Sunflower Field

Each year we plant about two acres of sunflowers behind the vineyard as a companion plant to the grapes, as a method of bird pest management, that the birds will prefer the protein of the seeds over the fruit of the grape vines. We do four rows every two weeks so that there is always an abondance of seed for the birds, both at early harvest time of mid-August for our white grapes of Brianna and La Crescent as well as mid to late September of our red grapes of Verona and Petit Pearl.

We typically plant Royal Hybrid 1121 Sunflower from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It reaches seven feet in height with a flower diameter of 8 inches. It has good standability and larger seeds that are a treat for all the herds on the farm.  It also makes for a lovely photo back drop, typically mid-July through mid-September.