Growing Sunflowers in Kent

Ginger2022

Member
Arable Farmer
Hi everyone, new to the forum so let me know if this is the wrong place to post this.

I've started working with a local farmer and we are planning on growing a trial crop of sunflowers down in Kent. We have 5 acres that we have dedicated to it this year.

We want to know the specifications for growing it, drilling depth, spacing, how much to plant per acre, and what type of sunflower we should grow. Also, where we should buy the seeds from!

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance
 

Fubar

Member
Give
Hi everyone, new to the forum so let me know if this is the wrong place to post this.

I've started working with a local farmer and we are planning on growing a trial crop of sunflowers down in Kent. We have 5 acres that we have dedicated to it this year.

We want to know the specifications for growing it, drilling depth, spacing, how much to plant per acre, and what type of sunflower we should grow. Also, where we should buy the seeds from!

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance
Given the situation in Ukraine and the forthcoming vegetable oil shortage I'd trial 1000 acres if I was you!
 

Ginger2022

Member
Arable Farmer
Is there anything special we do in terms of spraying or looking after it? I know pigeons are a problem when they first start.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Hi everyone, new to the forum so let me know if this is the wrong place to post this.

I've started working with a local farmer and we are planning on growing a trial crop of sunflowers down in Kent. We have 5 acres that we have dedicated to it this year.

We want to know the specifications for growing it, drilling depth, spacing, how much to plant per acre, and what type of sunflower we should grow. Also, where we should buy the seeds from!

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance
5 kg acre drilling depth around 2iches , plant April till June , we stock both Giant and Dwarf type
[email protected] if you need a price or any more info
 

Fubar

Member
When would you expect to harvest Sunflowers? Is it the lateness to ripen that makes them unattractive in UK .
How come Ukraine grows so many?
 

Badshot

Member
Location
Kent
I went on a trip to France a couple years ago to find out about sunflowers and soya.

The Frenchman stood in front of us and said he couldn't understand why he'd been asked to talk to us about sunflowers as we don't have enough heat units in UK , yet.
They grow, but with no licensed dessicants, and too short a season actually harvesting them is a bit of a lottery.

I'd quite like to try some, but can't afford the costs of a failure.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
A friend of mine from college grew 20+ acres east of Devizes (Wiltshire) they sold it for bird seed, would’ve been 15 years ago, I remember being there on a damp day after countless days of rain in November and they started the combine up and cut them, looked hellish wet but it was cheaper to have some crop than no crop when that late on. Unsure when they drilled it or yields etc.
 

Fubar

Member
Very frustrating that we don't have the climate to grow what the world apparently wants....sunflowers,soya, year round fruit and veg,seeds,nuts,olives etc etc.
We're good at growing cereals and grass for feeding to livestock for meat/ milk production. And what are the public repeatedly being told to cut back on?
 

ajcc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Very frustrating that we don't have the climate to grow what the world apparently wants....sunflowers,soya, year round fruit and veg,seeds,nuts,olives etc etc.
We're good at growing cereals and grass for feeding to livestock for meat/ milk production. And what are the public repeatedly being told to cut back on?
It’s an I’ll wind that blows no good.....climate change?
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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