Can you move your bird feeder? Too much fresh guano..and nothing will grow. I learned this the hard way, LOL! April

If you feed birds only in the winter, you can grow annuals under the feeders. After you quit feeding in the spring rake up the excess shells, turn the soil, and plant some adaptable, fast-growing annuals. I usually plant non-native Salvia coccinea under my feeders(this plant is native throughout the neotropics, perhaps also native to TX), but there are probably natives that would do OK.

I don't think anything will grow well under an active feeder.

It's probably not the p@@p. Sunflower seeds have a chemical (phytotoxin) that acts as an herbicide (allelopathy).

I cut a square of plywood, framed it w;/ 1x2s, cut a hole in the center, installed it on the the posts of my two post feeders. It catches most of the husks before they hit the ground and I sweep them into a bucket for disposal. Also acts as an open platform feeder for any uneaten seeds.

Or you could just eliminate sunflower seeds from your mix. Not an option for me because the birds like 'em best.

Good luck!

Try Jerusalem artichoke. Or Silphium. Either of those would stand up to a few seeds. Might get hard to see the feeders; they're both big girls. But the birds would love you (and if the 'chokes start to spread too much, you just eat them).

:)

Scott

I put down a layer of weedguard and about 6 inches of mulch with rocks around it and several saucers of water,looks nice, very little upkeep. I feed year around.

Perhaps gravel below?
Birds swallow gravel to aid digestion.