0.3-1.5 m), and their globular blossoms can be yellow, orange, or red.
- Nyjer – Sometimes referred to as “thistle” in bird seed mixes, these thin, black seeds are a favorite of goldfinches. Nyjer (Guizotia abyssinica), a plant related to the sunflower, is 4 to 6 feet (1.2–1.8 meters) tall and bears yellow daisy-like blooms. This particular bird seed will not grow weeds. The USDA mandates that the seed be heat-sterilized before being imported since nyjer is cultivated elsewhere.
- White Proso Millet – Preferred by quail, cardinals, juncos, and other ground-feeding birds, millet is often offered in ground-level bird feeders. The creamy white to light tan seeds have the form of a football and grow easily in warm climates. The height of millet, an annual grass, ranges from 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 meters).
- Corn – Although shelled corn (whole kernels) may germinate and develop into full-sized corn plants, it does not yield the soft, sweet corn people like. Finding stray corn plants in the yard is solved by feeding cracked corn.
- Peanuts – Although smaller birds prefer them shelled and sliced, jays, crows, and woodpeckers like eating whole peanuts. Only when the pinkish-brown husk is still connected will peanuts begin to sprout. These legumes reach 0.3–0.5 meters or 1–1.5 ft.
- Milo – Commonly known as milo maize, these oblong, reddish-brown seeds are desirable to many species of game birds, such as doves and jays, but are not particularly liked by smaller birds. This sorghum seed, sprouting bird seed, resembles corn plants. Milo does not, however, provide ears that are full of kernels. At the apex of the plant, flowerheads and seeds are produced.
How to Prevent Bird Seed from Sprouting
Avid bird watchers are aware of several tips for weed-free bird feeding. Employ any or all of these tried-and-true methods to get rid of undesirable vegetation around the bird feeder:
- Never purchase cheap seeds. When it comes to birdseed mixtures, quality is a function of price. Cheap mixtures sometimes include “filler” seeds, which many birds will not consume. Ultimately, these seeds are knocked out of the feeder and fall to the ground, where they sprout and grow into various unwelcome weeds. Steer clear of milo, wheat, oats, red or golden millet, or flax.
- Replace the bird feeders. The kind of feeder may be changed to solve several weed issues. The birds must take one seed out of the tube feeder at a time, which forces them to reduce waste. Prevent swaying bird feeders because they may spill food.
- Use multiple feeders. Purchase single-seed goods and spread them out among several feeders. Birds will swarm to their preferred feeder and not scatter unwanted seeds.
- Install a seed catcher. These useful tools may capture both dropped seeds and ugly seed husks.
- Always pick up dropped seeds. Place pavers under the bird feeder to make removing spilled seeds and hulls considerably simpler.
- Under the feeder, plant a ground cover. To prevent bird seed from sprouting or developing, dense ground cover plants shade the soil.
Lastly, think about buying bird seeds that will not germinate. Only seeds shelled, hulled, or cracked are used in these goods, often marketed as “no mess” or “no waste.”