10 straight days and the Dove fields are done. Mowed, chiseled and lastly went over them with a drag harrow for a good seed bed...all I need now is rain. Dang it's good to be out of that tractor.

Well you should get a lot of rain next 2 days.

What did you plant? Itching to get on my tractor to plant something

Nothing, have had years of native sunflowers in those fields. Turned at the right time the seeds come up volunteer.

Throw out some black oil sunflower seeds. Plow the field and you’ll likely get a mixture of natives and black oil that come up. And get to it ASAP.

Stompy how do you keep the weeds out ?

Interesting. I had pretty good success planting peredovik sunflowers in the spring - until the rain stopped and then the hogs/deer devoured what was left of them. This year I planned on planting 3x more than last year.

You think it's OK to plant this early? I'm assuming you plant now and they won't come up until the appropriate time. I read on Texas A&M that soil temperatures need to be 50F when planting. It has been warm lately. I've only been planting food plots for the past 2 years so still fairly inexperienced. Would love to be able to start planting something now

Have some weeds but the cows keep the grass grazed out.

I only do natives, plant them once and once you get a good stand you'll never have to plant another seed. You just need to turn dirt in December or January. Native's need several freezes to crack the seed so they'll start coming up in March.

Stompy, Do you have to keep the cattle off of native sunflowers at any point in the process? Somebody has told me that they’ll eat the heads off before the flower blooms? Sounds like you let the cattle graze the grass amongst the sunflowers? I could probably talk my dad into some land to sling sunflowers but we would have to fence the cattle off, if they will destroy it. Thanks for any help.

I have a few cows that'll eat a few of the leaves, never seen any eat the heads. I guess it's according to how hungry they are. My cows graze in and around my fields and have never had an issue.

Thank you Stompy for the help. If sunflowers are not already established, do you just sling the native sunflower seeds and plow them in lightly? I know it needs to be done soon If you’re going to do it. That may be a good project for me next week.

I would disc (or plow), scatter seeds them drag or very lightly disc them in.

Woke up to this, it'll sure help the fields.

That's awesome! Good fortune smiling on you.

Old timers used to say snow puts nitrogen back into the ground.

WTG Stompy, aint them tractors fun!

I enjoy the tractor, but in moderation. 10 days straight is too much, but glad I got it done before the snow.

It does, was hoping for a snow this year. About all melted now.

Speaking of doves...anyone seeing any?

Had a lot here for second split. Me, some family and friends had a great time. Still some here but not as many. Had about 100 in my driveway yesterday.

My daughter was singing at Canyon Road the night before and woke up to this out there! Everything helps y'all!

awesome!