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Sunflowers/Dove Plot

Rauk42

New Member
This is my first year planting sunflowers for a couple dove plots, just curious if anyone else plants them on here. I am wondering what guys do to control the weeds in the sunflowers once they get going? I killed the areas good with roundup then came back in and planted. Just seeing if there is any chemicals I can apply during the summer to help with weed control, thanks!!!
 
Best results would have been to have sprayed with atrazine as a pre-emergent. Not sure what else you could get away with.
 
I did the same as you last year... Roundup, then planted, and I found that I really didn't have much trouble at all with weeds. There may have been a few, but certainly not enough to worry about.
 
I have done a combination of Dual II & Prowl as pre-emergent though not sure I need to. I had it mixed up for corn & beans so I used it. Otherwise, Poast or better yet Clethodim will help if you have a bunch of grass competition after sunflowers are up. Hopefully they are up by now to be mature in time for Sept. 1 opener. I start mowing some of them early to mid-August to get the birds used to coming to your plot for the big day. Hope to NOT get a cold nasty rain August 31... Then the folks in MO get to shoot all the doves we've been feeding... :(
 
sunflowers are pretty aggressive...i get away without any chemicals by timing the discing/seeding/weather. Put them on a bit heavy (broadcast) and once they canopy out, the weeds are toast.

With what you did, you'll be fine.

Also, as for timing of growth and hunting dove...I do not condone this, but when I worked for the missouri dept. conservation, once the late start sunflowers were headed, we hit them with roundup a few weeks before the dove opener to dry them out, and then mowed some strips. It worked, but I'm not a huge fan of chemicals. Only reason I offer it is as a potential option if you're concerned about timing.

I don't plant my sunflowers for dove hunting, and mine aren't even in the ground yet this year...but I fully expect them to do completely fine. Plenty of grow season left for my needs
 
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