Black oil hybrid sunflower question

[Duck$$$]

Once the sunflowers start to head, how long until they are dry enough to start cutting. They are on dry land and have not had a drop of rain since they started heading 3 weeks ago. Is there a way to look at the seed, head, or stalk and decide when it is right. I would like to shoot them opening day if possible. Can you spray a defoliant product additive on them to hurry the drying process? Some of these flowers have 5-6 heads on them, is this from stress?

[Nitro Mag]

You can pull a few seeds out of the heads and if they are hard you could start mowing them. Sodium chlorate can be sprayed on them and dry them down faster. I wouldn't be in too big of a hurry at least for another week or two. Sodium chlorate will also make salt in the heads after a dew or two, but the sunflowers will fall down a lot quicker when sprayed. Usually the only time I spray mine with chlorate is if they are grown up and that way it will dry down the weeds.

[mudcat]

I got a late start on my sunflowers 2 years ago. They weren't quite dried out 2 weeks before season opener, so I sprayed them with Gramoxone. Worked really good!

[Wingman]

I usually run my thumb across the seeds, pressing down rather hard. If the seeds pop loose, then they're getting dry.

Wingman

[judge jb]

if you planted before may 1st you should be right on target.... as Wingman said, if the seed is hard and starting to release from the head it is time to scatter your seed..... do it in strips and save a few rows for concealment and second season......no field is complete unless you provide for them year around.....

judge jb

[Wingman]

Oh, and those multi-headed ones are of a wild variety. I see them on the roadside and every once in a while in my sunflower field.

Wingman

[eastwoods]

A lot of the seeds in the middle of the flower don't make so don't wait on them. I would wait until the back of the head is not green, but yellowish/ white on the edges. Those chemicals just mentioned will speed the drying process up 2 weeks I'd guess and also make everything come off/mature at the same time. Got a friend that plants and doesn't do anything for weeds at all, his field is always grown up terrible. He plants early, like before April 1, in AR. Anyway, he roundups and 24Ds the entire field and kills everything browner than brown before he bush hogs. It works for him, but I don't like thinking about eating doves that eat those seeds.

If you'll put out some walmart sunflower seeds ($5/25#s) now in piles that will be gone by 8/20 or you get rid of it by 8/20 by placing it on a tarp you can jump start the attraction. Just a few birds coming will pull the rest when you cut the crop. You really don't need, but 7 days to cut it before you'll have a good field. I always get in a hurry and start cutting strips in mine 8/1, but I always think it doesn't help, but hurts in the long run.

[Racks&Quacks]

I'd say no on the gramoxone. The sunflowers have stopped growing by the time they reach the stage you are referring to and are beginning seed maturation. and this "burndown" chemical is for vegetative retardation, not like sodium chlorate or drying down sorgum fields for harvest. They might look "more dead" but the moisture will be unchanged. Check the labels too, it might be illegal as well. I also do not know if bushhogging is legal this year for ANY migratory birds. Judge JB, you informed me of this in the first place so maybe you can help clarify the food plot manipulation issue (legality) concerning migratory birds. Are doves included in this? The only other option, if so, is to get a farmer to mow it and bale hay (best for millet) and the baler belts will scatter most of the seeds back to the field instead of rolling them. I actually don't think it would be practical to do the sunflowers this way unless you had access to a mower. Remember, there are always loopholes!

[eastwoods]

There are special laws for doves that allow you to manipulate. So basically you can do anything you want except haul seed out there and scatter it unless your actually planting a winter wheat field.

I've been pretty upset with several duck hunting forums around where people say you can't plant soley for ducks, but you must intend to harvest a crop. This is truly bogus and not what the regulations are saying at all.

[Racks&Quacks]

Yes eastwoods, I agree with you. People should keep their mouth shut unless they have some knowledgeable input to contribute. Thanks for the dove info, I am glad to know that. The duck situation I was referring to meant that I can't plant rice for ducks then bushhog or roll it before hunting. It must be harvested first. People hear this and as it travels by word of mouth, it gets distorted. Good point though. DT

[dukhntr21]

Lets see if I can clear some things up. You're right, anyone who says you have to plant with the intent to harvest a crop is full of #$@* to say the least. I have spent plenty of time on the phone with wildlife officials and reading the laws. You don't even have to harvest the crop you plant to be able to hunt over it.... you just have to harvest the crop if you plan on manipulating it, such as bushhogging, rolling, etc.. (but you can still flood it and hunt it without doing any of this). If people on some forums, and i'm not talking about here, would do a little research and not listen to every single thing they are told, the facts wouldn't get so blow out of proportion. Just my input hoping to clear things up on what the law is for people who either don't know or have the facts wrong. Everybody take care.

[Delta Duck]

Another thing that will cause multiple heads is if a deer eat the first head to come out.

[eastwoods]

One more thing to add about cutting sunflowers early. I know it doesn't rain much in August, but if it does you got a green field that the doves don't like to walk in as much. If you disk it, you lose seeds and plant again. Again, I've learned this the hard way by jumping on it early. If I could wait until about 7 days (which I can't) before the opener I think that would be best.

Anyone think two weeks is better?

Of course the best thing to do is plant a few strips of millet in your flower patch to cut about 8/1. Once I tried to leave the winter wheat to do what I'm talking about with the 8/1 cut millet, it was a big mistake. I had doves in July good but it grew up so bad in August I'd never do that again. Live and learn.

I've made so many mistakes farming for wildlife you'd think I was President's Bush's Commissioner of Agriculture.

[Wingman]

I mow my sunflowers starting about 8/10. Then, when rains make it green again, I spray Roundup. Keeps the mowed areas nice and dead.

Wingman