Spreader seeding different sized seed?

[SD51555]

Got to thinking...

Next year's plots are going to be a blend of large seed and tiny seed. Do they have to be broadcast separately? I'm concerned about the rate they flow through the earthway spreader. One plot is going to be a blend of cowpea and brassica. A small plot with a fractional rate of brassica is going to be very difficult to meter out I'm afraid.

 

[sandbur]

I think you will have to make two trips with the seeder. Large seed first. Large seed usually needs to be planted deeper than small seed. I remember a rule of thumb of about 7X the seed size for planting depth.

With minimal equipment, I would at least drag in the cow peas or lightly till after planting and you can just pack the brassica in if you are lucky.

 

[SD51555]

Plan is to spray around memorial weekend. Go back in with skid loader around July 4th and blast all the downed wood and brush outta there. Come back and seed around third weekend of July. May spray again if needed, but hopefully will have enough bare ground to broadcast. I should have a four wheeler to drive it in. The back up plan, in case the peas don't take is to overseed with rye in early august.

 

[West Branch]

I did a mix this year in the 3 pt spreader with 2 bushels of winter rye and a few lbs each of turnips, radish and rape. I just used a shovel to mix it up and broadcast it over a 1.5 acre area in the cow pasture. I did a small opening on the spreader, so I overlapped a few times. I checked twice while spreading and it seemed like the big and small seed was staying well mixed. It would probably be tougher with small batches.

Sad thing is I never got back out there to see how it did. It was just a "pray" food plot, no spraying or mowing. The area had a lot of white clover and various grasses already and I was hoping to see how the cows would do working the seed in. Hopefully check it out around Christmas and walk with snowshoes out there and see dug up spots in the snow.

 

[j-bird]

Typically what happens is as the batch turns fluid with vibrations and the like, the smaller seeds tend to move more freely thru the larger seeds and thus become concentrated at he lowest point and will thus come out in a heavier dose in the begining and you will then have only the larger seed left. There is a technical term for this condition, I just don't recall what it is (granular segragation - I think - I got exposed to this process in the sand foundry business - oh what fun!).

 

[tooln]

If you try small and large seed together the small seeds will settle to the bottom. Your way better of to seed the same size's separately.

 

[TMIL]

I think you will have to make two trips with the seeder. Large seed first. Large seed usually needs to be planted deeper than small seed. I remember a rule of thumb of about 7X the seed size for planting depth.

With minimal equipment, I would at least drag in the cow peas or lightly till after planting and you can just pack the brassica in if you are lucky.

^^ This. When I plant PTT in oats, I spread the oats first, drag, than sow PTT and pack.

 

[SD51555]

I kinda figured that was gonna be the advice. What I'm concerned about is how little seed I'll spread in a 1/10th acre plot when the small seed ratio is a fractional rate. I imagine it'll be about a single hand full or something in a tiny quantity like that.

 

[kabic]

The seed depth issue may be the biggest concern. I wouldn't worry that all types of seed are not even spread through the plot. If your really worried about all the brassica seeds shifting too the bottom, add half them at first and then the other half when your about half way done with spreading.