Dumb seeding rate question

[tooln]

Lets say your planting buckwheat and it calls for 50 lb per acre seed rate. Now lets mix in something else like peas with the same seed rate of 50 lb per acre. Now you want a 2:1 mix of BW/Peas. For an acre would you go 50 lbs of BW and 25 lbs Peas for 75 lb seed per acre or would you figure to get the 50 lb per acre seed rate for the mix?

 

[wiscwhip]

Broadcast or drilled?

 

[Terrific_tom]

37.5 pounds of Buckwheat and 12.5 pounds of peas. You may want to reduce the amount of buckwheat and increase the peas a little bit due to the vigorous growth of buckwheat.

Disregard the above answer. Should of had my coffee before I answered. lol

 

[Greta&Gus]

I would do 40 lbs of the wheat and 20 lbs of the peas. I would worry that 75 lbs of seed might crowd the space If you are broadcasting the seed. An idea might be to row plant the peas and go back over and broadcast the wheat.

 

[wiscwhip]

Actually a 2:1 ratio at 50lb/acre would be 33 lbs of BW and 17 lbs of peas.

 

[tooln]

Broadcast or drilled?

Broadcast.

 

[wiscwhip]

The reason I asked about broadcast or drilled is that if they are drilled, you should be fine with the 50lb/acre rate. Due to germination losses from broadcasting, I would think the 50lbs of BW and the 25 lb/acre of peas would be just fine. You always up the rate when broadcasting. Some will be buried too deep and other seeds not deep enough and the birds will get them.

 

[tooln]

I was thinking the best would to stay at the 50 lb per acre rate. At 75 I think it would be to crowded but wanted others opinions.

 

[wiscwhip]

I would do 40 lbs of the wheat and 20 lbs of the peas. I would worry that 75 lbs of seed might crowd the space If you are broadcasting the seed. An idea might be to row plant the peas and go back over and broadcast the wheat.

Both BW and peas like to be under the soil for optimum germination. BW broadcast on top will get eaten by birds, possibly a lot of it. If you row planted the peas then broadcast the BW you would have no way to work the BW in without disturbing the peas. Broadcast and drag/lightly disc both or drill both.

 

[wiscwhip]

I was thinking the best would to stay at the 50 lb per acre rate. At 75 I think it would be to crowded but wanted others opinions.

Maybe Steve B will chime in, he has posted many times in the past that he uses very high seeding rates with good success. I think 75lbs per acre broadcast and then dragged or disced would be right in the ballpark. Remember, peas are candy and they will get eaten as soon as they come up and the deer find them. Also keep in mind that BW is about a 60- 75 day crop and then it will start to die and not leave you much in that plot in the way of food if the peas are decimated already.

 

[tooln]

Maybe Steve B will chime in, he has posted many times in the past that he uses very high seeding rates with good success. I think 75lbs per acre broadcast and then dragged or disced would be right in the ballpark. Remember, peas are candy and they will get eaten as soon as they come up and the deer find them. Also keep in mind that BW is about a 60- 75 day crop and then it will start to die and not leave you much in that plot in the way of food if the peas are decimated already.

I'm looking to build up an area for trees next spring. I've tried peas alone with not much luck as they get wiped out right away. I was thinking in a mix they may go further.

 

[wiscwhip]

I'm looking to build up an area for trees next spring. I've tried peas alone with not much luck as they get wiped out right away. I was thinking in a mix they may go further.

I would think the BW would help "hide" some of them from the browse pressure, and you just answered your own question as to how much seed to put down. If they are wiping them out, plant more peas. Maybe use a 35lb/35lb rate for the BW/pea mix?

 

[wiscwhip]

Are you planning to let the BW go to seed? If so, be prepared to get volunteer BW. It is very good at second cropping itself. Many guys won't plant it because of this reason, we welcomed all the "free" seed we could get and our deer would browse the BW, so we let it grow.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Both BW and peas like to be under the soil for optimum germination. BW broadcast on top will get eaten by birds, possibly a lot of it. If you row planted the peas then broadcast the BW you would have no way to work the BW in without disturbing the peas. Broadcast and drag/lightly disc both or drill both.

I broadcast grains over row planted seeds a lot and it works great. You take the chain harrow and run it over the grain seeds to get a better seed to soil contact than just leaving them on the top of the seed bed. After the chain harrow follow up with a cultipacker to create a firm bed. Shouldn't have many problems with birds.

 

[wiscwhip]

Do you run the chain harrow spikes up or down? I would think the spikes down would disturb the depth of the row planted peas? BW likes to be planted at about 1" deep, peas at about 1-1/2", whereas cereal grains can do very well right on top or just barely covered with an 1/8" of dirt.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Do you run the chain harrow spikes up or down? I would think the spikes down would disturb the depth of the row planted peas? BW likes to be planted at about 1" deep, peas at about 1-1/2", whereas cereal grains can do very well right on top or just barely covered with an 1/8" of dirt.

Hmm, my mistake. I assumed buck wheat was a cereal grain like oats and rye (and wheat). Is buck wheat different?

 

[wiscwhip]

Very much, the seeds are much larger and thus need to be planted deeper for good germination.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Thanks. Learn something new all the time here.

 

[wiscwhip]

;) So chain harrow spikes up or down when seeding cereal grains over planted row crops? I am assuming spikes down, but many of the smaller chain harrows can be flipped over and used the other way, with the spikes out of the ground.

 

[Greta&Gus]

;) So chain harrow spikes up or down when seeding cereal grains over planted row crops? I am assuming spikes down, but many of the smaller chain harrows can be flipped over and used the other way, with the spikes out of the ground.

I do spikes up because I come back with the cultipacker but I think you could do spikes down too, it just leaves the soil more agitated. In smaller plots that I can't get the row planter I will use the tines on my plotmaster to create rows and then broadcast beans or peas into them. I then come back over with the chain harrow with the tines down to cover the rows, broadcast another crop (cereal grains, clover, or brassica), go back with the chain harrow with the tines up, and finish with the cultipacker. It sounds like a lot but on a 1/4 acre it isn't that hard.

I will sometimes make shallow rows to broadcast cereal grains into (1/2 inch deep). use the chain spikes up to cover, and then come back with brassica over the top before I cultipack. When planting different seed types I almost always seed them differently. I have found I get better success that way.

Tooln, sorry to hijack the thread.