Question: How can I keep my bird seed from sprouting in the flower bed beneath the feeders?

Answer: Using the black oil-type sunflower seed will really help, since the birds eat every seed of it. If you have millet and other less desirable seeds germinating, consider mulching the ground beneath the feeders heavily. If you put 1 to 2 inches of bark mulch on the soil it will usually prohibit the germination of the seeds. Any that do sprout can be easily hoed out.