Tillage... sunflowers?

BarnyardEngineering · Oct 21, 2019

I'm sure I missed something in the news, but after the wheat was cut around here the fields started growing up to what I thought was some sort of stalky invasive weed.

In the last couple of weeks they've started to bloom and turns out the invasive weeds are small sunflowers, maybe a couple feet high and the blooms maybe 2-3" in diameter.

Never seen sunflowers used as a cover crop before. Is this something new along the same lines as tillage radishes?

Sodak farmer · Oct 21, 2019

We are using sunflowers in a cover mix. Typically planted late enough that they don?t go to seed. They have a tap root that helps with overall soil tilth.

Sodak farmer · Oct 21, 2019

Lot of prevent planting and lot of cover cropping.

4520BW · Oct 21, 2019

do you have problems with the thick stalks the next year?

buickanddeere · Oct 21, 2019

Grew sunflowers around here a couple of times . Was over run with rats the following winter both times .

buickanddeere · Oct 21, 2019

Grew sunflowers around here a couple of times . Was over run with rats the following winter both times .

Sodak farmer · Oct 21, 2019

Lot of prevent planting and lot of cover cropping.

John - OH · Oct 21, 2019

I was wondering the same thing. I have seen them mixed in with radishes around here. Makes kinda nice scenery.

Sodak farmer · Oct 22, 2019

I?ve never planted sunflowers for harvest but the guys that do experience some stubble damage unless they run stalk stompers . The sunflowers in
cover crop are small and thinly planted so probably won?t be an issue.

RedMF40 · Oct 22, 2019

Next town over they've planted a few acres of sunflowers past two years. Big ones that cover the whole area. The immediate income is from people who stop along the road and pay $5 each to wander around in the sunflowers and are allowed one flower each. I don't know what they do with the crop, because after all the visits are done for the season, the flowers are gone. Doesn't look like they're plowed under.

buickanddeere · Oct 23, 2019

Once ripe the birds will strip all the sunflower seeds in a few days .

Tillage... sunflowers?

BarnyardEngineering

Well-known Member

Sodak farmer

Member

Sodak farmer

Member

4520BW

Well-known Member

buickanddeere

Well-known Member

buickanddeere

Well-known Member

Sodak farmer

Member

John - OH

Member

Sodak farmer

Member

RedMF40

Well-known Member

buickanddeere

Well-known Member

Similar threads