My “Happy Accident” plot!

[Westwind]

Yo Westwind -

In your pics at post #30, you showed a ton of peas in your field. You said driving the planter didn't knock back the peas as much as you thought. What seeding rate did you use for getting such a great pea plot?? How deep did you plant them?? We tried peas a couple times at camp, but didn't have much success. I'm wondering what we did wrong.

They stood back up after a few days! Laid down so nice, completely covered the ground but the dang things wouldn't give up! I might do that again. I bet had I waited until they were mature or closer to it they would have terminated. The seed mix was 50 pounds oats, 50 pounds rye grain and 50 pounds of winter peas per acre. I was also dropping radish clover and turnip seed through the small box, they grew fair. I’m not sure why the peas did so good, they didn’t winter kill and then they just went gonzo. My seeder is a Woods PSS82 and I set the disk gang straight or almost straight so some hit the furrow and got buried and some didn’t.

ETA- I just corrected the above. I thought I was doing more tilling back then but apparently I was setting the discs straight for less soil disturbance. My biggest burned up bare ground failures were when I set the disk gangs agrressive and tilled the green into the soil. I gotta remember to never do that again.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

They stood back up after a few days! Laid down so nice, completely covered the ground but the dang things wouldn't give up! I might do that again. I bet had I waited until they were mature or closer to it they would have terminated. The seed mix was 50 pounds oats, 50 pounds rye grain and 50 pounds of winter peas per acre. I was also dropping radish clover and turnip seed through the small box, they grew fair. I’m not sure why the peas did so good, they didn’t winter kill and then they just went gonzo. My seeder is a Woods PSS82 and I set the disk gang straight or almost straight so some hit the furrow and got buried and some didn’t.

ETA- I just corrected the above. I thought I was doing more tilling back then but apparently I was setting the discs straight for less soil disturbance. My biggest burned up bare ground failures were when I set the disk gangs agrressive and tilled the green into the soil. I gotta remember to never do that again.

I'm jealous! That Woods seeder is awesome I bet. They are made right down the road from me.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

They stood back up after a few days! Laid down so nice, completely covered the ground but the dang things wouldn't give up! I might do that again. I bet had I waited until they were mature or closer to it they would have terminated. The seed mix was 50 pounds oats, 50 pounds rye grain and 50 pounds of winter peas per acre. I was also dropping radish clover and turnip seed through the small box, they grew fair. I’m not sure why the peas did so good, they didn’t winter kill and then they just went gonzo. My seeder is a Woods PSS82 and I set the disk gang straight or almost straight so some hit the furrow and got buried and some didn’t.

ETA- I just corrected the above. I thought I was doing more tilling back then but apparently I was setting the discs straight for less soil disturbance. My biggest burned up bare ground failures were when I set the disk gangs agrressive and tilled the green into the soil. I gotta remember to never do that again.

What time of year did you seed that mix??

 

[Westwind]

What time of year did you seed that mix?

Right after Labor Day!

Have had some great rain here. Pretty excited to see this years plots.

 

[Westwind]

Couple pics of my Vitalize planting so far. Buckwheat (I think) jumped out of the ground.

 

[Westwind]

Starting to green up. Need rain- they keep saying it’s coming but it skirts us. Even though I planted everything the same day, (May 20), there is a big difference between the fields. Right now the thickest coming up is the more bare ground that gets some shade. The areas with really thick rye thatch are a lot thinner but I think if we get some rain it will blast up through there.

I’m really interested in the end results of the more bare ground plantings vs the heavy rye thatch. I suspect that when it “goes” the heavy thatch will do as well or better but I’m totally guessing. A farmer buddy told me that it doesn’t so much matter with row crops- the amount of heat over the summer evens things out growth wise over the course of the summer so we will see what happens here. All that being said- I think the rye thatch is doing its job, while we need rain even the rye thatch covered ground that gets full sun has moisture. If I had gone the full till route I think my soil would be dry powder. I know that because I have seen me make that mistake before!

Also I am still figuring out planting depth. Still a little deep in some spots. I ordered a “tilt and top” kit for my three point but haven’t received it yet. Think I will be a little better off being able to run an active top link from the cab to help keep myself from planting so deep with the seeder.

 

[Westwind]

Here is the field that was very heavy rye thatch. It is behind but I bet it catches up.



It’s in there. I’m just so impatient!

 

[bigboreblr]

What seeder are you using westwind? IS the variation in depth whenyou go over the top of a hill, or alump on the left or right side.

Older tractorsused chains to link the hydraulic light arms to the lower link. Most modern tractors are hard link. That left and right lower bar is always the same relative height to the tractors rear axle.

A rock sticking out, a old stump or woodchuck hole.

You have any disc cultivators,maybe try running a light pass with them before seeding. Reducing the attack angle, or putting depth setting wheel on them to limit tillage depth.

Some folkswith seeders run a agressive pass with the seed bins disconnected. Then do a 2nd pass while seeding.

How many years have the stump been cut. Were some removed and some cut level? Got alot of small stump hole dips?

 

[Westwind]

My stumps are becoming less and less of a problem. Most were hedge so they just don’t go away but between my rake grapple and the Piranha tooth bar on my bucket I got almost all of them out. Seems like they just need to sit a few years and then I can pop them out but that does often leave a little bit of a dip.

I think my main problem is just hills and uneven ground. I do have a heavy disc but have got away from using that in an attempt to go more min till. I may think about running that heavy disc every few years to help even that out- I also have a gang of spike tooth harrow sections I could use to even stuff out.

I’m using a Woods PSS82 seeder. It has a disc gang up front then a drum with spikes, then a cast iron cultipacker wheel. The seeder can be hitched up a couple ways. One is a round pin hole that you pin your top link to. That keeps the angle of the seeder from front to back more consistent but as you top a hill it may lift it out of the ground. What I have typically done was hitch the top link to a slotted hole and then adjust the length of the top link to the middle of the slot. That allows the seeder to “float” and follow the contour of the ground. BUT, as my soil improves from the min-till practices, the seeder sinks into the soil more. I think when I get my hydraulic top link i can adjust the angle of the seeder more actively and keep it from sinking in so far. That seeder really does work pretty good. It’s very simple and I think when I learn to do my part with operating it it will be even better. It’s so nice to make my seed orders now. When I was broadcasting I never got my seed orders right- was always over buying and then going back for more. Now I am buying just slightly more seed than I think I need.

Also- I am running my disc gang on my seeder almost straight. I can set those discs to be very aggressive and especially if you did several passes I think I can even things out. A lot of my ground is clay though. If we get dry spells after I till it just dries out so fast. I’m really trying hard to leave residue on top and not disturb as much soil but then the disc gang cuts deeper.

Long way of saying the problem is me and operator error lol!

 

[davidhelmly]

My stumps are becoming less and less of a problem. Most were hedge so they just don’t go away but between my rake grapple and the Piranha tooth bar on my bucket I got almost all of them out. Seems like they just need to sit a few years and then I can pop them out but that does often leave a little bit of a dip.

I think my main problem is just hills and uneven ground. I do have a heavy disc but have got away from using that in an attempt to go more min till. I may think about running that heavy disc every few years to help even that out- I also have a gang of spike tooth harrow sections I could use to even stuff out.

I’m using a Woods PSS82 seeder. It has a disc gang up front then a drum with spikes, then a cast iron cultipacker wheel. The seeder can be hitched up a couple ways. One is a round pin hole that you pin your top link to. That keeps the angle of the seeder from front to back more consistent but as you top a hill it may lift it out of the ground. What I have typically done was hitch the top link to a slotted hole and then adjust the length of the top link to the middle of the slot. That allows the seeder to “float” and follow the contour of the ground. BUT, as my soil improves from the min-till practices, the seeder sinks into the soil more. I think when I get my hydraulic top link i can adjust the angle of the seeder more actively and keep it from sinking in so far. That seeder really does work pretty good. It’s very simple and I think when I learn to do my part with operating it it will be even better. It’s so nice to make my seed orders now. When I was broadcasting I never got my seed orders right- was always over buying and then going back for more. Now I am buying just slightly more seed than I think I need.

Also- I am running my disc gang on my seeder almost straight. I can set those discs to be very aggressive and especially if you did several passes I think I can even things out. A lot of my ground is clay though. If we get dry spells after I till it just dries out so fast. I’m really trying hard to leave residue on top and not disturb as much soil but then the disc gang cuts deeper.

Long way of saying the problem is me and operator error lol! View attachment 78797

Just give it some time and you will have it mastered, you will see that planter as the best money you ever spent.

 

[Westwind]

Just give it some time and you will have it mastered, you will see that planter as the best money you ever spent.

Absolutely! I’m actually very happy with it. For the money it really is one of the best food plotting implements out there, especially considering how many used ones are available out there. Really has been aa game changer for me.

 

[bigboreblr]

I think you can turn your toplink in a little bit more to make it more aggressive too.

I wish some of those old style harrows wee more popular. They really do a great job makign a nice field. spike, danish tine, or adjustable c tines.

I've seen these seeders used for 1500-3000 bucks in great shape too. Even the double row cultipacker brillion seeders are great for no till.