Niger plants grow new plants from seeds each year. 15 Sep, 2010 Christine67 Thanks for your reply.

Other than bird feed, niger seed can be used for human consumption. Help please! My niger feeder is visited regularly by Goldfinches, Siskins, Redpoll and Coal Tits- which is great! However, the amount of seed that is discarded under the feeder, or on the feeding tray that I have now attached, is massive and has to be cleaned off to stop it going smelly. Feeding the birds is a popular and rewarding activity, but seed spilled from feeders can germinate in the soil. Prepare the soil bed by ploughing or tilling to remove existing plants. I use a lot of niger seed as the Gold Finches I that visit love it. It is known for its short growing season and disease resistance. Farmers commonly grow the crop under contract to birdseed processors. If you have bird seed causing weeds in your garden and you want to stop that from happening, the first thing I recommend you do is change the seed you are using. Before it’s exported, the seed has to be treated and sterilised with high temperatures to prevent germination and the sprouting of any flowers in your garden, which may harm other native plants. Emma Crawforth, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, explains how to prevent bird seed from germinating, in this Quick Tips video. The good news is that niger seed is sterile, meaning it won’t germinate (see below). You can buy a special 'niger' feeder that has smaller holes so the seed does not fall out!!