I see the previous forum exchange in regards to this subject however It is late September here in MA and my sunflower heads are still maturing. The seeds are still all white with the small buds still attached. The backs of the flowers are still green also. Do I need to wait until the seeds the turn black and how much longer will that be ?

I have covered the flowers with netting as the deer have found the flowers but I do not want them to rot with all the rain we are having or mold to set in either. Any advice would be appreciated. As a kid in upstate NY we picked them straight out of the field when they were dried and enjoyed the seeds right from the plant and that is what I was hoping to accomplish for my own kids ..thanks ...