Pollinator plots .. .99lbs per Acre ..really ..how??

[Brokenbear]

We have some places that we would like to make into Pollinator plots ..so I am boning up on seed and seed application ...
The Pollinator plot will be my first rodeo for as for as this extremely small seed and such minute quantities ..I'm talking mixes that will meet CP42 requirements and run from .99 LBS / AC to 5.5 LBS / AC ...
Has anyone ever drilled accurately these small sizes and weights ??? Can a normal no-till drill like a 3P606NT Great Plains even be drawn down to those small sizes and quantities ??

 

[356]

We have some places that we would like to make into Pollinator plots ..so I am boning up on seed and seed application ...
The Pollinator plot will be my first rodeo for as for as this extremely small seed and such minute quantities ..I'm talking mixes that will meet CP42 requirements and run from .99 LBS / AC to 5.5 LBS / AC ...
Has anyone ever drilled accurately these small sizes and weights ??? Can a normal no-till drill like a 3P606NT Great Plains even be drawn down to those small sizes and quantities ??

You will need to mix cat litter or pelletized lime. 10# of pelletized lime with your seeds will allow fairly accurate seeding rates. For VERY small seeds, I like using the clumping (not clay) cat litter.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

@356 probably has more experience with the pollinators but you can go pretty dang low reliably with these drills. The seed chart for the small box indicates those rates aren’t out of the question.

 

[Turkey Creek]

As has already been said small seed is always mixed with filler. Rice hulls is pretty commonly used by the seed suppliers.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Have you considered broadcasting with a filler? or ........

Native American Seed Co. sells a Truax hand held seeder that is essentially a smaller version of the native seed box on the drill

The cost is 750$ !!!!!

May be worth a look

bill

 

[Tree Spud]

I used some leftover millet seed and that worked well. It is an annual and will only be around for 1st year.

 

[bigboreblr]

Drilling depth could be more of an issue than the small volume. What are you drilling into? Soil type and existing vegetation. How level is everything. Rocks? Some soil like sand or really dry loose stuff drills a bit too deep. Sometimes when drilling real light, drills can hop over small rocks or clumps of vegetation.

I know alot of that polinator seed is $$$$$.

Clover fields offer plenty of food for polinators.

 

[Brokenbear]

All good ideas ..now that I think about it I do recall reading mixing small seeds with inert matter ...makes sense if it will stay mixed ..
In fact I recall one of the seed companies included rice hulls in their quote .. Dah dummy me ..
As far as the ground presently ..the dirt pans moved out June 20 and a field cultivator scratching 3" deep with smoothing sweeps on the back running through rock free bottom ground and was planted in soybeans and rye grass just to get some roots ..
No rain since planting until 5 days ago and have received about 5" now ..so not much bean or grass activity but a crap load of weed growth ..
I sprayed once with gly three weeks ago 12" cockerbur, pigweed and water hemp
I sprayed the gly resistant pigweed and water hemp with Liberrty Link spray a week ago and the field is dead brown
So I am back to square one ..
The pollinator plots are planned for dormant drilling in December after all is chemical and frost dead ..unless a better plan presents it's self of course
I admit to looking for errors in my thinking simply because #1 my drill is a new to me used Great Plains 3P606NT #2 the seed is going to be in such a small size and quantity and
#3 this stuff is horribly expensive per acre

Fortunately ..before I tackle the Pollinator plots I will be drilling fall plots of clovers, brassicas wheat and cereal rye so I should have some experience of calibration with much cheaper seeds as well as getting the hang of depth control with this specific drill ..

Any tricks of the trade from you Great Plains drill users about this Pollinator project or any other intended uses is appreciated for sure ..

Bear

 

[omicron1792]

All good ideas ..now that I think about it I do recall reading mixing small seeds with inert matter ...makes sense if it will stay mixed ..
In fact I recall one of the seed companies included rice hulls in their quote .. Dah dummy me ..
As far as the ground presently ..the dirt pans moved out June 20 and a field cultivator scratching 3" deep with smoothing sweeps on the back running through rock free bottom ground and was planted in soybeans and rye grass just to get some roots ..
No rain since planting until 5 days ago and have received about 5" now ..so not much bean or grass activity but a crap load of weed growth ..
I sprayed once with gly three weeks ago 12" cockerbur, pigweed and water hemp
I sprayed the gly resistant pigweed and water hemp with Liberrty Link spray a week ago and the field is dead brown
So I am back to square one ..
The pollinator plots are planned for dormant drilling in December after all is chemical and frost dead ..unless a better plan presents it's self of course
I admit to looking for errors in my thinking simply because #1 my drill is a new to me used Great Plains 3P606NT #2 the seed is going to be in such a small size and quantity and
#3 this stuff is horribly expensive per acre

Fortunately ..before I tackle the Pollinator plots I will be drilling fall plots of clovers, brassicas wheat and cereal rye so I should have some experience of calibration with much cheaper seeds as well as getting the hang of depth control with this specific drill ..

Any tricks of the trade from you Great Plains drill users about this Pollinator project or any other intended uses is appreciated for sure ..

Bear

Cat litter. 50lbs of wheat. Both work well. Pellet lime just kind of pulverizes and doesn’t mix well.

Consider mixing with cat litter and hand spreading in fall. Unless doing a huge number of acres I would consider that.

Best luck I’ve had drilling is with switchgrass in small seed box.

Also can buy some other forbs such as partridge pea that have more mass to mix in and help.

I have gotten a pound of fluffy seeds and been surprised how big the bag is!

 

[Brian662]

I planted about 3 acres of pollinators last year with the county's Truax drill from the native seed box. The seed was from Millborn, planted late June and look beautiful this year. CP42 equivalent mixture...calibrated drill to bag label, set to 1/4" depth, and let it eat.

 

[Brian662]

Not my tractor or drill, but here is the setup used.

 

[Brian662]

Some of the results about 13 months later, you can see the strip of 4 year old cave in rock switchgrass behind it.

 

[omicron1792]

Some of the results about 13 months later, you can see the strip of 4 year old cave in rock switchgrass behind it.View attachment 54929

That’s perfect Brian. Hope you’re proud. Looks awesome.

 

[Brokenbear]

Awesome stuff Brian ..I can only hope

 

[Brian662]

Thanks guys, we have a few others that have a little more weed pressure and they each got mowed twice this year. When I was talking to the NRCS about CRP they said that a pollinator mix would take 5 years of mowing to establish. Even in two drought years that hasn't been the case.
The strip in the picture above is along my driveway and I planted Xtend beans one year and Enlist beans the next year to control weeds. No tilled the pollinators in June last year and still had pigweed I was mowing late last summer and marestail that I've hand picked this summer. Fortunately it's about 3/4 acre along our driveway and my wife is invested in it looking good, so she helps (sometimes).

 

[bigboreblr]

IF you have seeds like clover, they tend to sink in fluffy filling. Like mixing winter rye and clover. Sand will keep it right there. Every 1/4 acre or so, get in the seed boxes and stir every around with your hand, bringing smaller seeds back up to the top.