Benefits of Intercropping With Sunflowers

Attracting Beneficial Predators

• One of the most important benefits of intercropping with sunflowers is that their enormous seed heads attract birds and beneficial insects. These birds and beneficial insects will eat the damaging bugs like corn borers and white flies they find on the vegetable crops beneath the sunflowers. Crops planted among sunflowers that might be susceptible to bird damage otherwise are likely to be left alone as sunflower seeds are a delicacy favored over most other plant seeds.

Providing Weed Control

• Sunflowers grow quickly into massive plants that are more than capable of choking out most weeds. Therefore, planting rows of sunflowers between rows of vegetables or other crops cuts the amount of weeding that is needed during the growing season in half, as theoretically, the rows of sunflowers will need little attention. In addition, substituting sunflowers for weeds creates an alternate refuge for beneficial insects and animals that live near the crops.

Providing Shade

• Crops that prefer cool weather, like cucumbers and lettuce, do well when rows of sunflowers are planted between their rows. With their five to seven feet tall leafy stems and massive flower heads, sunflowers provide these tender crops much needed shade from the relentless midday sun. The shade sunflowers provide also keeps the sun from drying out the crop soil too quickly, so less water is needed to maintain the crops planted between their rows.

Secondary Cash Crop

• Sun flowers are grown worldwide for snack food, birdseed and vegetable oil. In the U. S., the most common uses for sunflower seeds are for birdseed mixes and vegetable oil. In Russia, sunflower seeds are mainly harvested as a snack food, which the Russians prefer over peanuts. Planting rows of sunflowers between rows of other cash crops provides two cash crops in the space that normally provides one cash crop.