Planting Sunflowers With A Corn Planter – A Complete Guide

Planting sunflowers with a corn planter can be a great way to establish a wildlife food plot or cash crop on your land. Sunflowers provide excellent nutrition for wildlife like deer, turkey, dove, and more Their tall stalks also create protective cover When planted in rows, sunflowers are easier to access for hunting, photography, and harvesting. With some adjustments, most corn planters can successfully sow sunflower seeds. Here’s a complete guide to planting sunflowers with a corn planter.

Choosing Corn Planter Settings

The first step is configuring your corn planter for sunflower seeds. Here are key settings to check:

• Row Width – Standard row widths of 30 or 36 inches work well. Sunflowers tolerate down to 15 inch rows when planted at lower populations. Wider rows reduce competition between plants.

• Seed Population – Plant 18000 to 22,000 seeds per acre. Higher populations produce smaller flower heads on thinner stalks. For doves and deer stick to lower populations for larger acorn-sized heads.

• Planting Depth – 1 to 1.5 inches is optimal. Make sure openers are adjusted for shallow planting. Sunflower seeds need light to germinate.

• Fertilizer – Apply 100-150 lb/acre of nitrogen at planting to fuel rapid vegetative growth.

• Planter Calibration – Correctly calibrating seed meters ensures accurate seed spacing and population. Consult your planter manual for details.

Seeding Tips and Tricks

Here are some additional pointers for planting sunflowers with a corn planter:

• Inspect seed tubes and make sure openings are large enough for the slightly larger sunflower seeds

• Sunflower seeds flow more freely than corn kernels. Take care not to over-seed from doubled or missed seeds.

• If needed, close off planter boxes reserved for separate seed varieties when planting a single sunflower type.

• Avoid treated sunflower seeds meant for commercial cultivation. They may clog meters or fail to germinate. Buy untreated seeds from farm supply stores.

• Mix in a bit of dry talc or graphite powder to help seeds flow smoothly. Don’t use too much or dust will clog the meters.

• Consider installing brush row cleaners in front of planter units to clear previous crop residue for good seed-to-soil contact.

• When finished, thoroughly clean planter plates to prevent corrosion and remove sunflower oil residue.

Choosing Sunflower Seed Varieties

Today’s sunflower seed varieties offer stacked advantages for wildlife or oilseed production. Here are top options for planting with a corn planter:

• Black oilseed – The standard wildlife food plot variety. High in fat and protein with thin shells. Attracts dove, deer, turkey, and songbirds.

• NuSun – Mid-oleic oilseed type with higher oil content. Improved shelf life for human consumption. Also entices wildlife.

• Peredovik – Early maturing oilseed hybrid reaching seed fill stage up to two weeks sooner. Ideal for northern climates.

• Clearfield – Hybrid with tolerance to Beyond herbicide for superior grass and broadleaf weed control. Creates clean rows.

• Mammoth – Produces giant 12+ inch seed heads. Lower oil content but makes a fun novelty crop. Resists deer damage and makes the ultimate rubbing post.

No matter the variety, choose high quality certified sunflower seeds with excellent germination rates. This ensures optimal stands. Inspect seeds for damage prior to loading into planter boxes.

Effective Weed Control

The wide rows created by corn planters make sunflowers more prone to weed pressure. Though sunflowers compete relatively well, weeds can still reduce growth and seed production.

Herbicide options will depend on the sunflower variety planted:

• Black oilseed – Apply Dual Magnum, Brawl, or Medal pre-emergence. Use Clethodim for grass control after seedlings emerge.

• Clearfield – Beyond herbicide controls grass and broadleaf weeds in Clearfield hybrids. It contains imazamox as the active ingredient.

• Conventional – Grow standard types clean by tilling soil early before planting. Shallow cultivation between rows can also help once plants establish.

Harvest Tips

With proper planting and care, corn planters can easily produce bountiful sunflower stands. Here are tips for harvest:

• Time harvest when the backsides of flower heads turn yellow and seeds turn brown.

• Cut flower heads and hang upside down in a dry location to collect falling seeds.

• For wildlife food plots, harvest alternate rows and leave some standing through winter.

• Use a combine with sunflower headers for largescale production. Adjust settings carefully to avoid seed damage.

• Expect typical yields of 1,500-2,500 lbs of seed per acre under good conditions.

The Takeaway

Planting sunflowers with a corn planter takes a few adjustments, but follows a similar overall process. Choosing appropriate seed varieties, calibrating for proper planting depth and population, and controlling weeds are key for success. With minimal modifications, most standard corn planters can effectively plant sunflower seeds. The result is productive wildlife habitat and food plots that deliver nutrition through the seasons.