Getting Rid of Sun Flowers?

Question:

Sun flowers are destroying my grass. How do you kill them?

Hardiness Zone: 8b

Stacy from Austin, TX

Answer:

Stacy,

I can only assume that the sunflowers you are talking about are sprouting from seeds dropped by squirrels or passing birds.

Anyone who feeds backyard birds will tell you that sunflower sprouts have a tendency to pop up in random places all over the yard and garden. If enough of them are dropped in the yard, they can start to have a detrimental affect on surrounding grass. This is because sunflower seeds contain allopathic chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby plants. This nifty survival strategy is a unique adaptation that helps to ensure the survival of the plant's seeds.

Sunflower sprouts are easy to remove-especially when the soil is moist. Just grab them a hold of them and pull them out. The roots will usually come out intact with the leaves, but even if they don't, there is no danger of them re-sprouting in the same spot. Of course, there are no guarantees that birds and squirrels will not scatter them in the same place again!

If the sunflowers are sprouting from seeds from your own birdfeeders, the only way to avoid sprouts in the future is to switch to another type of seed.

Ellen