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Post by bill9068 on Jul 11, 2020 12:15:51 GMT -5
I have a couple of 1/8 acre plots I was thinking of planting sunflowers in. Don’t really care if the deer eat them.
They will be next to plots of clover that’s established and are about 1/4 acre size. Thoughts?
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Post by bill9068 on Jul 11, 2020 12:32:58 GMT -5
Should have also said that it’s not to late to plant as they have 60 day maturity and the only thing I worry about is enough rain. Soaking the seeds for 12-24 hours takes care of germination. Been planting radishes and turnips for years and deer never touch them. Just an experiment to see what happens and it’s cheap at $12.99 for a 40# bag.
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Post by esshup on Jul 11, 2020 13:12:55 GMT -5
I planted a 1/4 acre plot of sunflowers. Between the deer and the groundhogs not one flower was ever seen.
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Post by ukwil on Jul 11, 2020 15:52:19 GMT -5
The deer destroyed my dove plots the last couple of times I planted sunflowers. So I'd say they'd probably do good.
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Post by bullseye69 on Jul 12, 2020 12:22:00 GMT -5
We have planted them just about every year for the past ten years.
Deer never seem to get to them before the birds have their way with them.
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Post by bullseye69 on Jul 12, 2020 12:23:56 GMT -5
Should have also said that it’s not to late to plant as they have 60 day maturity and the only thing I worry about is enough rain. Soaking the seeds for 12-24 hours takes care of germination. Been planting radishes and turnips for years and deer never touch them. Just an experiment to see what happens and it’s cheap at $12.99 for a 40# bag. Only time I seen deer eat radishes or turnips was after snow fell and ground was frozen. They dug them up to eat them. |
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Post by bill9068 on Jul 12, 2020 12:53:25 GMT -5
Should have also said that it’s not to late to plant as they have 60 day maturity and the only thing I worry about is enough rain. Soaking the seeds for 12-24 hours takes care of germination. Been planting radishes and turnips for years and deer never touch them. Just an experiment to see what happens and it’s cheap at $12.99 for a 40# bag. Only time I seen deer eat radishes or turnips was after snow fell and ground was frozen. They dug them up to eat them. Yes, same here. |
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Post by treetop on Jul 12, 2020 14:23:53 GMT -5
We have planted them just about every year for the past ten years. Deer never seem to get to them before the birds have their way with them. I have but have had the same issue birds have them long gone before deer even have a chance. I used a bag from the store for bird seed black oil sunflower had good growth every time I tried |
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Post by parkerbow on Jul 12, 2020 15:42:38 GMT -5
I planted turnips a few times also and the deer never touch them. They just sit there and rot. I cleared out another plot this spring and am going to try Winter greens from Whitetail institute this fall. If the deer don't like this then I am done with any type of brassica plantings. I never have tried sunflowers before. Where do you get the seed?
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Post by bullseye69 on Jul 12, 2020 16:37:20 GMT -5
Your local Co-Op or feed store should have or be able to get them.
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 12, 2020 17:59:39 GMT -5
IF you can use the black oil sunflower bird seed you can get that at Rural King or Tractor Supply. 40# bag for about $12.
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Post by bill9068 on Jul 13, 2020 9:49:15 GMT -5
IF you can use the black oil sunflower bird seed you can get that at Rural King or Tractor Supply. 40# bag for about $12. You can, been planting them at home for my wife for about ten years. Going to try on a bigger scale this week on my plots. |
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Post by bullseye69 on Jul 13, 2020 9:52:38 GMT -5
We have planted them just about every year for the past ten years. Deer never seem to get to them before the birds have their way with them. Just remembered.....woodchucks like them when they just sprout. They will do a number on them as well. |
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Post by boonechaser on Jul 13, 2020 10:00:56 GMT -5
Just depends on deer density. If you have a healthy population in your area a 1/8 acre plot will be wiped out in a couple days as soon as sprout. (Be similar to planting soybeans as far as attractiveness.) I would not attempt in my area if could not plant at minimum 2-3 acre's. I plant some turnip and radish plots each fall and deer start feeding on as soon as they come up , grazing on tops early and later digging up bulbs and eating. Again its all about deer density.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2020 9:42:16 GMT -5
Just depends on deer density. If you have a healthy population in your area a 1/8 acre plot will be wiped out in a couple days as soon as sprout. (Be similar to planting soybeans as far as attractiveness.) I would not attempt in my area if could not plant at minimum 2-3 acre's. I plant some turnip and radish plots each fall and deer start feeding on as soon as they come up , grazing on tops early and later digging up bulbs and eating. Again its all about deer density. Thanks. Every time I plant sunflowers I never get any. I guess the deer eat them up before I even know it. I plant for my bees. |
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Post by moose1am on Jul 14, 2020 12:14:38 GMT -5
Just depends on deer density. If you have a healthy population in your area a 1/8 acre plot will be wiped out in a couple days as soon as sprout. (Be similar to planting soybeans as far as attractiveness.) I would not attempt in my area if could not plant at minimum 2-3 acre's. I plant some turnip and radish plots each fall and deer start feeding on as soon as they come up , grazing on tops early and later digging up bulbs and eating. Again its all about deer density. Ground hogs are hard on soybean sprouts. They eat the young shoots. I wonder if the deer eat them as they first emerge and start growing? Deer like to feed along the edge of a forest and prefer to eat browse. |
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Post by bill9068 on Jul 14, 2020 12:52:40 GMT -5
I’ll be planting tomorrow. Let you guy’s know how it goes. I’m hoping some make it but you never know.
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Post by budd on Jul 21, 2020 7:42:25 GMT -5
Never thought about sunflowers before, think I may try them next season. Deer smash my turnip field, first they eat the tops but as soon as we have a heavy frost (usually mid september) it looks like hogs root up the field over night.
This year I planted sugar beets, soybeans, corn, turnips. First time for Sugar beets, we will see.
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Post by bill9068 on Jul 21, 2020 14:32:33 GMT -5
So far so good on the sunflower plots. Lots of sprouts coming up. Only a few deer tracks and turkey tracks in them. Rain really helped this last week.
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