Box blade to cover seed?

[Someday isle]

Has anyone ever used a box blade to cover seed? I usually disc and then pull
My ATV cultipacker behind my tractor but it doesn’t always cover the seed as well as I’d like. I know I could lightly disc it in but I was wondering if lightly dragging the box blade over the plot would do a good job or if it would bury the seed too deep.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I think if your plot is pretty flat it would work, but if there is any uneven spots, it will grab dirt and pull it and bury it too deep.

I use a harrow with the teeth up, in the past I used an old box spring that previously somehow burnt the cover off of it.

 

[hillrunner]

A box blade will move material and drop it in low spots rather than just burying the seed. Lightly discing and then packing works pretty good for seeds that aren't real fussy.

 

[356]

This brought back memories. The first implement I had for my Ford 8N was a very heavy blade (not box blade). I used it one year to cover seeds after preparing my first food plot. I went in reverse, and it seemed to bury the seeds about 1/2"to 1". As hillrunner noted, it did tend to accumulate seeds in low spots, but overall the plot was not that bad. I had almost forgotten about that experience, and I do recall the buck I harvested over the plot that year.

My process included using the blade to prepare the plot (recall, this was the only implement I had at the time). After several rounds with the blade, I broadcast the seeds from bags with big bucks on them, and then as lightly as possible, went over the plot in reverse with the blade.

If I was to do this again (which I am not), I would use the blade to help prepare the seedbed, then broadcast, then drag a piece of fencing, 2x4's tied together or something similar to improve seed-soil contact. Harrows are not expensive, and do a better job.

 

[Tree Spud]

You might have better luck reversing the blade so the curved side is going forward rather than the scooping side.

I agree with the above though that you will have problems with moving seed and dirt as opposed to covering the seeds.

 

[drycreek]

The best drag I have ever used is one I made myself out of pickup tires. I use five tires chained together, two in front, three in back. Each tire is chained to each tire that it touches. You can put it together pretty cheaply and in about thirty minutes or so. If you have a FEL on your tractor you can carry it from plot to plot or you can just drag it. I sometimes drag my plots pulling it with my CanAm UTV. It works great !

 

[TreeDaddy]

The best drag I have ever used is one I made myself out of pickup tires. I use five tires chained together, two in front, three in back. Each tire is chained to each tire that it touches. You can put it together pretty cheaply and in about thirty minutes or so. If you have a FEL on your tractor you can carry it from plot to plot or you can just drag it. I sometimes drag my plots pulling it with my CanAm UTV. It works great !

East Texas engineering

Always brings a smile......"takes one to know one!"

bill

 

[drycreek]

East Texas engineering

Always brings a smile......"takes one to know one!"

bill

They say necessity is the mother of invention, but in some cases it’s poverty !

 

[bigboreblr]

I think for no till folks without a seed drill, the concrete filled culvert pipe cultipacker is the best bet. Cheap and lazy? Buy a lawn roller and fill with sand for more weight.

You already owna good cultpiacker, your tractor. Just run it over each pass with the tires. 2 or 3 acres thats ok and doesn't take alot of time.

I own a tire drag, a sand filled lawn roller, a cultipacker, and spring harrows. All have done well in the past. IF using ATV tires to cultipack, I overinflate the tire to 10psi. Which is what most people fill them to anyways.......

If using the box blade. I'd probably remove the tines. Wish somene make a box blade you could put S tines on....... To make it work a bit better you could cut a length or two of 6 inch or so log and use some chain to keep it inside the box blade.