Tar River No-Till Drill Calibration & Planting Sunflowers

We plant sunflowers for you-pick and photo opportunities on our farm. This is the 3rd crop of sunflowers we've drilled with the SAYA 505 no-till drill and it has worked well for us in the past. This time we just wanted to make sure we calibrate it properly to get the best yield we can on the crop.

[@marcwhitney5855]

Always informative thanks

[@DonaldCole_Hampton_Roads]

Are you planting the buckwheat just for looks? Also, how is your deer pressure? I've had to put electric fence around my field because they chomp the new growth of the sunflowers. I do plant buckwheat and sunflowers at the same time, The buckwheat keeps the weeds down until the sunflowers have a chance to mature. I don't do photos or sell anything. I just do it for my bees and fun and so a little bit different purpose than your business. Also, are you spreading out the timing of the sunflowers or are you okay with them all being up at once?

[@WoodsTreeFarm]

we plant buckwheat for looks, cover crop/weed suppression, and for the bees. Photographers like the white field. We don't want it to go to seed and become a weed which is why I don't mix it in with sunflowers. Throughout our property we've been working to improve soil. After decades of haying and grazing its pretty depleted. Last year was the first year I noticed heavy deer pressure. I planted them a little plot in another section of our property its a couple weeks ahead of everything else I hope they just pig out there and leave my other fields alone