?? Seeding grass with a broadcast spreader??

[Steve in Idaho]

I am needing to seed a few acres to grass this spring for hay ground. My question is, how effective would it be to use a large 3pt pto driven broadcast spreader, normally used to apply fertilizer, to put the seed on? What would be the best way to judge the setting so as to apply the right amount of seed? I plowed the ground last fall and will cultipack the ground after I seed it. Thanks

 

[rrlund]

If you think it's set low enough, it's not. I remember when I was a kid, Dad bought one. He used the chart and set it for clover, dumped in a full bag, went about three quarters of the way across the field and ran out. He took it off and never used it for anything but fertilizer again.

 

[wh]

have sown many acres of grass, clover, rye, wheat with a whirly bird as we call them. Just have to experiment with setting It. Generally i close it down and go over twice. Sowing rye or wheat i can run one pass and be done.

 

[rrlund]

What kind of grass seed will be a huge factor as well. There's a world of difference between Timothy and brome grass seed.

 

[centash]

I am needing to seed a few acres to grass this spring for hay ground. My question is, how effective would it be to use a large 3pt pto driven broadcast spreader, normally used to apply fertilizer, to put the seed on? What would be the best way to judge the setting so as to apply the right amount of seed? I plowed the ground last fall and will cultipack the ground after I seed it. Thanks

Buy enough seed to cover the field. Put about one third or so in the spreader mixed with a bag of rolled oats or bran or something cheap of similar size and density of your grass seed. Set the spreader according to the charts provided with that type of seed. Run til the field is done or the spreader is empty. Then you can determine how much the spreader has applied per acre and use the remaining mix to more accurately cover the field. Even fertilizer could work as a carrier. A bit of work, but you can get close to your recommended rate with some diligence and not run out of seed.

Ben

 

[jwal10]

A couple bags of sand is cheap, mix equal amounts as the seed you have, one bag seed, 1 bag sand. Set low as you can and go as many trips around as you need to spread it out, at different angles and overlap spread. Mix in a bag of oats, work good and make good hay, Sudan does too, here....James

 

[JOCCO]

They claim the old vicon pendulum spreader would do it. They were used for lots of sensitive stuff like pellet herbicides too.

 

[caterpillar guy]

I would determine the amount you want to plant per acre. Put that much in the spreader set probably completely and go see how much you spread. then adjust accordingly . IF to much probably have to tape pat of the slide over to close it down more if not enough double spread it if about half enough. I would rather have to double spread it than to try to wean it down more. The correct amount in one pass is best but can't always have that. Other wise a drill or have the fertilizer plant mix your seed in with the fertilizer and then spread it according to the bulk density for the fertilizer. Seed would not be enough to terribly affect rate. IF you want to cut the rate in half and double spread at half width so it has a better pattern. I do that with urea if it gets windy while spreading or if we need to go and it is a bit windy saves having skips in the application.

 

[495man]

I have an old Vicon pendulum spreader, I still have the rubber insert that goes in the spout for seeding grass seed. The rubber is meant to slow the seed down. I'd think anything more than the lowest setting would put too much.

I've never used it for grass seed though since I have a drill.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

You don't "judge" it unless you want to spend a lot of extra money on grass seed...

The seed bag will give you an application rate in pounds per acre. The past three years I've been using seed that recommends 22lb per acre for example. It's one of the higher seeding rates that I encountered shopping for seed.

Your spreader should have an application rate chart based on ground speed. So you'd want to set the application rate for 15lb or 22lb or whatever the bag says, drive the correct speed (use the speedometer app on your phone if you have one) and space your passes based on the pattern width of the spreader.

That's if you can do it perfect. If you want a more consistent coverage, you set the application rate to 1/2 the recommended and make two passes over the field, splitting your first passes with the second, or running 90 degrees to your first pass on the second..

The problem with the whole idea is you're using a spreader designed for a much bulkier, much coarser material. Most grass seed is very fine and will flow through the spreader like water. The "22lb of fertilizer" setting" won't spread "22lb of grass seed." It might behoove you to look for a small electric broadcast seeder designed for grass seed. Usually you can pick up a good used one at a consignment auction this time of year for $10.

 

[showcrop]

Have you checked into borrowing a brillion from your extension service? I have done that a few times.

 

[504]

We always took our seed to the fertilizer plant and had them mix it in with the fertilizer. Take it out to the field and spread it. I like to apply it at half the rate and cross spread it. One way north and south, the next way east and west. Small fields don’t take very long and you will get better coverage. (The pros will get it right the first time)

 

[PJH]

I am needing to seed a few acres to grass this spring for hay ground. My question is, how effective would it be to use a large 3pt pto driven broadcast spreader, normally used to apply fertilizer, to put the seed on? What would be the best way to judge the setting so as to apply the right amount of seed? I plowed the ground last fall and will cultipack the ground after I seed it. Thanks

Those big cone shaped pto seeders are commonly used on road construction jobs. The settings were critical. The contracts specified state certified seed, and if they ran out of seed they couldn't just run to the local farm store to get more seed. I always explained that clearly to the contractor, and they were always happy to set it tight and make two passes.

 

[MARK ROBKE]

I've got the big cone spreader for fertilizer, and a smaller Herd brand cone seeder for seed. The big one is good enough for cover crop wheat, but not accurate at all for seed. The gate is not precise. The Herd seeder is very precise. You can look up instructions for it online; tells what speed, width of spread, and how long to cover an acre. Our Soil Conservation office rents 2 no-till drills, and they too, are very precise. Another option. Mark.

 

[paul]

They can do it, I have done so with my cone three point spreader, but calibrating it is the challenge as so many say.

I often plant oats with the grass as a cover/ nurse crop, so I will mix the oats and grass seed. Thrn you really have to scratch your head to calibrate what amounts you are planting.

Grass seed is often fluffy, winged, and lightweight, so it won’t fling as far as say, heavy fertilizer pellets. So you need to adjust your spread width expectations as well.

The work master web site has an online manual for the typical come spreader, and some good starting points for your settings and expectations. I don’t think I can post the web site for you as it’s a competitor….

It’s good to start with a half rate. Do the field. Then come back down the seams with a second pass, to cover the places that might not have overlapped. As well you can get better at correcting the proper seed rate by then.

Paul

 

[olddavid]

When we first moved to the farm, I was 17 and Dad bought a handheld, hand crank whirly bird seeder. It was slow but it got the job done. We, my brothers and I, were cheap labor and one of them said he was born into slavery. If we had only realized how good we had it then.

 

[rrlund]

When we first moved to the farm, I was 17 and Dad bought a handheld, hand crank whirly bird seeder. It was slow but it got the job done. We, my brothers and I, were cheap labor and one of them said he was born into slavery. If we had only realized how good we had it then.

Dad used to walk the fields with one of those too, frost seeding clover in wheat. Way more accurate than a PTO seeder. Grass seed is expensive. Precision guesswork will get real costly in a hurry.

 

[caterpillar guy]

We plant with either the drill set for the appropriate setting and seed. OR we used to use a horn and swing it sideways as we walked across the field. They would plant about 20 foot wide so with 2 of them we could cover some ground with them at 40 foot per pass. Held about a quarter of a bag in them or a bit less. Used an old small sauce pan to fill the horn with. I looked at some of those funnel shaped seeders and the gates were so loose you could just drive around with it shut and plant to much seed. They would leak more than you could spread if you filled it before going to the field.