Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: sunflowers: Leave the damaged ones standing?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Sullivan\'s Island
    Posts
    12,866

    Default sunflowers: Leave the damaged ones standing?

    The deer are pounding my sunflowers. The tallest are about chin high now. Many have had the buds eaten out of them and won't be able to produce a flower. Should I cut them down so they don't eat fertilizer and drink water or leave them to shade weeds and serve as deer food?

    Next question:
    If I plant something like clay peas or sunn hemp near the sunflowers, will it help keep pressure off the sunflowers or simply be another item on the salad bar and make the sunflowers even more attractive?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Moncks Corner
    Posts
    1,243

    Default

    The ones the deer eat will split and make several small heads. So instead of one big head the plant will have several small heads. Just leave them

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    May River
    Posts
    7,338

    Default

    Dude get a hot fence! Screw messing with sunflowers without one!
    you aint did a dawg gon thang until ya STAND UP IN IT!- Theodis Ealey


    Quote Originally Posted by Rebel Yell View Post
    The older I get, the more anal retentive I get.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Hampton Co., SC
    Posts
    10,122

    Default

    Millorganite is your friend.... So are fences!
    \"I never saw a wild thing feel sorry for itself. A small bird will drop dead frozen from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.\" <br />D.H. LAWRENCE

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    4,970

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rem11-87 View Post
    The ones the deer eat will split and make several small heads. So instead of one big head the plant will have several small heads. Just leave them
    Yep
    Genesis 9;2

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Sullivan\'s Island
    Posts
    12,866

    Default

    None so far seem to be splitting an developing new heads. They're just growing extra huge leaves.

    If I plant sunflowers again, I will certainly run electric wire. This was my first attempt and I hoped the local deer wouldn't be familiar with them enough to eat them all.

    So what about planting alternative food nearby? Does it keep them off the sunflowers or make them tell their friends about the new item on the salad bar?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Banks of the Wateree
    Posts
    41,929

    Default

    It doesn't they're just like, we'll come back and eat that later you silly human because we know what hurts your feelings.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Banks of the Wateree
    Posts
    41,929

    Default

    We tried things of that nature after the first year they got on ours, then we tried 100lb mono strung on posts circling about 15 acres.. Now that's a pain in the ass. We put out the poopy pellets, all of it. The second and last year they ate about twelve acres down just as the heads were growing large. The next year fencing went up. We grew flowers for at least a dozen year until they decided they liked them.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •