What Sunflowers?

[Docsknotinn]

I ran into the local TSC yesterday to grab a 50# bag of sunflower seeds ( whole oilers) to plant for the deer and turkeys. The folks at the store told me they wouldn't grow which left me a bit confused. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I always thought that hulled seed germinated at about 50% that of seed still in the hull. Am I missing something? Do sunflowrs need to be innoculated? Or did I just get some bad info. Any Sunflower seed help will be greatly appreciated by myself and all the woodland critters. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[DocHeb]

I've heard that some seeds from foreign countries (eg. thistle seed) are irradiated by cobalt radiation to kill any insects/bacteria/fungus in the bag. That may be the case with the sunflower seeds - don't know for sure.

 

[SkyPup]

I always plant sunflowers every year for the deer and turkeys. In fact we have about three acres in two seperate plots now. Took 50 pounds of large black srtiped and 50 pounds of small black seeds and mixed them together and then simply hand tossed them onto the ground we had disced up prior. They are about four feet tall now and just started sprouting yellow tops last week. The deer tracks and turkey tracks are all over the place too.

The people at that TSC store do not know what they are talking about....... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Docsknotinn]

For $14 for a 50# bag I'm going to just give em a try. I do think they are wrong although I'll check the bag to see if its foreign seed. Last year the deer mowed the sunflowers that came in a wildlife blend I planted. This year I'm just mixing my own sunflowers and rye. Cheap and simple. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Docsknotinn]

I ran to the local grain and elevator to ask them the same question. They had oilers and stripers. They said you have about a 50/50 chance of germination because sometimes the seed is to dry. I bought a 50# bag of oilers for $11.95. The bag says they were packaged in WI.
I know I'm getting older and turning into a real farm nut because I have really gotton to love the smell of the grain and elevator on a warm sunny day. It just feels and smells right ! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[SkyPup]

I just run the disc harrow a couple of times, throw out the seeds and run the disc over it one more time and hope it rains before the squirrels and birds eat everything up! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DocHeb]

Would soaking the seeds overnight in water speed up the germination? This is used for some flower seeds.

 

[Docsknotinn]

Interesting idea Doc. I'm going to broadcast them then till about 1" and hope there's some left after the birds have a field day.

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

I've planted food plots for a local gun club for about 10 years now. They started off buying "bird seed" sunflower seed. It did well for a couple years. Then we had a bad year. What did come up, only grew about 2' tall. VERY spotty at that. Then another good year. And then, one MORE bad year. After that, they started buying "certified seed".

The sunflower seed you buy packaged for bird seed may be fine, or it may have been dried too much. It may have beenstored for a few years, it might have been stored in too humid of conditions.... You just don't know. Generally, no precautions were taken to preserve it's "germination rate".

But compared to the cost of certified seed, it's worth taking the chance, seeing as to how it's only a food plot. If you were raising sunflowers commercially, I'd opt for the more costly seed.

I'd probably try 2 or 3 varieties (from a couple different sources) to increase the odds of good germination though.

 

[Docsknotinn]

Thanx for the info. I have to stop at the grain and elevator near camp anyhow because the one here was out of field Rye. So I think I'll buy a bag of stripers as well. I'm planning on mixing the sunflowers with rye and maybe a few other things. Cheap and simple ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif