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Thread: Broadcasting Sunflowers on smaller plots

  1. #1
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    Default Broadcasting Sunflowers on smaller plots

    I just gained access to a new property to dove hunt, and I'm going to prepare the field for the owner. He's set on sunflowers and my equipment/experience is with brown top. It's a main field of 3 acres, and a smaller 1 acre field a few hundred yards away. He definitely wants the one separate field in sunflowers and the 3 acre a mixture of sunflowers and brown top. I made him aware that all I can do is broadcast and disc or drag and the deer on the property will probably destroy anything long before it's usable and he's fine with that. The fields have not been plowed in a while and are covered in waist high broom straw. I know we're approaching planting time so where should I start on the short time frame? Bush hog first, then disc as soon as possible? Do I need to spray preemergent if I'm not going to be planting in rows? And what's the broadcast rate for black oil seeds?

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  2. #2
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    You are wasting your time but it is your time. Deer will eat you up/Trust Me
    Gettin old is for pussies! AND MY NEW TRUE people say like Capt. Tom >>>>>>>>>/
    "Wow, often imitated but never duplicated. No one can do it like the master. My hat is off to you DRDUCK!"

  3. #3
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    I explained to the owner repeatedly that I thought that'd be the case. He said he'd provide fencing if need be but we both know the odds. I'm just a little confused on the conflicting info I'm getting when it comes to broadcasting.

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  4. #4
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    The first thing i would do is disk around the field and burn it. That way it will disk better. I would put down a preemergent since you wont be able to spray later. Put a good electric fence around it. I never tried broadcasting. I would not go heavy because you will get really small flowers. I am guessing 10 -15 lbs a acre maybe.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rem11-87 View Post
    The first thing i would do is disk around the field and burn it. That way it will disk better. I would put down a preemergent since you wont be able to spray later. Put a good electric fence around it. I never tried broadcasting. I would not go heavy because you will get really small flowers. I am guessing 10 -15 lbs a acre maybe.
    How long after disking would you wait until the preemergent, and then how long after spraying until planting?

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  6. #6
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    Whatever you do, don't turkey hunt the property after you perform this useless task.

  7. #7
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    Turns out we had a 50 year old John Deer Model B grain drill laying around on the farm I didn't know about. Surprisingly all the internals were easy to free up, and we're going to block off holes to get our 30 to 36 inch spacing and try it for the sunflowers. We've currently bushhogged and plowed everything up once. The next step is to run a tiller over it, spray the pre emergent, and then plant. Assuming all goes well with that and the deer leave it alone, what will be the next step to ensure clean ground until September? We won't be using Clearfield seeds.

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    Glyphosate then a fire a week before opener !

  9. #9
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    If you're not using Clearfield seeds, about your only option is to cultivate between the rows. The deer will likely trample a lot of the weeds as they decimate the sunflowers.

  10. #10
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    At what stage of the growing does the deer normally decimate the plants? Is it something that we'll find out early on and would have time to redo everything in brown top millet? Or do they come in two to three weeks before season and we're shit out of luck?

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  11. #11
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    I planted an 18 acre dove field last year in a area that has a lot of deer. We put out several scarecrows and soaked them with skin so soft. I bought a case of Lysol spray. I would make a lap around the perimeter of the field every few days spraying a band of the Lysol. We didn't have a single deer track in the field until the flowers were mature and we stop spraying.

  12. #12
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    They will eat them from very young all the way to full grown. The like to bite the tops out of them which makes the plants split into multiple stems with smaller flowers, if they survive or even bud again. When the plants are bigger, the strip the leaves but leave the stem so you will end up with sunflower skeletons. You should have plenty of time to replant with millet.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by scoutlover View Post
    At what stage of the growing does the deer normally decimate the plants? Is it something that we'll find out early on and would have time to redo everything in brown top millet? Or do they come in two to three weeks before season and we're shit out of luck?

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    you will know soon enough
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  14. #14
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    They will eat them at any phase. If yours have patience they'll wait for the heads to get huge and pretty and then eat them all.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by scoutlover View Post
    How long after disking would you wait until the preemergent, and then how long after spraying until planting?

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    I would disc, plant, then spray the pre emerge directly after planting. That way you have minimal soil disturbance after spraying. Also why are you choosing not to plant clearfield seed?
    Quote Originally Posted by Birddawg View Post
    I dont know how it was done. For all I know that weird bastard that determined it's gender licked it.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by CUduckreeper View Post
    I would disc, plant, then spray the pre emerge directly after planting. That way you have minimal soil disturbance after spraying. Also why are you choosing not to plant clearfield seed?
    Landowner's decision and he's the one buying everything. I'm sure he doesn't want to spend the extra money not knowing how the deer are going to do and with it being my first time planting sunflowers. Mostly be a trial run this year make adjustments next year.

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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by thunderchicken View Post
    I planted an 18 acre dove field last year in a area that has a lot of deer. We put out several scarecrows and soaked them with skin so soft. I bought a case of Lysol spray. I would make a lap around the perimeter of the field every few days spraying a band of the Lysol. We didn't have a single deer track in the field until the flowers were mature and we stop spraying.
    Been meaning to ask you how this turned out.

  18. #18
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    Trial run sounds like an excuse for sucking. Having a shitty field with weeds in it will just make it that much harder next year when you "do it right"

  19. #19
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    That's his decision to make. What's the difference cost wise going with Clearfields versus the other?

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  20. #20
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    a lot


    but SW is right. a sucky field is a waste of time and money.
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

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