Bill
Administrator
Been there done that. Don’t think I ever found a blade of grass with a switch seed for all my looking.
GP/LP 3P600 or 3P606NT user thread
- Thread starter Brian662
- Start date
Been there done that. Don’t think I ever found a blade of grass with a switch seed for all my looking.
Bill
Administrator
Well it all went in the ground and seemed like I got the calibration pretty close. Maybe a bit light on seed but that’s better than heavy.
Relying on a friend to fertilize. If can’t get to it I’ll fertilize a month after planting when I get back. I was short on time because of rain. But because of that rain. I’m confident it’s sprouting well as I type this……..until I’m not
Last edited:
MN Slick
5 year old buck +
Soil temps may not be warm enough up there for the seed to germinate.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I have one of those soil temp probes.....but didn't use it. I figured that warm May weather we had would put us ahead of schedule. If I get there in another day or two I'm gonna check the soil temps.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Just did that…and temps here been about 70 for a while now. Should be good. Patience.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Fog. It’s like a watched pot never boils.
You will 100% have a great patch of switch year three. But don’t drive yourself crazy looking now. It will grow!
You will 100% have a great patch of switch year three. But don’t drive yourself crazy looking now. It will grow!
Brian662
5 year old buck +
Rented a tractor and drill to put in some soybeans and switchgrass this weekend. Drilled the beans into rye and HV, wasn't particularly impressed by seed delivery for the beans. Would have one bean an inch deep and the next bean on the surface. Switchgrass went well, finishing up spraying today and looking forward to a good season over the beans, will likely drill another crop into them mid August.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Awesome Brian. How many acres of beans?
Brian662
5 year old buck +
Put down 8 bags of beans on 6.5 acres. Little heavy but the deer density is very high.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
What did you spray with?
Bill
Administrator
Thats kinda the way with a drill. Uneven surfaces get different seed depths. But bean are very forgiving.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
Gly, AMS, 2,4-D and metolachlor. Kind of a burn down and pre-emerge setup. This property is 3 hours away and I monitor weed pressure with a cell camera.
T-Max
5 year old buck +
You score that from a local hardware store? NRCS? I have the worst time trying to get ahold of a good setup.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Brian662
5 year old buck +
Yeah, local hardware store about 20 miles away. My buddy I bought the land with trailered the tractor and I towed the drill. Pretty convenient and $160 for 24 hours. My tractor would pull it but I don't have rear remotes, considering adding them now to accommodate this setup.
deepsleep
5 year old buck +
I finally received my new LP 3p600 near the end of my trip last week. I had a hydraulic top link delivered as well based on advice here. I didn't have much time to plant, but wanted to try some long season brassicas that I had ordered. The drill hooked up to my QH easily, especially with the new toplink. I can't believe I didn't have one years ago! The drive wheel came from the factory in the 4th hole. We pushed the T-handles all the way forward, set the cups at 1, and the big box lever at 12.5, for a projected brassica rate of around 7-8 #/Acre. We loaded up 7.5# GRO forage brassica and 2.5# each of Rutabaga and Swedes. With the top link I was able to adjust it such that the drivewheel wouldn't skip and the seed trench was closing. It looks like this gave a planting depth around 1/4". The plots were not sprayed, but had been lightly tilled for grading, but compacted by a CTL, so I suspect I'll get a big flush of weeds. I'm more focused on how germination looks. In August, I will have much more time to play around with settings as well as do a proper calibration, but for now it looks like the quick and dirty method planted it perfectly. I think this will become a very valuable tool in plot management.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
It doesn’t change the depth of the trench at all. That is set with the drive wheel and tension springs.
So really the t handles are just how hard the press wheels press down on the seed after they have been dropped. Theoretically all the way forward barely presses the seed into trench. All the way back pushes the seed to bottom of trench. But I really don’t notice a big different either way and just kinda leave mine on the middle.
deepsleep
5 year old buck +
In practice, this may be how it turns out, but on paper, the depth of the press wheels determines how deep the disc openers can go. One side is a fixed depth (drive wheel), the other is variable (press wheels) with the opener discs in between those points. That’s assuming the openers aren’t limited by ground hardness. At least, that’s my understanding from the manual.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I think what your saying here is quite accurate. The front drive wheel supplies a limiting factor in the front.....and the press wheels provide a limit in the back. Between those two....are the opening disks....and they are spring / weight loaded to penetrate a variable amount depending on soil density. The top link and press wheels allow some tweaking to get it right. Drills are all a bit of smoke and mirrors....IMO.
On my last set-up....I used my concrete floor to set up the depth (via the operators manual). I think this was the best set-up I've ever had. STILL.....I do not have switchgrass emerging....despite some pretty good moisture and planting conditions. I dunno......life ain't fair. Grin.