Sunflower and maize cover crops nothing growing

[dannewhouse]

Any ideas, just returned to some covers I put in for a neighbor not ideal as was power harrow then combi drilled on 500 centres
Maize a lot of coulter pressure was going in about 2" maybe a tad more
Sunflower nearer 1-1.5 "

Not a single plant there this weekend was drilled 1/June
Can't find the sunflower seeds
Maize just seems sat there not germinated?

Any ideas.
Maize is same in 4 different pieces.

 

[spin cycle]

sunflowers are bitches....I sowed some 18th May...jury still out

 

[Wooly]

My sunflowers never grew this year.............. last year they were exceptional.


I guess that's farming for you.

 

[spin cycle]

@Flat 10 and @robbie ......are drilling gurus....I'm sure they'll be able to pin point your mistake

meow ( sorry @dannewhouse it's in joke)

 

[dannewhouse]

I'm happy to be guided.

I know combi drill isn't perfect but what's really different to maize drill?

What drilling depths should I be aiming for

Slugs and crows have been suggested but takes some believing that I can find a single plant.

Maybe it's because the rows weren't quite pin straight???

 

[Nearly]

Crows are incredibly intelligent and patient. They follow the rows.

 

[robbie]

@Flat 10 and @robbie ......are drilling gurus....I'm sure they'll be able to pin point your mistake

meow ( sorry @dannewhouse it's in joke)

Well, I reckon @dannewhouse has made the exact same mistake as you did @spin cycle and he's gone and planted them upside down!!!!!! It's an easy mistake for a mere mortal to make!!!

 

[farmbrew]

My maize and sunflower failed. Leatherjackets in huge numbers were the major cause.
Crows there eating the leatherjackets and maize.
Scraped a 1 foot plot and found 6 leather jackets. Never seen so many.
No sprays available so power harrowed x3 rolled x4 and redrilled multi mix

 

[Muddyroads]

It’s been cold for maize to germinate this year, our sweetcorn is a near failure. Leather jackets have also been a problem, and ours has been hit by bean fly larvae too.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

My spring cereals have come up ok but everything else is struggling. I can see two or three phacelia plants in 6ha and literally the rest of the summer cover is bare ground, slowly greening up with weeds. I redrilled it last week It's hard staying optimistic.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Just been to look at our wild bird mix. It's up in the row but there's an awful lot of ground showing, slug damage still evident and not a sunflower to be seen anywhere.

Hard work this, and trying to stay positive.

 

[MrNoo]

Always found sunflowers very hit and miss, some years it seems every seed germinates and others not one, a load went in here along with some maize for a bit of game cover, slugs gave the maize a good kicking but not one sunflower has come up.

 

[David.]

I walked 1/4ac sunflower last night; 3 plants, and much fat-hen. 10 stock doves clattered their departure as I approached, them and slugs love them, and I reckon these things point to what the problem was.
Got another bit of seed, may try again...

 

[Bogweevil]

Big seeded crops up in 10 days now here in the south (bean seed fly permitting)

 

[Lowland1]

Soil temperature is very important with sunflowers. We never have an issue and germination within five days is the norm however our soil temperature seldom drops below 20 degrees C. Maize is similar.

 

[richard hammond]

Any ideas, just returned to some covers I put in for a neighbor not ideal as was power harrow then combi drilled on 500 centres
Maize a lot of coulter pressure was going in about 2" maybe a tad more
Sunflower nearer 1-1.5 "

Not a single plant there this weekend was drilled 1/June
Can't find the sunflower seeds
Maize just seems sat there not germinated?

Any ideas.
Maize is same in 4 different pieces.

Rats, ive seen damage this year.

 

[Guy Dreich]

Sunflowers struggling compared to last year although we’re growing them at a higher altitude this year .550 ft

 

[spin cycle]

Sunflowers struggling compared to last year although we’re growing them at a higher altitude this year .550 ft

that's a good stand....I officially hate you

not really

where are you located?

 

[deleted user 837354]

Sunflowers struggling compared to last year although we’re growing them at a higher altitude this year .550 ft

Are you intending to take out the weeds in them?

 

[JLLM]

Are you intending to take out the weeds in them?

Can you?