$300.00 / bag
Clearfield Sunflowers will attract and drive doves, gamebirds and songbirds wild! This larger black-seed oil flower head has excellent structure and standability along with mid-season maturity. The wide range of adaptability and seed production Clearfield Sunflowers also can provide better cover than other types of sunflowers.
A 30-pound bag can plant 6-10 acres and averages 225,288 seeds per bag.
For attracting doves, fields should be 2-10 acres in size (larger is better especially where deer pressure is high as they like to feed on young plants) and located in an open areas, ideally near a water source with bare shoreline. A few snags (dead standing trees) in the area can provide loafing areas, but sunflowers require full sun and should not be located in small fields near woody edges. Further, sunflowers do not like wet feet, so establish in a well-drained field. Consider rotating sunflowers with other food plot varieties every second or third year to reduce weed pressure and disease in soil.
Planting (generally early May for Sept 1 dove field target, but may be seeded into early July)
Disk field before planting (unless no-tilling), incorporating fertilizer and nutrients (lime, etc.) per soil test results, or fertilize at planting. If not testing soil, 200 pounds of 12-12-12 per acre. Soil temperature at planting should be 50 degrees or warmer. Soils should be well drained (not wet). Plant within 24 hours of fertilizing.
• Best if drilled or planted in rows, but may also be broadcast. Planters or grain drill rates should be about 3-5 pounds per acre (6-10 acres per bag).
• If broadcasting, recommended seeding rates for sunflowers is 6-10 pounds per acre (3-5 acres per bag). Broadcast and incorporate into soil by dragging, cultipacking or lightly disking.
Rolling seed bed after planting will increase germination.
Germination Rate: 85%
Full flower at 90 days with full maturity at 110 days.