What's The Secret to Clean Sunflowers?

[RBZ7]

What is the secret to clean sunflowers? I planted clearfields early May. I didn't use a pre emergent but around the 8 leaf stage, I did spray 2½ acres with Imox only (same AI as beyond) & 2½ acres with Imox & Clethodim mixed. I got decent broadleaf control, but the grass took them over this year! The 2½ acres i mixed with clethodim does look a little better, but still not clean as i would like to have. This is my 5th year planting sunflowers & just haven't cracked the code yet. What am i missing? Will the pre emergent make all the difference? If so, what should I use?

[Big Time]

A solid preemergent is the best I have found for a clean field. Broadaxe works well. Dual magnum with spartan charge also works well. Warrant is fair but not good. As soon as the flowers finish growing you can burn down the whole field with gramoxone. Most grass will rot away.

[Palmetto Bug]

I'm pretty new at it but metolachlor has been pretty effective for me as a pre-emergent in sunflowers. I plant in 16 row alternating strips next to corn that uses different pre-emergent so it gives me a good look at how effective each one is. That said, I still get nut grass and other crap, especially horse nettle. I just sprayed a glypho and 2-4D mix to burn it down last weekend. I only have a open tractor and I'm afraid of gramoxone.

I have one 2.5 acre field that I planted in sunflowers as an afterthought. It didn't get a pre-emergent but got hit with Cadre post-emerge. It'll take a good dog to find a bird in that field.

[2thDoc]

when did your grass appear?

[Quackhead22]

I ran Treflan as a pre this year and it did pretty good for everything but the Pigweed. Ran the hooded sprayer through them back in June and knocked out a bunch of the pigweed and everything else. Just burned everything down with Gramoxone. I think I am going to give the Zidua a try next year. Clethodim helped with the grasses but if you don’t catch the grasses early the Clethodim seems to only knock the grass back a little.

Edit: I misspoke I ran Treflan as a pre not dual

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[RBZ7]

when did your grass appear?

early on. the Imox didn't kill any of my grasses. The side that i treated with Imox & clethodim looked ok until about 3-4 weeks ago. The grass took off with all this heat & rain.

[2thDoc]

then its likely pre-emerg

[2thDoc]

you will get stuff growing underneath once the sunlight hits if after the leaves drop. thats when you can go ahead and burn everything down...

[SaltMuck]

Listen to the cavity man. He’s got the baddest dove field sprayer in SC.

[DUCK BUSTER 68]

As wet as it was at our place this year,we had a hard time controlling weeds . Usually use dual magnum as a pre emerge,but like to switch up every few years . This year,we used prowl with spartan charge,which has worked well in the past . First post emerge spraying was with lightning,followed a week later with cadre,mixed a little hot at 6 ounces per acre . Normally do only one post emerge spraying,but this year I knew weeds were gonna be a problem with all the rain weve been getting .Usually seems like lightning has a little better residual on pigweed,whereas cadre has a little better on sicklepod. The combo nuked every weed and grass in the field,but didn't touch the damn pigweed...looks like the shit converted it into fertilizer

[Highstrung]

F pigweed. Sometimes you can't do jack if you have a crazy ass seed bed and ark building rain. Ours have gotten tall enough I cant get the boom over them to spray. Doves don't care, at some point a few rows are going to be pissed when it's gramoxone time.

[Highstrung]

Corn sure is pretty

[CUduckreeper]

Why would you not use a pre emergent? Have you not used one in 5 years? Yes a pre emergent will make a difference. In the past I've used Spartan Charge and Duel Magnum for my pre emergent and Cadre for post emergent. This year I used Warrant and Valor for my pre emergent and Cadre after they were up. I have the cleanest field I've had in years this year. I still have a few weeds here and there but hardly any pig weed, which I've had worse in the past. My chemical guy has always stressed timing when spraying pre emergent. He says you need to spray before a rain so that the chemical can get worked into the soil to help with the residual effect.

[Quackhead22]

F pigweed. Sometimes you can't do jack if you have a crazy ass seed bed and ark building rain. Ours have gotten tall enough I cant get the boom over them to spray. Doves don't care, at some point a few rows are going to be pissed when it's gramoxone time.

I’ve got a boomless nozzle that we could probably setup on your sprayer if you wanted to borrow it. That’s what I sprayed ours with


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[scoutlover]

What's the best time to do the final burn down? I planted Clearfields for the first time this year and everything went great up until the flowers started to wilt. Now the field is starting to get pretty grown up but the seeds haven't started dropping yet. Do I need to wait until after they start dropping to hit it with the gramoxone?

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[Highstrung]

I’ve got a boomless nozzle that we could probably setup on your sprayer if you wanted to borrow it. That’s what I sprayed ours with


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I'll let you know, thanks

[spotterky]

Sorry to lurk your board, I'm from KY but enjoy seeing how y'all do it. This is how we handle the problem around here. We all used to raise tobacco so we have cultivating tractors in every barn. IMG_2771.jpg

[2thDoc]

Listen to the cavity man. He’s got the baddest dove field sprayer in SC.

ha. tucker owns that. I just get to look at it. its next door.

granted, it was driven down bluff road for about 15 miles the other day.

[2thDoc]

we tried cultivating one year. it worked to some degree. pigweed is a different beast.

I took the time to handpick pigweed out of two sections of my dove field 2-3 years ago. its interesting to me the difference it has made, even today.

is it a pain? yes, but I hate pigweed and won a small battle and now feel vindicated.

[spotterky]

roger that, 2thdoc. pigweed always finds a way to get into the rows. Dont you guys find that doves will eat pigweed seeds as much as anything else? I dont stress it too much as long as it doesnt take over. I always find pigweed seed in the doves I clean.