Sunflowers????
08-08-2014, 02:15 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Audubon & Red Rock, Penna.
Posts: 4,472
Sunflowers????
How hard are they to grow? This year, we have tons of sunflowers growing up all over our yard. We didn't plant them, they're from bird feeders.
So, I planted a ton of them around my stand. My stand is in the big woods, in a decent sized clearing. They will get plenty of sun. But, is the pH and soil quality enough? I have grown clover, rye and brassica there with lime and fert. Neither this year, but some clover and rye did come back.
So, I planted a ton of them around my stand. My stand is in the big woods, in a decent sized clearing. They will get plenty of sun. But, is the pH and soil quality enough? I have grown clover, rye and brassica there with lime and fert. Neither this year, but some clover and rye did come back.
08-15-2014, 02:32 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Audubon & Red Rock, Penna.
Posts: 4,472
Awesome. I read that deer will eat them in any state. Full flowers or newly-emerging greens. I planted them 3 weeks ago and I'm heading up to the cabin tonight. Will post the results when I get home.
08-15-2014, 06:27 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: MS
Posts: 343
Never knew deer liked sunflowers. Learn something new everyday. Hopefully you get great results. Can't wait to see.
08-15-2014, 08:04 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Audubon & Red Rock, Penna.
Posts: 4,472
My dad and son pulled the trail camera today and said they saw nothing. I'll check it out tomorrow. My wife thinks the deer are chomping them as soon as they pop up. That's possible. I'll check tomorrow and see.
08-18-2014, 01:15 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: a van down by the river
Posts: 8,939
Deer will eat a lot of things when they first crop up. If you have very small sunflowers sprouting, it is possible the deer are eating them.
As sunflowers mature, the nutrient content and digestibility of the stems and leaves goes down tremendously. Very new growth and parts of the flower or seeds (particularly the oilseed varieties) will stay fair game, but generally sunflower is not a desirable plant for deer. If the deer are resorting to eating sunflower around here, a lot of them, especially the younger ones, will not have the groceries or the fat reserves to make the winter.
As sunflowers mature, the nutrient content and digestibility of the stems and leaves goes down tremendously. Very new growth and parts of the flower or seeds (particularly the oilseed varieties) will stay fair game, but generally sunflower is not a desirable plant for deer. If the deer are resorting to eating sunflower around here, a lot of them, especially the younger ones, will not have the groceries or the fat reserves to make the winter.
