Sunflowers

[H20fwler]

My boys planted a sunflower blend this summer for dove season.
They planted pretty late in mid June after we dug the pond just broadcasting all the way around it.
I think they came in pretty good, the wife and I just like the way they look.
Having a little trouble with people just stopping and cutting armfuls of them? What do people think that they are just free wildflowers?

For whatever reason almost all of the flower heads face to east?

 

[DiSc0Rd]

My boys planted a sunflower blend this summer for dove season.
They planted pretty late in mid June after we dug the pond just broadcasting all the way around it.
I think they came in pretty good, the wife and I just like the way they look.
Having a little trouble with people just stopping and cutting armfuls of them? What do people think that they are just free wildflowers?

For whatever reason almost all of the flower heads face to east?


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Where did you get the seed

 

[H20fwler]

Where did you get the seed

Peredovik Sunflower Seed

Peredovik Sunflowers Seed (Peredovik Black Oil Type) - Sunflower seeds are the most popular seed for bird feed. Peredovik Sunflowers grow 4-5 ft tall and provide a nutritious high energy food source for birds. All types of sunflower seeds originate from the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus...

hancockseed.com

 

[DiSc0Rd]

Peredovik Sunflower Seed

Peredovik Sunflowers Seed (Peredovik Black Oil Type) - Sunflower seeds are the most popular seed for bird feed. Peredovik Sunflowers grow 4-5 ft tall and provide a nutritious high energy food source for birds. All types of sunflower seeds originate from the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus...

hancockseed.com

Grassy ass

 

[jsasker007]

Watch the sunflowers throughout the day. Many of the flowers will follow the sun.

 

[H20fwler]

Grassy ass

Your welcome

 

[H20fwler]

Watch the sunflowers throughout the day. Many of the flowers will follow the sun.

That was my thought, in late afternoon bulk of them were facing east on a sunny day?

Slow learners....

 

[Barndog56]

They track the sun when growing, before they open. Once petals start to lift, 90% will face east.

Put a collection box out with a sign asking for $2 a stem, or $5 per if you really want to deter them. Right next to an 'enter at your own risk' sign.

 

[WTNUT]

How on earth did you do that. I planted 20 acres and do not have 3 the deer ate them as fast as they came up


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[Bill]

^^^what WT said. I plant them by never see them. I added them to a fall blend last year, they got vacuumed.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

For a short time they are second to none for attracting deer.


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[SwampCat]

I planted great looking fields of sunflowers for three years. The fourth and fifth year the deer wiled them out and I gave up

 

[roymunson]

we have some in a mix with forage beans and sunhemp. But they were e fenced off... otherwise, we're right there with bill and WTNUT

 

[Tap]

E fence is the only way that I can grow them.

 

[r49740]

I put in a bunch and the ragweed took over. Lots of flowers, but not sure what I can do about the ragweed. very novice at the dove thing, but from what I gather, doves like it open. Also from what I gather, not much I could spray to kill the weeds that keeps the flowers. thoughts?

 

[H20fwler]

Nice Barndog!


I don't think the deer here have ever seen them before and were slow to try them, plenty of deer tracks around. If my boys keep doing it ours for a couple more years will probably get browsed more. They were slow to get the hang of chicory and sugar beets when we first started planting it, now they are all over them.
I was surprised we have had so many come up just being broadcasted over bare dirt, I guess the rains hit it right. Hopefully the doves will give them a look, seeing nice groups of them lined up on telephone lines in the neighborhood.

I put in a bunch and the ragweed took over. Lots of flowers, but not sure what I can do about the ragweed. very novice at the dove thing, but from what I gather, doves like it open. Also from what I gather, not much I could spray to kill the weeds that keeps the flowers. thoughts?

Spray in late spring then plant?
We had a bunch of velvetleaf and lambs quarter come up in ours, I spot sprayed a few times and thinned a lot of the unwanted stuff out. We also threw grass seed out when we planted the sunflowers so next year after I mow the grass a few times I'm going to hit area with a broadleaf spray mid April give it a week and then have boys broadcast sunflowers again if they want.

 

[Tap]

Nice Barndog!


I don't think the deer here have ever seen them before and were slow to try them, plenty of deer tracks around. If my boys keep doing it ours for a couple more years will probably get browsed more. They were slow to get the hang of chicory and sugar beets when we first started planting it, now they are all over them.
I was surprised we have had so many come up just being broadcasted over bare dirt, I guess the rains hit it right. Hopefully the doves will give them a look, seeing nice groups of them lined up on telephone lines in the neighborhood.




Spray in late spring then plant?
We had a bunch of velvetleaf and lambs quarter come up in ours, I spot sprayed a few times and thinned a lot of the unwanted stuff out. We also threw grass seed out when we planted the sunflowers so next year after I mow the grass a few times I'm going to hit area with a broadleaf spray mid April give it a week and then have boys broadcast sunflowers again if they want.

Pay attention to soil temps before planting sunflowers. If memory serves me, I think soil should be in the upper 60s or low 70's.

 

[Tap]

I put in a bunch and the ragweed took over. Lots of flowers, but not sure what I can do about the ragweed. very novice at the dove thing, but from what I gather, doves like it open. Also from what I gather, not much I could spray to kill the weeds that keeps the flowers. thoughts?

My deer absolutely hammer ragweed. They prefer it more than almost anything else. When ragweed "invades" my beans or sunflowers, I just consider it diversity. The deer here actually eat the ragweed before they touch the beans. Ragweed= free forage.

 

[bjseiler]

Interesting comment on ragweed. I rent our 40 of crops to a farmer. He tried cover crops this year and I think is specifically holding back on as much herbicide as normal to see what happens in terms of profitability. Ragweed is now everywhere out there. Across the street the neighbor's farmer is on the far other end of the spectrum in terms of spraying for weeds in his beans. Not a weed to be seen. During daylight I see way more deer in his beans than in ours. Our goats like ragweed but I have not seen the deer going after it yet.

 

[Bassattackr]

I put in a bunch and the ragweed took over. Lots of flowers, but not sure what I can do about the ragweed. very novice at the dove thing, but from what I gather, doves like it open. Also from what I gather, not much I could spray to kill the weeds that keeps the flowers. thoughts?

Don't people mow sections of sunflowers for doves at start of season? Would take care of the ragweed too