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Posted: Aug/09/2009 6:51 AM PST
I don't use the niger seed only because they germinate and then you have thistle plants which are difficult to dig up because of the large unpleasant thorns. I have several thorns in my fingers from them that I could never get out. No one else has had this problem? They love the annual Cosmos seeds, I have found, and cosmos doesn't have thorns, so I go with that. |
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Posted: Aug/10/2009 2:45 AM PST
Hmmm. I've been doing niger seed for years and years and years and it has never germinated. The BO sunflower does, but never the thistle. Now, I have never seen cosmos seed in bulk for the goldfinches. |
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Posted: Aug/10/2009 3:39 AM PST
Cougar ~ I am still using thistle seed from last year (stored in a steel cabinet in the barn over the winter). It was on sale so I bought two 20# bags and they are using the old seed just fine. Witt ~ I am guessing that SJ meant planting cosmos for the birds. I have never seen the seed available for bulk feeding. Same as you, the thistle seed never germinates for me ~ here in KY. But when I used it in WI I had thistles coming up all over. |
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Posted: Aug/12/2009 5:53 AM PST
Okay, good KeyWee. Still nothing tho..uggh Am still looking for that Steal cabinet for my seeds too! I may just go buy a file cabinet, there reasonably priced and go with that? |
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Posted: Aug/12/2009 6:00 AM PST
Mark found my steel cabinet cheap at a sale where a factory was going out of business. It has two doors ~ one side is perfect for hanging out-of-season clothes that I have no room for inside. The other has shelves for seed storage. The doors are very tight-fitting so nothing can get inside ~ I don't know if this would be the case with a filing cabinet. My cabinet is around 6' high and 3' wide and I guess I am very lucky to have it 
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Posted: Aug/25/2009 5:04 PM PST
Still no sign of finches..  They had a sale on the BO seed at Feeders Supply for 20.99, YOU CALL THAT A SALE! Thistle will be on sale next week, I'll still keep trying. |
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Posted: Sep/02/2009 9:37 AM PST
I looked out at the feeder and it was almost gone! I was thinking how in the heck did I miss that! All the seed is gone, and I missed it...dang it! I have been working way too much in the yard and not stopping to smell the roses per say. Now its time to get more seed..yay! |
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Posted: Sep/02/2009 10:57 AM PST
Other small birds besides the goldfinches will also eat the thistle seed. But I have noticed that the goldies are already starting to "dull down" in color (they turn drab-colored in winter) and was surprised because it seems early. What a wacked-out summer this has been! |
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Posted: Sep/02/2009 7:58 PM PST
Hi KeyWee and Witt, Yes, I meant that I plant cosmos and sunflowers for the finches. You are lucky that the thistles don't grow down there. They are nasty. Some birds eat the purple coneflowers also, but not sure its the finches. I agree that the summer has been very strange. My Sept. Charm anemone started blooming Aug 1, which is very early. |
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