Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gardening
  3. How tos

Want to make homemade bird food using seeds from your garden? Here are the best plants to use

Use these tips to make your own bird food

By
Add as a preferred source on Google
Gray songbird at wooden bird feeder full of seeds
Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are tons of plants you can grow to feed birds over the winter, but did you know you can make homemade bird food at any time of year? Growing the plants, harvesting the seeds, and preparing the bird food is easier than you might think. Whether you’re a dedicated bird watcher or just enjoy listening to bird songs in the morning, here’s everything you need to know to make homemade bird food using seeds from your own garden.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

1 hour

What You Need

  • Bag

  • Scissors, shears, or a knife

  • Tray

  • Airtight container

  • Plants with seeds (such as sunflowers, coneflowers, millet, and black-eyed Susans)

A close-up of pink coneflower blooms
LapaiIrKrapai / Shutterstock

What plants to use

Almost all plants have seeds of some sort, but not all of them are good food for birds. Plants with large seed heads or berries are the best, as they offer easy access for both you and the birds.

If you plan on just adding the plants to your garden, then berry bushes like holly and juniper are great additions. However, if you’re going to make bird food, then you should be aware that adding berries will add a few extra steps. This is because berries need to be thoroughly dried, otherwise they could rot in storage or in your bird feeder!

For making your own bird food, here are the plants you should look for:

  • Sunflowers
  • Coneflowers
  • Millet
  • Black-eyed Susans
A robin standing in front of a pile of seeds
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Harvesting the seeds

To make bird food, here's how and when to collect the seeds:

Step 1: Wait until the seeds have developed.

This is typically a couple of weeks to a month after the flowers bloom.

Step 2: Place a bag over the flowers.

This ensures that any loose seeds fall into the bag rather than on the ground while harvesting.

Related

Step 3: Cut the flowers off the plants using scissors, shears, or a knife, so the flowers fall into the bag.

Step 4: Remove the seeds from the flowers.

Most of the seeds should dislodge with a gentle shake of the flowers or brushes from your hands. If the seeds are stuck tightly, drying the flowers first can help.

Step 5: Spread the seeds out on a tray and allow them to dry for about a week.

If you plan on using all of your seeds immediately, then you can skip this step. However, drying them will help you store your seeds for longer.

Male cardinal and two smaller birds at a bird feeder full of seeds
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Preparing the bird food

Once your seeds are dry, here's how to prepare, use, and store your bird food:

Step 1: Remove any husks or pods from the seeds.

Step 2: Mix your seeds together.

Step 3: Fill your birdfeeder or set 1 to 3 cups of seeds out where birds can reach it.

Step 4: Store excess seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark space.

Step 5: Refill the feeder once a day or whenever it gets low.

Making homemade bird food is exceptionally easy. Your local birds will love it, and you’ll love watching them visit your garden! You may even see some other seed-loving critters, like squirrels or chipmunks. Don’t forget — you can set aside some of the seed mix and use it to replant your garden.

Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

13 shrubs perfect for wet soil conditions
These shrubs are perfect for wet soil
A winterberry holly shrub in autumn

Have you ever heard of a plant not liking wet feet? It's true; some plants don't like their roots to be soaked for too long. Many plants won't thrive or will even die in overly wet conditions. This can make gardening difficult if your yard is naturally wet. Luckily, there are plants suited for every condition, even wet soil! In this guide we'll explain how wet soil is defined and recommend some plants that like wet soil for you to try growing.

What shrubs do well in wet soil?

Read more
How often should you water your grass seeds for the best results?
Tips for watering grass seed to get the lawn of your dreams
Grass with dew on it

A beautiful, lush green lawn is something that many homeowners strive for, but sometimes cultivating that lawn can be quite the headache. Getting your seeds to germinate and grow into thick, healthy grass requires balancing all of its needs. For such a simple plant, grass sure does need a lot of attention! Watering, mowing, dethatching, aerating, and reseeding your lawn can take a while to figure out, but it's easier with the help of a guide.

Read more
Pruning basics: What it is and how to do it right
How to prune your trees and shrubs
Person pruning a tree

What you need to do to keep a tree or shrub healthy can depend a lot on the type of tree or shrub, but something that is almost always the same is pruning. While there are a few small variations from plant to plant, the basics of pruning are mostly the same no matter what you’re growing. If you’re a beginner, you might have a few questions. What is pruning? How often should you do it, and in what season? Don’t worry, we’ll answer these questions and more in this guide to the basics of pruning.
What is pruning?

Pruning is the process of removing certain branches from a plant. Cutting your plant might sound intimidating, but pruning is actually important for maintaining the health of your trees and shrubs. The primary branches that are removed are those that are dead, dying, damaged, diseased, or at risk of becoming damaged. Branches at high risk are usually those that are growing too close to another branch or a structure of some kind. If the branches rub against each other too much in the wind, the friction can damage the bark. This leaves them vulnerable to pests and fungal infections.

Read more