Just happen to have these instructions sitting by the computer to try myself. They came from the extension office so it should be reliable :) Roasting Hulled Pumpkin, Squasah or Sunflower seeds To hull seeds in quantity, first break them up with a rolling pin, then drop the seeds and hulls into a large container filled with water. Stir vigorously to bring all kernels in contact with the water and to break the surface tension. The kernals will sink to the bottom, the shells will remain floating. After the seeds have dried they may be roasted in a frying pan at low heat or toasted in a shallow pan in the oven at 325º Mix: 1 cup seeds 2 teaspoons vegetable oil Heat stirring frequently to prevent scorching. the time required will be from 2-6 minutes, depending on the dryness of the seeds.

We don't grow 200, more like 25, so not sure how much help this will be but we thresh our heads inside a bag - like a brown grocery bag or even a heavy duty trash bag. Harvest the head with a foot or so of stem, stick the dried head in the bag and lightly shake or gently beat the bag against a post or tree trunk. Seeds pop right out. Don't usually need any additional drying other than what we get from the roasting but then we don't harvest the heads until the plants are all but dead either so the seed heads are good and dry. Choose a time after no rain for several days and low humidity. If more drying is needed just hang the heads upside down in the garage or someplace warm and dry. Then we roast them in the shell and store in jars. We shell as needed. If you prefer to roast them already shelled you can or if you just want them salted but not roasted then just let them soak overnight in a salted water mix and then simmer them in it for a couple of hours on the stove and spread them out to dry and store. Dave

I've had the same problem, but I just don't try to grow anything else under the feeders, and let some of the seedlings of the sunflowers grow when they pop up beneath the feeders. I would suggest planting dwarf sunflowers under your feeders, but it sounds like yours are in a shady area. The only thing I can recommend is to buy sunflower chips, or no-waste seed, which is more expensive, but is hulless. Don't stop feeding the birds sunflower seeds, though, or you'll lose all the prettiest birds! Sunflower is the food that attracts the most varieties of birds, although nyger will attract finches and safflower is a favorite of cardinals. Doves like millet, but so do pigeons. And corn will just get you more squirrels!

I strongly agree with the recommendations to smother & WAIT. Think of this as a long-term project. Immediate results are not likely to be the best results in the long run. In my experience, weeds are one thing -- grass weeds are another beast altogether. I like the idea of using natural fiber carpet rather than plastic b/c the water can still get through. Otherwise, you can have runoff issues. If you start this in the summer, you'll have an even better chance of killing off everything. I know it's been several weeks since you started this thread, but in Dallas, we're in the middle of a run of triple digit weather, so its the perfect time for us to smother.