Product Description
- Clearfield Production System – the herbicide Beyond can be used to help control weeds.
- Great for doves and other upland game birds.
- Treated seed to optimize germination and performance.
- Packaged 75,000 kernels per bag.
- Size 4 seed.
- Best if planted with a planter but can be broadcast.
- 94-102 day maturity.
- 65 days to flower.
- Medium maturity with wide range of adaptability.
- Shorter plant type.
- Average plant height of 62”.
The optimal planting rate for sunflowers is less than most people would expect. Three to five pounds of seed per acre planted on 30-to 40-inch row widths (one to two plants per foot within a row) should yield a final crop of 18,000 to 26,000 sunflower plants per acre. This planting rate should result in a good crop seed yield and provide adequate leaf canopy to aid in weed control. This planting information was taken from the publication “Growing and Managing Sunflowers for Dove Fields in the Southeast”.
Clearfield Sunflower Seeds for Waterfowl & Upland Game Birds
Sunflower seed is a great food source for doves, quail, pheasants, turkeys, ducks, and geese. Sunflowers are most popular among dove hunters, but all upland game birds and waterfowl like sunflower seed. When hunters think of dove hunting, it is often thought about hunting on a sunflower field. Not only is it important to produce sunflower seeds for the doves to eat, but it is also important for the ground to be clean underneath the sunflower plants. Doves like, want, and need clean, weed-free ground under the sunflowers. Doves are light scratchers. Their feet are small and their leg muscles are not as strong as bigger birds like turkeys. They need to be able to easily find the sunflower seed when it falls to the ground. The clean ground is also important for the doves to see predators near and far. Doves are not comfortable landing in or walking around in thick vegetation. Doves want clean ground.
Clearfield Production System for Sunflowers
Clearfield sunflowers are adapted to use with the herbicide Beyond to help control weeds. And Beyond is not the only herbicide option that can be used on Clearfield sunflowers, there are several other herbicide options too. Clearfield sunflowers allow you to have one very important herbicide option that non-Clearfield sunflowers have. Clearfield sunflowers are not Roundup Ready. People often confuse the Clearfield Production System as being the same as Roundup Ready. Clearfield sunflowers are not tolerant to Roundup or glyphosate. Glyphosate can be used on the field before the sunflowers emerge but cannot be sprayed directly onto the sunflower plant.
Planting Guide for Sunflower Food Plots
Sunflowers can be planted with a planter, seed drill, or by broadcasting. Sunflower performance is best when they are planted in with a planter. You only want to plant a few seeds per foot of row and row spacing’s 30” wide or wider. The second best method to plant sunflowers is with a seed drill and lastly by broadcasting the seed. Only 3 lbs. – 5 lbs. of seed per acre is needed with a properly calibrated planter.
Keeping the row middles clean and the space between sunflower plants in the row weed free is important to maximize seed production and keep the ground clean for doves to feed on. Doves also like the shade the sunflower plant provides. Keeping the ground clean when the seed is planted with a drill or by broadcasting is possible too with Beyond herbicide. You just may run over some sunflower plants when spraying, which will not affect the performance of the field attracting doves.
Time your planting date so the maturing of the flowers and the opening day of the dove season coincide. This can be 90-120 days before opening day. For a dove season opening on Labor Day weekend, April 15 – May 1 is the ideal planting time. With May 15 being the latest recommended planting date. Staggered planting dates are great to have fresh sunflower seed for later dove hunts. Dove season in a lot of states can stretch into January. Having sunflower seed available all fall and winter is a great way to attract and hold doves all hunting season, not just for opening weekend.
Clearfield Sunflower Seed for Sale
All birds like sunflower seeds, especially doves. That is why they are a primary component in birdseed mixes. If you plant sunflowers, birds will come. Turkeys, quail, pheasants, ducks, and geese love sunflower seed and make great food plots. Planting a hybrid sunflower seed like, Specialty Seeds’ Clearfield sunflowers, will maximize the seed yield produced per acre versus a non-hybrid seed variety.
